WPA Racking Rules: 8 Ball vs. Blackball

[Patrick Johnson]

The World Pool-Billiard Association rules for 8 Ball and Blackball have different racking rules:

- In 8 Ball only the 8-ball and the balls in the two back corners are specified. All other balls must be placed "without purposeful or intentional pattern".

- In Blackball all balls are specified. (Note: I'm ignoring the "8-ball on the spot" difference for this question.)

Why would that be? I thought the only difference was the style of balls used...?

pj
chgo

View attachment 79707

 

[AtLarge]

Appleton required the Black-Ball pattern in his World Pool Series 8-Ball events last year, with the 1-ball in front and on the spot. By mixing up the groups, it prevents attempts to rack to one's own advantage.

 

[Patrick Johnson]

Appleton required the Black-Ball pattern in his World Pool Series 8-Ball events last year, with the 1-ball in front and on the spot. By mixing up the groups, it prevents attempts to rack to one's own advantage.

Yes, specifying all ball positions makes it impossible to "pattern rack" to your own advantage. Which makes me wonder why 8-Ball doesn't have the same rule - especially since the Blackball racking pattern (alternating reds and yellows down the sides of the rack) is one of the most common "bar rules" for racking 8-Ball.

pj
chgo

 

[BRussell]

BCA league rules also permit this as a pattern rack:

APPLIED RULINGS: 8-BALL
2-2. 8-Ball Rack
For the purposes of Rule 2-2-d, the common practice of alternating solids and stripes around the outside of the rack is permissible, provided the pattern is altered so there is a stripe in one rear corner and a solid in the other and that the position of any particular ball is not consistent between racks.

 

[GideonF]

BCA league rules also permit this as a pattern rack:

Nice to know, because this is how I rack every time it matters and I've wondered whether one might say I was impermissibly pattern racking.