9 ball rules back in the day

billiardcue

billiardcue

11th Commandment
Silver Member
Refresh my memory.

Back in the day, 1960s, we played 9 ball where you could push out at any time. What were the rules?

As I remember if you committed a foul (failed to contact the lowest numbered ball and a cushion) the incoming player could make you shoot again or take the shot himself (like a push out). If you committed two consecutive fouls the incoming player had ball in hand.

After a scratch the incoming player shot from behind the head string and the lowest numbered ball was spotted if in the kitchen.

All balls made on the break were spotted if the breaker scratched.

I think balls made on a scratch stayed down unless it was the ball before the money ball. We often played the 5-7-9 or 3-6-9 were money balls.

These rules applied in both heads up games and ring games.

I think it paid double for a 9 nine on the break or a run out from the break.

This was central Jersey in the mid to late 1960s and as most pool games, rules are regional.

What am I forgetting?
 
Same way we played the game in the 60's in the Mid-West. Identical....SPF=randyg
 
Great rules, and in New York not many liked playing Toby Sweet at this game. Wish we could go back, but that is not going to happen.
 
There was 2 different ways to play pushout- 2 consecutive fouls by the
same player resulted in cue ball in hand for his opponent- The other way
was just 2 fouls in a row- Say I pushed out and you took the shot and
fouled (either scratch or no rail or no contact with lowest number ball)
then I would have ball in hand. It made you think a little bit sometimes!
 
billiardcue said:
Refresh my memory.

Back in the day, 1960s, we played 9 ball where you could push out at any time. What were the rules?

As I remember if you committed a foul (failed to contact the lowest numbered ball and a cushion) the incoming player could make you shoot again or take the shot himself (like a push out). If you committed two consecutive fouls the incoming player had ball in hand.

After a scratch the incoming player shot from behind the head string and the lowest numbered ball was spotted if in the kitchen.

All balls made on the break were spotted if the breaker scratched.

I think balls made on a scratch stayed down unless it was the ball before the money ball. We often played the 5-7-9 or 3-6-9 were money balls.

These rules applied in both heads up games and ring games.

I think it paid double for a 9 nine on the break or a run out from the break.

This was central Jersey in the mid to late 1960s and as most pool games, rules are regional.

What am I forgetting?
Click to expand...

My memory has faded over the years, but to the best of my feeble memory you have the rules correct. At least that is the way we played in N.E. Pa.
 
mike8or9 said:
There was 2 different ways to play pushout- 2 consecutive fouls by the
same player resulted in cue ball in hand for his opponent- The other way
was just 2 fouls in a row- Say I pushed out and you took the shot and
fouled (either scratch or no rail or no contact with lowest number ball)
then I would have ball in hand. It made you think a little bit sometimes!
Click to expand...

Never played two fouls by the same player, other than that, the OP's pretty much got the way we played.
I'm of the opinion that it made you think a lot, which is one reason it was better than today's rules.
 
mike8or9 said:
There was 2 different ways to play pushout- 2 consecutive fouls by the
same player resulted in cue ball in hand for his opponent- The other way
was just 2 fouls in a row- Say I pushed out and you took the shot and
fouled (either scratch or no rail or no contact with lowest number ball)
then I would have ball in hand. It made you think a little bit sometimes!
Click to expand...

The second way you mentioned was the most conventional way of playing.

The first way you mentioned was rare, two fouls by the same man, if you pushed out and I decided to shoot, I at this time could re-push because this would be my first foul but now who ever shoots had to satisfy the good hit requirements. This way of playing was rare and had much different strategy. You could take away the possible shots from the better player and force them or you to play safe.

For Billiardcue, The rules were somewhat different for ring games. In single matches you spotted everything even the ball before the money.
 
billiardcue said:
Refresh my memory.

Back in the day, 1960s, we played 9 ball where you could push out at any time. What were the rules?

As I remember if you committed a foul (failed to contact the lowest numbered ball and a cushion) the incoming player could make you shoot again or take the shot himself (like a push out). If you committed two consecutive fouls the incoming player had ball in hand.

After a scratch the incoming player shot from behind the head string and the lowest numbered ball was spotted if in the kitchen.

All balls made on the break were spotted if the breaker scratched.

I think balls made on a scratch stayed down unless it was the ball before the money ball. We often played the 5-7-9 or 3-6-9 were money balls.

These rules applied in both heads up games and ring games.

I think it paid double for a 9 nine on the break or a run out from the break.

