10 Ball Rules History

[GideonF]

In the thread on “fixing” 9b, there is some discussion on 10b, call shot and also 10 ball last.

Often times people think 10b must be a call shot game, as if that was always the game. Of course the Filipinos play 10b just like 9b with an extra ball, which I recalled was the original version.

This made me think about when it was the change happened. Turns out [mention]Bob Jewett [/mention] wrote an article in Billiards Digest about this very topic - 10b was played like 9b until the 2008 revision to the rules.

Billiards Digest - Pool's Top Source for News, Views, Tips & More

The only thing Bob’s article didn’t address is when the “ten ball last” version came into the WPA (presumably after that article was written - the date of which I don’t see in the web version). While many of the other inconsistencies Bob mentioned aren’t as big an issue these days, this one is.

I don’t have a huge point to this, other than to point out that these type of rule changes happen, that the rules are changed because someone thought it’s a good idea — they aren’t necessarily inherently better.

Oh, and finally, if anyone is playing 10b on the break wins, can we not call it a golden break? The 10b is blue, not yellow or gold. Maybe Blueberry Break?

 

[Bob Jewett]

... The only thing Bob’s article didn’t address is when the “ten ball last” version came into the WPA (presumably after that article was written - the date of which I don’t see in the web version). While many of the other inconsistencies Bob mentioned aren’t as big an issue these days, this one is. ...

EDITED to conform to reality...

The article is probably from May of 2013, judging by the URL and without reference to my own index of articles.

The ten ball last rule seems to have come in during a WPA/WSR rules revision that was after the 2008 release.

An interesting fact about those rules for ten ball. The WPA rules committee that met in late 2006 and worked out the proposed revisions for the 2008 edition never saw the rules for ten ball. They mysteriously appeared in the rules later. I guess that the WPA Board, or someone on the Board, inserted the changes but I don't know who wrote the rules. They eventually included the "safe" call at ten ball, which makes no sense in the game since it provides no protection against having to shoot again if you pocket a random ball. The safety rule was removed in the latest revision.

 

[GideonF]

The article is probably from May of 2013, judging by the URL and without reference to my own index of articles.

In fact, the ten ball last rule was in the WPA/WSR rules that came into effect in January, 2008.

So the rules went from 9b rules to call shot and 10b last in 2008? Interesting. I assumed it was after that because you didn’t include a 10b last vs early 10b in your list of distinctions. At least in my experience that’s the biggest rule disparity I see in tournaments and (non-Filipino) action games.

 

[Bob Jewett]

So the rules went from 9b rules to call shot and 10b last in 2008? Interesting. I assumed it was after that because you didn’t include a 10b last vs early 10b in your list of distinctions. At least in my experience that’s the biggest rule disparity I see in tournaments and (non-Filipino) action games.

Well, now I'm not sure when 10 ball last went in. The BCA rulebook seems not to have tracked the WPA changes for 10-ball very well, so I'll have to paw through old files. I think there was a major revision in 2009 or 2016 and the change may have happened then. Also, the safety rule seems not to have been in the 2008 version. I have edited my post above.

Another edit: the WPA rules can be found on archive.org at least for some years. In April, 2008, it was allowed to call safe and there was no pass-back. In addition, the ten could be called early and made for the early win.

In January, 2009, winning the game on the break was eliminated. The "wrongfully pocketed balls" rule was added -- pass-back. It was still possible to win with an early 10, just not on the break. The safety rule was still in, but the WPB rule made it irrelevant.

And another edit.... The full "ten ball last" rule came in with the March, 2016 rules revision. It is kind of hidden in Rule 9.8, "Continuing Play".

(Side note: It is fortunate that archive.org can show those old rules. Some websites are very complicated and require auxiliary software, and archive.org doesn't handle those well. Also, some service providers do strange things that seem to prevent proper archiving. Since 2025, the archived version of wpa-pool.com seems to redirect to a porn site.)

