WORLD STANDARDIZED RULES: 9 BALL continued
5.7 FOULS
When a player commits a foul, he must relinquish his run at the table and no balls pocketed on the foul shot are re-spotted (exception: if a pocketed ball is the 9 ball, it is re-spotted). The incoming player is awarded ball in hand; prior to his first shot he may place the cue ball anywhere on the table. If a player commits several fouls on one shot, they are counted as only one foul.
5.8 BAD HIT
If the first object ball contacted by the cue ball is not the lowest numbered ball on the table, the shot is foul.
5.9 NO RAIL
If no object ball is pocketed, failure to drive the cue ball or any numbered ball to a rail after the cue ball contacts the object ball on is a foul.
5.10 IN HAND
When the cue ball is in hand, the player may place the cue ball anywhere on the bed of the table, except in contact with an object ball. The player may continue to adjust the position of the cue ball until shooting.
5.11 OBJECT BALLS JUMPED OFF THE TABLE
An unpocketed ball is considered to be driven off the table if it comes to rest other than on the bed of the table. It is a foul to drive an object ball off the table. The jumped object ball(s) is not re-spotted (exception: if the object ball is the 9 ball, it is re-spotted) and play continues.
5.12 JUMP AND MASSÉ SHOT FOUL
If a match is not refereed, it will be considered a cue ball foul if during an attempt to jump, curve or massé the cue ball over or around an impeding numbered ball, the impeding ball moves (regardless of whether it was moved by a hand, cue stick follow-through or bridge).
5.13 THREE CONSECUTIVE FOULS
If a player fouls three consecutive times on three successive shots without making an intervening legal shot, the game is lost. The three fouls must occur in one game. The warning must be given between the second and third fouls. A player’s inning begins when it is legal to take a shot and ends at the end of a shot on which he misses, fouls or wins, or when he fouls between shots.
5.14 STALEMATE
If the referee decides that neither player is attempting to win from the current position, he will announce his decision, and each player will have three more turns at the table. Then, if the referee still feels that there is no progress towards a conclusion, he will declare the rack a stalemate and the original breaker of the rack will break again.
5.15 END OF GAME
On the opening break, the game is considered to have commenced once the cue ball has been struck by the cue tip. The 1 ball must be legally contacted on the break shot. The game ends at the end of a legal shot which pockets the 9 ball, or when a player forfeits the game as the result of a foul.
Further detailed information on the rules of the game is available from a variety of websites including the following:
http://www.tribilliards.com/9ballrules.html
http://www.phespirit.info/games/pool/rules.htm
http://www.bca-pool.com/play/tournaments/rules/wsr-intro.shtml
Rules of 'straight pool' (14.1 Continuous) can be viewed here:
http://cuesplus.com/read_me/bcastraight.htm