This was central Jersey in the mid to late 1960s and as most pool games, rules are regional.

What am I forgetting?
Click to expand...

That's how we played it in New York. I don't remember paying double for runouts or 9 on the break though. Johnnyt
 
Defense

The Texas Express rules changed everything as far as "push-out".

Back in the day when balls were spotted, the spot shot was so important.
How many spot shots could you make in a row?
I don't remember playing defense, our defense back then was the push out.
After a 30-year layoff from pool (after my divorce in 02) I didn't know what defense was, or what Texas Express rules were all about.

Not to mention trying to draw that big old cue ball around the bar table back in the day.
 
I was 17 in 71 and I remember the term " rollout " used , basically it was like playing current ring game rules with only two players .....however without ball in hand ... everything else from the early 70's is a little blurry ............................:cool:
 
cuesblues said:
The Texas Express rules changed everything as far as "push-out".

Back in the day when balls were spotted, the spot shot was so important.
How many spot shots could you make in a row?
I don't remember playing defense, our defense back then was the push out.
After a 30-year layoff from pool (after my divorce in 02) I didn't know what defense was, or what Texas Express rules were all about.

Not to mention trying to draw that big old cue ball around the bar table back in the day.
Click to expand...

Long may you run brother ..............................:grin:
 
Let us not forget the SPOT SHOT. As I remember the rules if you made a ball and scratched you spotted the ball and your opponent had to shoot a Spot Shot. The only Ball In Hand was on the second foul.
 
I wish a lot of members on AZ would try and get the old "Push Out" 9-ball game played with a few players in their poolroom. Who knows, it might catch on all over the country. Johnnyt
 
billiardcue said:
Refresh my memory.

Back in the day, 1960s, we played 9 ball where you could push out at any time. What were the rules?

As I remember if you committed a foul (failed to contact the lowest numbered ball and a cushion) the incoming player could make you shoot again or take the shot himself (like a push out). If you committed two consecutive fouls the incoming player had ball in hand.

After a scratch the incoming player shot from behind the head string and the lowest numbered ball was spotted if in the kitchen.

All balls made on the break were spotted if the breaker scratched.

I think balls made on a scratch stayed down unless it was the ball before the money ball. We often played the 5-7-9 or 3-6-9 were money balls.

These rules applied in both heads up games and ring games.

I think it paid double for a 9 nine on the break or a run out from the break.

This was central Jersey in the mid to late 1960s and as most pool games, rules are regional.

What am I forgetting?
Click to expand...

Pretty good here on the rules for "push out" or "roll out" 9-Ball. One small correction - ALL balls spotted back up, nothing stayed down, even on a scratch. Sometimes there would be two or three balls on the spot. Made for some tricky moves. We used these rules almost exclusively until Texas Express came along. When Richie Florence added them to the Caesars Tahoe event in 1982 that was on TV, that brought Texas Express into wide spread acceptance, where they have remained since.
 
jay helfert said:
Pretty good here on the rules for "push out" or "roll out" 9-Ball. One small correction - ALL balls spotted back up, nothing stayed down, even on a scratch. Sometimes there would be two or three balls on the spot. Made for some tricky moves. We used these rules almost exclusively until Texas Express came along. When Richie Florence added them to the Caesars Tahoe event in 1982 that was on TV, that brought Texas Express into wide spread acceptance, where they have remained since.
Click to expand...

I moved from Jersey in the late 1960s and didn't play in pool room until I moved back in 1984, played in bars for drinks and chump change during that 15 year hiatus. Walked into Loree Jon's Billiards, met Sammy Jones and John Oganowski and life hasn't been the same since.

Here in the Roanoke valley they play rings games with a stupid version of roll out rules, you must make an "honest effort" to hit the lowest numbered ball. This makes for a game where if you can't get out you kick at a 100 mph and hope for the best.
 
Well in the late 80's we would play shoot again 9-ball,spot everything, but soon thereafter it turned to ball-in-hand/Texas Express....
Of course we played alot of ring games too...
 
2 shot shoot out was the cornerstone of the 'free shot'. The great players that could cut the hair off a ball (Rempe) would roll out a 70 degree lengthwise up/down table 5 rail cut and make it almost every time. Roll out made you a better player quicker and made you more aware of table speed and the free shot.
 
I'm not big on "the old players played better" or the "good old days were better", but I have to say that 2-shot shoot out was a much, much better game than the connect the dots 9-ball played now. It took a lot more skill to play. *uck TV, bring back 2 shot shoot out. Johnnyt
 
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