 

[Cornerman]

In the thread on “fixing” 9b, there is some discussion on 10b, call shot and also 10 ball last.

Often times people think 10b must be a call shot game, as if that was always the game. Of course the Filipinos play 10b just like 9b with an extra ball, which I recalled was the original version.

This made me think about when it was the change happened. Turns out [mention]Bob Jewett [/mention] wrote an article in Billiards Digest about this very topic - 10b was played like 9b until the 2008 revision to the rules.

Billiards Digest - Pool's Top Source for News, Views, Tips & More

The only thing Bob’s article didn’t address is when the “ten ball last” version came into the WPA (presumably after that article was written - the date of which I don’t see in the web version). While many of the other inconsistencies Bob mentioned aren’t as big an issue these days, this one is.

I don’t have a huge point to this, other than to point out that these type of rule changes happen, that the rules are changed because someone thought it’s a good idea — they aren’t necessarily inherently better.

Oh, and finally, if anyone is playing 10b on the break wins, can we not call it a golden break? The 10b is blue, not yellow or gold. Maybe Blueberry Break?

For added information, they had 10-ball professional events in the late 1980’s. Some newer players think that it was recently invented. But that’s just not true. 10 ball was often a gambling game, but it certainly was in the tournament scene as well, just not as much as nine ball or even straight pool.

When I found out about the game in the 80’s, which was already in the Billiard Congress of America Rule Book, I made it my practice game. At the time with no template and slower tables, the middle of the table always had clusters to navigate, so it had a clear different feel than 9-ball.

In the early SVB race to 100 10-ball matches, they were played with the old rules. That was in the mid 2000’s. Any American pro playing 10-ball preferred it that way.

 

[GideonF]

And another edit.... The full "ten ball last" rule came in with the March, 2016 rules revision. It is kind of hidden in Rule 9.8, "Continuing Play".

Thanks, Bob.

Do you recall the thinking on why 10b last was introduced?

 

[garczar]

Thanks, Bob.

Do you recall the thinking on why 10b last was introduced?

It was done in another lame attempt to remove all luck from pool. Ridiculous. A called early 10b carom/combo is not luck. More: https://forums.azbilliards.com/threads/10-ball-last-rule.580659/ How would you like to run a local-level 10b event with 10b last rule? It would be brutal, take a lot longer if every game had to go to last ball.

 

[iusedtoberich]

Were the early "pre WPA bastardization of 10 ball" rules that a 10 on the break was a win? Lets assume for areas that also played the 9 on the break was a win in 9 ball.

 

[garczar]

Were the early "pre WPA bastardization of 10 ball" rules that a 10 on the break was a win? Lets assume for areas that also played the 9 on the break was a win in 9 ball.

10b on break rarely happens so regardless of the rule set its not an issue.

 

[sudocrushms]

10b on break rarely happens so regardless of the rule set its not an issue.

With a template. At a Predator event earlier this year i saw Shane make the 10 in the corner like 4 times in a single match, and he wasn't the only one. Granted it was due to bad racks, but if that's the way they're playing, it should definitely spot up.

Seems the Aerorack isn't very good...

 

[garczar]

Bottom line is just play the rule set you like. Unless you're in a WPA event who really gives a shit? I really wish Pred had kept the old rules in their events which i generally like, them going to 10 last removes some excitement imo. I know that for some casual fans seeing the 10 made and then get spotted is confusing. Early called tens make for better watching.

 

[iusedtoberich]

I'm curious because we are talking about old 10 ball rule sets, going back to the 80's. Was the 10 on the break commonly a win then? It actually came up 2 nights ago I was playing a guy from that era 10 ball, he made it on the break and said he won. I said wtf are you smoking?

 

[garczar]

I'm curious because we are talking about old 10 ball rule sets, going back to the 80's. Was the 10 on the break commonly a win then? It actually came up 2 nights ago I was playing a guy from that era 10 ball, he made it on the break and said he won. I said wtf are you smoking?

