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Straight Pool Rules (14.1) and Basic Pool Rules

Updated Oct 15, 2026 · The LeaguePool Team

Straight pool, officially called 14.1 continuous, is the call-shot game where every ball you legally pocket is worth one point and the first player to an agreed score wins, usually 100 or 150. When fourteen balls are down, they get re-racked and the same player keeps shooting, so one inning can run for dozens of balls.

Everything below follows the World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA) Rules of Play that took effect on September 15, 2025, the rule book used for international play. Further down you'll also find the basic pool rules that every game shares (scratches, ball in hand, calling shots, fouls), since those are what most people mean when they search for pool rules.

What is straight pool?

Straight pool is a pocket billiards game played with all fifteen numbered balls and the cue ball. There are no groups and no order: the 13 counts the same as the 2. What makes it different from 8-ball or 9-ball is that the game doesn't end when the table is cleared. After fourteen balls go down, they are racked again with the front spot left empty, the fifteenth ball stays where it stopped, and the shooter tries to pocket that last ball and send the cue ball into the new rack in the same stroke.

The name 14.1 comes from that cycle: fourteen balls racked, one left on the table. You'll also hear it called continuous pool or just 14.1. According to Wikipedia's history of the game, Jerome Keogh introduced the re-rack version in 1910, and it was the main professional game in the United States until faster games like 9-ball took over in the 1980s.

Players still respect it because there's no luck to hide behind. You pick every ball, so a long run is a direct measure of how well you plan and control the cue ball. If that side of the game interests you, our straight pool strategy guide covers how good players actually play it.

Straight pool rules at a glance

Racking and the lag

Players lag for the break: each player shoots a ball from behind the head string to the foot rail and back, and the ball that stops closer to the head rail wins. Under WPA rule 1.2 the winner chooses who shoots first, and most choose to make the opponent break, for reasons you'll see in the next section.

For the opening break, all fifteen balls go in a triangle with the apex ball on the foot spot. WPA rules don't fix the order inside the rack, though many players put the 1 and the 5 on the back corners out of habit (that's also the CSI layout). Template racks (thin plastic sheets like the Magic Rack) are not allowed in 14.1 under WPA rule 7.2. Use a wooden or plastic triangle. The outline of that triangle, usually drawn on the cloth, decides later whether a ball is "in the rack" when it's time to re-rack. Our racking guide has diagrams if you need them.

The opening break: a required safety

The opening break is the one shot in straight pool with its own legal requirement. The breaker has the cue ball in hand behind the head string, and after the cue ball hits the rack, one of two things has to happen:

• a called ball goes into the called pocket (very rare off a full rack), or
• the cue ball and at least two object balls are each driven to a rail.

Miss that requirement and it's a breaking foul. The breaker loses two points, and the opponent chooses between taking the table as it lies or making the breaker re-rack and break again. That can repeat until the breaker gets it right or the opponent accepts the table, and each failed attempt is another breaking foul. Breaking fouls don't count toward the three-foul rule.

Because nobody can call and make a ball off a closed rack with any confidence, the opening break is played as a safety: the breaker clips a back corner ball thin, sends two balls to the rails and back toward the pack, and tries to bring the cue ball back to the head rail. That's why the lag winner usually hands the break to the other player.

Two more break details from WPA rules 7.9 and 7.10: if the breaker meets the requirement but scratches, that's a standard foul (minus one, ball in hand behind the head string for the opponent). If a shot is both a standard foul and a breaking foul, it's scored as a breaking foul, so minus two.

Calling shots and scoring points

Straight pool uses the WPA standard call shot (rule 1.7). Before each shot you indicate the ball and the pocket unless they're obvious. Nothing else matters: you don't call rails, kisses or other balls, and you call only one ball per shot. If there's any chance of confusion, such as a bank, a combination or a carom, call it out loud. Your opponent can ask what you're shooting at any time.

Scoring under rule 7.7 works like this:

• Make the called ball in the called pocket: one point, and you keep shooting.
• Other balls that drop on that same legal shot: one point each.
• Miss the called ball but make a different one: no points, the ball that fell is spotted, and your turn ends.
• Call safety instead of a ball: your turn ends after the shot, and anything you pocket is spotted.

Spotted balls go on the long string (the center line) as close to the foot spot as possible, toward the foot rail if the spot is covered. Scores can go below zero, so a player who fouls early can sit at minus one or minus two. Tracking all of that over a 150-point game is its own skill; our guide to keeping score in pool shows the bead and score-sheet methods.

The re-rack: what happens after 14 balls

When the fourteenth ball of a rack drops, play stops. The fourteen pocketed balls go back in the triangle with the apex spot left empty, the remaining object ball (the break ball) and the cue ball stay where they are, and the same player continues. Most players then pocket the break ball and let the cue ball crash into the new rack on the same shot. You aren't required to, though: after any re-rack you may shoot at any ball you like.

