Blackball Rules: English 8-Ball Pool Explained
Blackball is English 8-ball: seven reds, seven yellows and a black on a small table, and you win by potting your seven and then the black. "Blackball rules" usually means the version published by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), where a foul gives your opponent a free shot: they can hit any ball first and may take the cue ball from baulk.
Two other rule books run English pool too, and they penalize fouls differently. The old World Rules give two visits. The newer International Rules, used by the English Pool Association's main events since January 2023, give ball in hand anywhere. Most arguments in English pool are really arguments about which book you're playing, so this guide puts all three side by side.
Blackball rules at a glance (WPA)
| Rule | WPA blackball (effective September 15, 2025) |
|---|---|
| Balls | Two groups of seven (usually reds and yellows) plus the black |
| Rack | Triangle with the black on the foot spot |
| Break | From baulk; pot a ball or send at least two object balls past the center line |
| Black on the break | Re-rack, same player breaks again |
| Groups | Table is open until someone pots balls from only one group on a normal shot |
| Calling shots | Not required |
| Legal shot | Hit one of your own balls first, then pot a ball or send a ball to a cushion |
| Foul penalty | Opponent gets one free shot: any ball may be hit first, cue ball as it lies or in hand in baulk |
| Potting an opponent's ball | Legal if you also pot one of your own on the same shot; a foul if you don't |
| Jump shots | Foul |
| Win | Pot all your group, then the black, on a legal shot |
WPA blackball vs International Rules vs World Rules
All three are reds, yellows and a black on the same table. The differences are in the break, what a foul is worth, and what happens to an opponent's ball that drops.
| Rule | WPA blackball (2025) | International Rules (IEPF, rev. 2d) | World Rules (WEPF, 2015 abridged) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Legal break | Pot a ball or two balls past the center line | Three points: one per ball potted, one per ball fully past the center line | Pot a ball and/or drive four balls to a cushion |
| Failed break | Foul, free shot to opponent | Re-rack; opponent chooses who breaks | Re-rack; opponent breaks with two visits |
| Black on the break | Re-rack, same breaker | Black re-spotted | Re-rack, same breaker |
| In-off (scratch) on a legal break | Foul, free shot | Loss of turn, one visit from baulk | Turn passes to opponent |
| Standard foul penalty | One free shot (cue ball as it lies or from baulk) | One visit, ball in hand anywhere on the table | Two visits, cue ball where it lies |
| Potting an opponent's ball without your own | Foul | Loss of turn, not a foul | Foul |
| Last group ball and black on the same shot | Allowed, wins (no group ball left on the table) | Loss of frame | Loss of frame |
| Shot clock | Event rules | 45 seconds, one extension per frame | 60 seconds |
| Who uses it | WPA events; IPA tour since 2013 | IEPF and EPA main events; endorsed by Ultimate Pool | Leagues that choose it (the EPA allows this) |
The 2025 WPA text gives the incoming player "one free shot as the first shot of his innings." The older WPA blackball rules (2005) described the penalty as "a free shot plus one visit," which is where the pub phrase "one shot, one visit" comes from. The new text doesn't repeat that wording, so check how your league reads a miss on the free shot.
Old pub rules ("old EPA" rules) are a fourth family with their own two-shot foul penalty. We couldn't check a current official copy, so they're not in the table.
The table and balls
English pool is played on small tables with tight, rounded pockets. The IEPF's championship specification allows a playing surface from 6 ft x 3 ft up to 7 ft x 3 ft 6 in, with napped 30 oz cloth and the nap running from the baulk end toward the black spot. The baulk line sits one fifth of the table length from the head cushion.
The same specification sets object balls at 2 inches (50.8 mm) and 116 grams, and the cue ball at 1 7/8 inches (47.6 mm) and 94 grams, each within 2 grams. That smaller, lighter cue ball is why draw and stun feel different to American players. Sizes for every game are in our regulation ball size guide, and table dimensions in pool table sizes explained.
WPA rules allow either red and yellow groups or ordinary solids and stripes, so you can play blackball rules on an American set at home. The International Rules specify reds, yellows and a striped black.
Racking and the break
Rack all fifteen balls in a triangle with the black on the foot spot (the black spot), which is the opposite of American 8-ball, where the apex ball sits on the spot. Our racking guide shows both.
Under WPA rules the breaker places the cue ball anywhere in baulk. A legal break pots a ball or drives at least two object balls across the center string (the line between the middle pockets). Anything less is a foul and the opponent gets a free shot. If the black goes in on the break, the balls are re-racked and the same player breaks again, and any scratch on that shot is ignored.
Balls potted on the break don't decide groups. The table stays open until a player pots balls from only one group on a normal shot; a break or a free shot doesn't count for this.
The free shot after a foul
This is the rule people mean by "free ball" in English pool. After any standard foul, the incoming player's first shot is a free shot:
- The wrong-ball-first rule is suspended, so you may hit any ball first, including an opponent's ball or the black.
- You may play the cue ball from where it stopped, or pick it up and place it anywhere in baulk. From baulk you can shoot in any direction; it doesn't have to leave baulk first.
- Everything else still applies. You still need a pot or a cushion after contact, and potting an opponent's ball without one of your own is still a foul.
- A free shot can't decide groups on an open table.
World Rules handle it differently. There is no general free shot; instead, if a foul leaves you snookered (a "foul snooker"), you may nominate one of your opponent's balls or the black as your ball for that shot, or play from baulk. Potting a nominated black loses the frame unless you're already on the black.
Fouls in blackball
WPA blackball uses the standard pool fouls plus three of its own. Each one hands your opponent a free shot:
- Potting the cue ball (an "in-off"), or knocking it off the table.
- Hitting the wrong group first (except on a free shot).
