8 ball break

mark187187 said:

Quick question- apologies if it's been asked before.

Is a scratch on the break bih or bih behind head string. I've always played behind head string, but was watching a couple of videos online recently and there is inconsistency. I'm after standardised rather that bar rules.

Thanks, Mark

Click to expand...

I think in the current pro rules, it's ball in hand anywhere. But the rules where changed as I know in some older pro tournaments I have seen them shoot behind the line, not just in 8 ball but in 9 ball and any balls made on a scratch would come up. Or maybe they came up only after a foul on the break.

Was a bit odd watching them stop balls that way, it often put the player getting the ball after a foul in a tough situation instead of having a clear advantage.

break rule

mark187187 said:

Quick question- apologies if it's been asked before.

Is a scratch on the break bih or bih behind head string. I've always played behind head string, but was watching a couple of videos online recently and there is inconsistency. I'm after standardised rather that bar rules.

Thanks, Mark

Click to expand...

For quite a while, the BCAPL, the ACS and most others used the World Standardized Rules that state you shoot from the kitchen after a scratch on the break.

The BCAPL recently changed to BIH anywhere. It does make the game simpler and speeds it up a bit. Sure wish they could all be on the same page, though.

APA rules?...well that's an alternate universe...

I am on an acs league and if you scratch on the break or anytime for that matter it is bih anywhere on the table

ACS Rules

Officially, ACS rules say that you take ball in hand behind the head string after a scratch on the break. The rule is documented on page ACS-12, Section 3.3, bullet h in this document:

https://americancuesports.org/uploads/ACS_Rulebook.pdf


However, in league, I agree with jrockstangs, we play BIH anywhere. This is also the case in the two state tournaments I've played in. For some reason, ACS follows the BCAPL rule in play, but not in their documentation.

They should standardize.