Trouble starts when the cue ball or the fifteenth ball sits inside, or overlaps, the rack outline. WPA rule 7.8 covers every case:

One common mistake at home: spotting the fifteenth ball on the foot spot and racking fourteen behind it. That only happens when the break ball itself went in. Otherwise it stays where it is.

Fouls and penalties in 14.1

A standard foul in straight pool costs one point, ends your turn, and leaves the cue ball where it stopped for your opponent. The exception is a scratch or a cue ball off the table: then the incoming player has ball in hand behind the head string, not anywhere on the table. WPA rule 7.9 lists these standard fouls for 14.1:

• Cue ball scratched or knocked off the table.
• No rail after contact: if nothing is pocketed, some ball (cue ball or object ball) must reach a rail after the cue ball hits an object ball.
• No foot touching the floor when the tip hits the cue ball.
• Object ball driven off the table (it gets spotted).
• Touching or moving any ball with your hand, cue, clothes or chalk.
• Double hit, or a push shot where the tip stays on the cue ball too long.
• Shooting while a ball is still moving or spinning.
• With ball in hand behind the head string: placing the cue ball on or past the line, or shooting at a ball behind the line without the cue ball crossing it first.
• Playing out of turn, slow play under a shot clock, and a template left on the rail that a ball touches.

Notice what's missing: there's no wrong-ball-first foul, because every ball is legal. And if every object ball is behind the head string when you have ball in hand there, WPA rule 1.6 lets you ask for the ball nearest the line to be spotted, so you always have something to shoot at.

For a full rundown of how fouls work in other games, see common pool fouls.

The three-foul rule (minus 18)

Three standard fouls in a row, with no legal shot in between, is a serious foul under WPA rule 7.11. You lose one point for the third foul as usual, then another fifteen. Count it out and the three-foul sequence costs eighteen points in total. Then all fifteen balls are re-racked and the player who fouled has to break again under the opening-break requirement. The foul count resets to zero.

The rule only counts if you were warned. WPA rule 3.13 says the referee must tell a player who comes to the table on two fouls that they're on two; without that warning, a third foul counts as only the second. In a casual game, say it out loud ("you're on two"). A scoreboard that shows the foul count also counts as a warning under the WPA regulations.

This is the rule that makes safety battles tense. Taking an intentional foul is legal and sometimes smart, but each one moves you closer to the big penalty.

How a game ends, and house variations

The first player to reach the agreed score wins, and the game ends the moment that point is scored, even mid-rack. Pick the target before the lag. Wikipedia's history of the game lists 100 as the traditional length and notes that pro matches often go higher; 150 is the classic professional number. For casual players, 50 is a sensible evening game, and Bar Games 101 suggests 30 or 60 for intermediate players.

If no one can make progress (both players just trading safeties), WPA rule 7.12 says to lag again for a new opening break, and the score carries over.

Common house variations, none of them in the WPA rule book:

• Fourteen-ball start: rack fourteen, put one ball on the center spot and give the first player ball in hand. Dr. Dave Alciatore lists this as a way to skip the opening safety and start running balls.
• Handicaps: the stronger player plays to a higher number (for example 100 against 60).
• No three-foul rule, or no call on obvious shots. Agree on these before you start.

Basic pool rules every game shares

Most people who search for pool rules want the rules that apply to any game on a pool table. The WPA puts those in its General Rules and Fouls sections, and individual games then change the penalties. Here they are in plain terms:

1. Hit the cue ball only with the tip of the cue, in one clean stroke. Double hits and push shots are fouls.
2. Keep at least one foot on the floor when you shoot.
3. On every shot, the cue ball must hit an object ball, and then something must be pocketed or some ball must touch a rail.
4. Pocketing the cue ball (a scratch) or knocking it off the table is a foul.
5. Don't touch balls with your hand, clothes, chalk or cue except the cue ball during ball in hand.
6. Don't shoot until every ball has stopped moving and spinning.
7. A foul has to be called before the next shot. If nobody calls it, it didn't happen.
8. If several fouls happen on one shot, only the most serious one counts.
9. A ball hanging on the edge of a pocket for five seconds after the shot isn't pocketed, even if it drops later.

What changes from game to game is the penalty. In 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball under WPA rules, any foul gives your opponent ball in hand anywhere on the table. In straight pool, one-pocket and bank pool, a scratch gives ball in hand behind the head string and fouls cost points or balls. Three fouls in a row loses the rack in 9-ball and 10-ball, costs fifteen points in straight pool, and doesn't apply at all in WPA 8-ball.

Jump shots are legal under WPA rules when you raise the butt of the cue and drive the cue ball down into the cloth so it bounces up. Scooping under the ball is treated as a miscue, and doing it on purpose is unsportsmanlike conduct. Our jump shot guide explains the difference.

Pool rules for scratching

A scratch means the cue ball went into a pocket (or, by most rule books, off the table). It's always a foul. What your opponent gets depends on the game:

Scratching on the 8-ball has its own rules, which our scratch guide and 8-ball rules cover in detail.

