What Should Be the Rules of 10-ball?

[Jude Rosenstock]

Once regarded as a variant of 9-ball, 10-ball is quickly emerging as the fastest growing game in pool. With rules ranging from identical to 9-ball all the way to calling everything, most players must scour through tournament rules prior to each event.

My question is fairly straight forward: What should the rules of 10-ball be? Specifically, I'd like to address rules that have not been used OR rules that are being used that shouldn't be. Obviously, we can assume that this will be played as a rotation game and that the standard rules of pool will always apply.

If you have no specfic rule you'd like to address, perhaps you might want to discuss if this game should be distinguishable from 9-ball? With the game in its relative infancy, I think feedback is very important, useful and will say a lot about 10-ball's future. As well, you might want to add if you prefer 10-ball or not or if you're indifferent to it in relation to 9-ball.

 

[SKUNKBOY]

I think 10-ball should have different rules than 9-ball. If you want to play a short rack rotation game that allows slop, play 9-ball. If you perfer a short rack rotation game where slop is not allowed, play 10-ball.

I like the call safety rule. That one rule eliminates a lot of the 'lucky leaves' that seem to always bite you in the a$$ during 9-ball matches. And calling shots eliminates those players that like to ride the 9 when they get into trouble...granted they don't make a lot of balls in that shot, but 1 is too many and might make the difference in a match.

10-ball does eliminate the two-way shot, but it does require you 'make up your mind' and commit to a shot.

I like the modified rules about giving the shot back if you miss or slop something in and hook your opponent when you called a shot. Takes some of the luck out of that game.

Skill should rule so take the slop out by rule.

L8R...Ken

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

I think 10-ball should have different rules than 9-ball. If you want to play a short rack rotation game that allows slop, play 9-ball. If you perfer a short rack rotation game where slop is not allowed, play 10-ball.

I like the call safety rule. That one rule eliminates a lot of the 'lucky leaves' that seem to always bite you in the a$$ during 9-ball matches. And calling shots eliminates those players that like to ride the 9 when they get into trouble...granted they don't make a lot of balls in that shot, but 1 is too many and might make the difference in a match.

10-ball does eliminate the two-way shot, but it does require you 'make up your mind' and commit to a shot.

I like the modified rules about giving the shot back if you miss or slop something in and hook your opponent when you called a shot. Takes some of the luck out of that game.

Skill should rule so take the slop out by rule.

L8R...Ken

You're referring to a rule-set different than the one outlined by the BCA. By BCA rules, the only time the incoming player has an option is when a ball is illegally pocketed. If no ball is pocketed, the incoming player must accept the table as is. With that said, you can call a pocket and play safe at the same time. In fact, I see no value in calling safe ever since if you pocket a ball on a safety, the incoming player has the option to make you shoot again.

 

[DogsPlayingPool]

10 Ball should be call shot. Otherwise it is just 9 Ball and what will end up happening is we will lose both games as we know them now. No one will want to play 9 Ball because of the problems with the rack, so slop 10 Ball will become "the game". Thus we will also lose proper call shot 10 Ball.

Jude, I'm on the fence between the WPA rules and the WPA+ rules (option on ANY miss). On the one hand I like the creativity of the two way shot allowed under WPA rules, but I find it strange that there is really no reason to call a safety under the rules - this just seems odd for a call shot game. So you often see players make some long-shot "just in case" calls, which in a way amounts to a form of slop. The WPA+ rules resolves this issue (at the expense of the 2 way shot) but then players will often duck on anything more than a fairly routine shot. This can make the game less exciting from a viewers perspective.

 

[Snapshot9]

And

I don't know if you are playing 9 ball with bangers (who should not be gambling to begin with), but with the guys I play with, a slop shot is a
VERY RARE occurence. Granted, they sometimes hook me when they really weren't looking to, but other than that, the game goes pretty much how they played it.

 

[RobMan]

I agree 10-ball should be different than nine - otherwise just the same game with one additional ball and a rack that's tougher to rig.

Not sure of all the rules, but after watching the Hard Times tourney on stream; you certainly could play two-ways. Don't really know why you would ever call a safety in that format.