- No pot and no ball reaching a cushion after the cue ball hits a ball.
- No foot on the floor, double hits and push shots.
- Touching a ball, or shooting while balls are still moving.
- Driving an object ball off the table.
- Potting an opponent's ball without also potting one of yours.
- Playing before balls that need spotting are spotted.
- Any jump shot: the cue ball may not jump over a ball.
The "skill shot" is the flip side of that opponent's-ball rule. Pot one of yours and you can clear an opponent's ball off a pocket on the same shot without penalty, which makes WPA blackball a more attacking game than World Rules. For general foul definitions and the arguments around them, see common pool fouls.
Losing the frame
Under WPA rules you lose the frame outright if you:
- pot the black on an illegal shot (for example, with an in-off);
- pot the black while any of your own group is still on the table;
- deliberately hit the wrong ball first; or
- don't attempt to hit a ball you're on.
Unsportsmanlike conduct can also cost the frame. The International Rules list is similar but also makes potting your last group ball and the black on the same shot a loss of frame; under those rules the black always needs a shot of its own.
Snookers, touching balls and stalemates
You're snookered when there's no straight path to any part of a ball you're on, and under WPA rules the referee has to declare it. When you're snookered, the rule that a ball must reach a cushion is suspended for that shot, so just touching your ball is a legal escape.
If the cue ball is touching an object ball, you can't play toward that ball. If it's one of yours, playing away counts as hitting it, so you still need a pot or a cushion afterward.
Balls knocked off the table go back on the long string, the black first, then the next shooter's group, then the rest. If neither player can make progress, or no legal shot is possible, it's a stalemate and the player who broke breaks again.
Blackball vs American 8-ball
| Blackball (WPA) | American 8-ball (WPA) | |
|---|---|---|
| Table | 6 or 7 ft, tight rounded pockets | 7 to 9 ft, wider pockets |
| Balls | Reds and yellows (or solids and stripes), 2 in; cue ball 1 7/8 in | Solids and stripes, 2 1/4 in |
| Rack | Black on the foot spot | Apex ball on the foot spot, 8 in the middle |
| Calling shots | No | Yes |
| Foul penalty | Free shot, cue ball as it lies or from baulk | Ball in hand anywhere |
| Jump shots | Foul | Legal with a proper stroke |
The American game is covered in 8-ball rules, and the Chinese hybrid that uses American balls on a snooker-style table is in Chinese 8-ball explained.
Sources
- WPA Rules of Play, effective September 15, 2025 (Section 8, Blackball)
- International Eightball Rules, revision 2d (English Pool Association) and the EPA rules page
- World Eightball Pool Federation World Rules (abridged, January 2015)
- IEPF byelaws, Annex A (table and ball specifications)
- WPA Blackball Rules, 2005 (archived)
Our picks
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Red and Yellow 2-Inch Pool Ball Set
Regulation English pool ballsReds, yellows and a black at 2 inches with a 1 7/8 inch cue ball, listed for standard UK pool tables. For tournament-grade sets, Aramith is the brand the IEPF names for its international events (its Pro-Cup line).
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English Pool Cue with 8mm Tip
Slim tip for small ballsA slim ash cue with a small tip suits the 2 inch balls and tight pockets of English pool better than a thick American shaft. If you play on a pub-size table regularly, it's the one piece of kit that changes how the game feels.
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Pro Series A13-C 9 in. Billiard Table Brush
Brushing napped clothEnglish pool cloth has a nap that runs from the baulk end toward the black spot, and brushing with the nap keeps the pace even. A 9 inch brush suits a 6 or 7 foot table.
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Check price on AmazonFrequently asked questions
What are blackball rules in pool?
Blackball is English 8-ball with seven reds, seven yellows and a black. The first color you legally pot is yours; pot all seven, then the black, to win. Under WPA blackball rules a foul gives your opponent a free shot, and potting the black early or on a foul loses the frame.
What is a free ball or free shot in English pool?
Under WPA blackball rules, the first shot after your opponent fouls is a free shot: you may hit any ball first and may play the cue ball from where it lies or from baulk. Under World Rules, a free ball is a ball you nominate after a foul leaves you snookered.
Do you get two shots after a foul in blackball?
Not under the current WPA text, which gives one free shot. Two visits is the World Rules penalty, and International Rules give one visit with ball in hand anywhere. Older WPA rules described the penalty as a free shot plus one visit, so ask how your league plays it.
Can you pot the black with your last ball?
Under WPA blackball rules, yes: if you hit your own ball first and no ball of your group is left on the table, it wins. Under International Rules and World Rules it loses the frame, because the black must be potted on a separate shot.
What happens if the black goes in on the break?
Under WPA blackball and World Rules the balls are re-racked and the same player breaks again. Under International Rules the black is re-spotted and play goes on.
Can you pot your opponent's ball in blackball?
Yes, as long as you also pot one of your own on the same shot. That's the skill shot. Potting only an opponent's ball is a foul under WPA rules and a loss of turn under International Rules.
Are jump shots allowed in English pool?
No. WPA blackball, International Rules and World Rules all make it a foul for the cue ball to jump over a ball.
What size table is used for blackball?
A 6 or 7 foot table. The IEPF specification allows playing surfaces from 6 ft x 3 ft up to 7 ft x 3 ft 6 in.
Is there a black ball rule in snooker?
Not in the blackball sense. In snooker the black is the highest-value color, worth 7 points, and a frame is won on points. Our snooker rules for beginners guide covers how it's played.
Is blackball the same as American 8-ball?
Same idea, different game. Blackball uses a smaller table, 2 inch balls with a smaller cue ball, the black on the foot spot, no called shots and a free shot after fouls instead of ball in hand anywhere.
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