Official pool rules for other games

There isn't one official set of pool rules. The WPA rule book governs international events, the APA and CSI (BCAPL) publish their own league rules, and bars play by house rules. Use the page for your game:

APA league rules differ from WPA rules in a few ways that matter on league night, such as how a scratch on the 8-ball break is handled. Our APA vs BCA guide compares the two. For party games such as killer and knockout, see pool games for groups, and for bar tables see bar rules vs league rules.

House rules to post by your table

A short sign by a home table settles most arguments before they start. This list fits on one sheet:

1. We play WPA rules unless the sign says otherwise.
2. Call your shot unless it's obvious. Banks and combos always get called.
3. Scratch: ball in hand anywhere (8-ball and 9-ball), behind the line in straight pool.
4. Loser racks. Winner breaks the next game.
5. No sitting on the rails, no drinks on the rails.
6. Chalk goes on the rail chalk-side up, never on the cloth.
7. Call fouls before the next shot or let them go.

For the unwritten side (when to talk, where to stand), see pool hall etiquette.

Straight pool records worth knowing

Willie Mosconi ran 526 balls without a miss on March 19, 1954, in Springfield, Ohio, and that number stood for more than 65 years. John Schmidt passed it with 626 in 2019, and Jayson Shaw has since run 669 (2022) and 832 (January 2025), according to the records kept by Wikipedia and Dr. Dave Alciatore. Mosconi's run came in a match against an opponent, while Schmidt's 626 came after months of dedicated attempts, which is why some players still rate 526 as the harder feat. Our list of the best pool players of all time has more on Mosconi's era.

Sources

• WPA Rules of Play, effective September 15, 2025 (General Rules and Fouls, plus section 7: 14.1 Continuous Pool)
• WPA Rule Regulations, effective September 15, 2025
• APA Official Team Manual: Fouls
• Wikipedia: Straight pool (history and run records)
• Dr. Dave Alciatore: rules of straight pool and record runs

Our picks

Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.

Aramith Premier Billiard Ball Set

Serious 14.1 practice

Straight pool puts more hits on a set of balls than any other game, because you re-rack every fourteen balls and keep going. Aramith makes this set in Belgium from its Premier phenolic resin and checks every ball on eight criteria, density, balance and roundness among them. That consistency is what lets you trust a soft carom off the pack, the shot your whole run depends on.

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Viper Wood Triangle Ball Rack

Template-free re-racks

WPA rules ban template racks in 14.1, so you need a real triangle. This one is solid hardwood with reinforced corners, sized for regulation 2-1/4 inch balls, which lets you rack fourteen tight with the apex empty in a few seconds. A snug wood frame also keeps its shape where a thin plastic triangle eventually flexes.

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Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book

Settling rules arguments

A printed rule book on the shelf ends the "that's not how we play it" debate quickly. This is the Billiard Congress of America's official rules and records book in its revised and updated edition, with rules for the major pool games and the record lists players like to argue about. For international events the WPA rule book linked above is the newer reference.

Amazon price: $14.95 as of 10:35 AM EDT. Price and availability can change; Amazon’s price at purchase applies.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between straight pool and 14.1 continuous?

None. 14.1 continuous is the official name and straight pool is the common one. The 14.1 refers to racking fourteen balls and leaving one on the table so play can continue.

How many points does a game of straight pool go to?

Whatever the players agree before the lag. 100 and 150 are the traditional match lengths, and 50 or fewer is common for a casual game.

Do you have to call every shot in straight pool?

Under WPA rules you must indicate the ball and pocket unless the shot is obvious. Banks, combinations and caroms should be called every time, and your opponent may ask for a call at any time.

What happens if you make a ball you didn't call?

If the called ball also went in, the extra ball counts one point. If the called ball missed, the ball that fell is spotted, you score nothing, and your turn ends.

What happens when you scratch in straight pool?

You lose one point and your opponent gets ball in hand behind the head string. A scratch also counts toward the three-foul rule.

Can your score go negative in straight pool?

Yes. WPA rule 7.7 allows negative scores, so a player who fouls before scoring starts at minus one, or minus two after a failed opening break.

Is the fifteenth ball spotted when you re-rack?

No. The fifteenth ball stays where it is unless it lies in the rack area (then it goes to the head spot) or it was pocketed on the same shot as the fourteenth ball (then all fifteen are racked).

What are the official pool rules?

For international play, the WPA Rules of Play (current edition effective September 15, 2025) are the official rules. US leagues such as the APA and CSI publish their own rule books, which differ in places, so check which one your league or tournament uses.

Related guides

• Bank Pool Rules: Calling Banks, Fouls and Scoring
• 10-Ball Rules Explained
• Rotation Pool Rules: How 61 Is Played and Scored
• Cutthroat Pool Rules: 3 or 5 Players, Fouls, Scoring

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