safety play in 8 ball

[berlowmj]

I was playing with someone & we were both confused about whether or not a ball needs to hit a cushion.

 

[macguy]

I was playing with someone & we were both confused about whether or not a ball needs to hit a cushion.

That is a general rule and applies to all games.

 

[MitchAlsup]

Some ball must drop in the pocket; or some OB must make contact with a rail after contact by the CB; and that OB must not be frozen to the same rail it makes contact with.

 

[PROG8R]

I guess it all depends on which bar in which part of the country of which type of redneck you are playing...

In general either the cue or a ball has to contact a rail after a legal hit is made.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

Some ball must drop in the pocket; or some OB must make contact with a rail after contact by the CB; and that OB must not be frozen to the same rail it makes contact with.

...or some OB -or the CB- must make contact with a rail after contact by the CB...

 

[DelaWho???]

It depends on the rule set you are using. If you are playing BIH rules, something must hit a rail.

 

[poolfoole]

I was playing with someone & we were both confused about whether or not a ball needs to hit a cushion.

Unless you're playing bar room 8-ball, where you can foul all you want and incur no penalty for it, a ball must hit a cushion or be pocketed after the cue ball contacts the object ball for the safety shot to not be a foul. Depending on the rules you're playing by, it could be a ball in hand anywhere on the table foul (general case) or it could be a ball in hand behind the head string penalty.