Are there some new WPA rules?

[superskippy]

On the thread about bank pool rules, https://wpapool.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/WPA-Rules-2026-10-21-211.pdf was linked which is a new rule book, and it implies at the top the rules are new since last week. Are there any new rules? What's the difference between this and the old rulebook?

 

[Bob Jewett]

On the thread about bank pool rules, https://wpapool.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/WPA-Rules-2026-10-21-211.pdf was linked which is a new rule book, and it implies at the top the rules are new since last week. Are there any new rules? What's the difference between this and the old rulebook?

The substance has not changed since the release about a year ago. That release was the first major revision since 2016. The update this month was a few minor changes, but the entire document was cleaned up. It is in Word and it had accumulated many, many little wrinkles. Or, I hope no changes were introduced by accident in the cleanup.

 

[GideonF]

The substance has not changed since the release about a year ago. That release was the first major revision since 2016. The update this month was a few minor changes, but the entire document was cleaned up. It is in Word and it had accumulated many, many little wrinkles. Or, I hope no changes were introduced by accident in the cleanup.

What were the minor changes?

 

[Bob Jewett]

What were the minor changes?

The main changes were that the WPA decided that players should always be referred to as athletes.

Also, at blackball, the positions of all the reds/yellows/black were specified correctly but the red/yellow was reversed. It seems -- I've never played it -- that all blackball racks must look identical.

 

[qolbrand]

The main changes were that the WPA decided that players should always be referred to as athletes.

Also, at blackball, the positions of all the reds/yellows/black were specified correctly but the red/yellow was reversed. It seems -- I've never played it -- that all blackball racks must look identical.

“An athlete is a person who is trained or skilled in physical exercises, games, or sports that require strength, speed, stamina, or agility, and who frequently competes in organized events.”

mehhhhhhhh okay i’ll let it slide on account of the stamina. i dont think we need strength speed or agility for this particular table game.

athletes it is.

 

[uk_9_ball_convert]

The main changes were that the WPA decided that players should always be referred to as athletes.

Also, at blackball, the positions of all the reds/yellows/black were specified correctly but the red/yellow was reversed. It seems -- I've never played it -- that all blackball racks must look identical.

yeah both popular rulesets for English pool (Blackball and International Rules) have standardised set up for the balls, as did world rules which came before them, though their set up was slightly different(I've never gotten out of the habit of setting up the balls for world rules then swapping 2 of the balls). Having come from the background I find it weird not specifying how the balls should start, you know the set up should give a fair split and it's one less thing for players to argue about.