In Tulsa 10b wasn't much of a thing except in ring games. 10b on the snap was always a win. It rarely happens except maybe on a bar table.

 

[sjm]

In 1999, the final year of the Professional Billiard Tour (PBT), which was probably the greatest ever American pro tour, they switched from 9ball to 10ball, and it was played Texas Express. 10ball was not, historically, a call shot game.

The ten ball last rule, to my recollection, is about ten years old.

The biggest reason that straight pool was replaced by 9ball in approximately 1983 is that the call shot rule made straight pool a very slow game. American event producers noticed that snooker, a more challenging game than pool which was then starting to gain steam, was not a call shot game, either. If you made a legal hit on a red, any red that went in counted in snooker.

 

[GideonF]

I'm curious because we are talking about old 10 ball rule sets, going back to the 80's. Was the 10 on the break commonly a win then? It actually came up 2 nights ago I was playing a guy from that era 10 ball, he made it on the break and said he won. I said wtf are you smoking?

Based on Bob’s response above, 10 on the break was a win up until January 2009.

To me if you are playing 10b with 9b rules, then 10 on the break should count (assuming you have proper racking involved). In many local rack your own 9b events in my area 9 on the break spots to avoid rack mechanics wiring the 9 in the corner.

If you’re playing call shot, then to me 10b on the break should spot (but then I also don’t play 8 on the break is a win in 8b). I actually would like the same options as 8b - spot or rebreak.

 

[GideonF]

Seems the Aerorack isn't very good...

I’m not certain of this.

A guy in my pool hall has one and gets tight racks in 8b. I tried it and couldn’t get a good rack.

It could be that it’s just a learned thing - my hands “know” how to get a good rack with a triangle and don’t know it with that thing. So if I were racking for the pros I’d give them bad racks but the guy in my pool hall would give them good ones. Maybe if the referees used them all the time in their daily games they would be better.

 

[GideonF]

Bottom line is just play the rule set you like. Unless you're in a WPA event who really gives a shit? I really wish Pred had kept the old rules in their events which i generally like, them going to 10 last removes some excitement imo. I know that for some casual fans seeing the 10 made and then get spotted is confusing. Early called tens make for better watching.

I believe Predator allows early 10s except when it’s a WPA world championship. For those events they have to use WPA last ball rules. This can be confusing to fans and players.

As an aside, the number of pro players that go to tournaments and don’t read the rules is astonishing to me.

 

[Lowell]

I believe Predator allows early 10s except when it’s a WPA world championship. For those events they have to use WPA last ball rules. This can be confusing to fans and players.

As an aside, the number of pro players that go to tournaments and don’t read the rules is astonishing to me.

I don't think the PBS 10 Ball Opens allow early 10s either. The recent one I watched did not.

 

[sudocrushms]

I’m not certain of this.

A guy in my pool hall has one and gets tight racks in 8b. I tried it and couldn’t get a good rack.

It could be that it’s just a learned thing - my hands “know” how to get a good rack with a triangle and don’t know it with that thing. So if I were racking for the pros I’d give them bad racks but the guy in my pool hall would give them good ones. Maybe if the referees used them all the time in their daily games they would be better.

Could be, I haven't used or even held one. I can get a really tight rack easily with the standard Diamond plastic rack on my table without any issues. The way players were driving the 10 to the bottom corners made the bad racks pretty obvious though. With multiple officials too. Maybe table setup/training?

 

[Bob Jewett]

I'm curious because we are talking about old 10 ball rule sets, going back to the 80's. Was the 10 on the break commonly a win then? It actually came up 2 nights ago I was playing a guy from that era 10 ball, he made it on the break and said he won. I said wtf are you smoking?

In the old days, money ball on the break was always a win.

Don't know about winning on the break at eight ball -- we never played it where I started playing. Referring to the rule book of that period is probably useless as major 8-ball tournaments didn't start until about 1980 and your bar league might do anything, like forbid safety play.