This document provides the rules for the game of One Pocket

[Standardized World Rules 1997]
Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Pocket Billiards apply.

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TYPE OF GAME: One Pocket is a form of pocket-billiards in which the opposing sides each have one of the foot pockets in which to sink their balls. They can not have the same foot pocket as their pocket. The winning player is the one to firstscore eight balls in his pocket (any eight balls).

PLAYERS: The game may be played by two individuals, or by two teams.

BALLS USED The standard set of object-balls numbered 1-15, plus cue-ball.

THE RACK: A triangle rack with the apex on the foot spot. There is no particular order to the position of the balls in the rack.

OBJECT OF THE GAME: To win by getting any eight balls in your pocket.

SCORING: A player scores a ball in his pocket when he legally pockets a called ball in his pocket, or when his opponent shoots a ball(s) into his pocket (whether the opponents stroke was legal or not).

OPENING BREAK: The player winning the lag has choice of breaking, or assigning the break to his opponent. The starting player, called the breaker, will choose which one of the foot pockets will be his pocket. His opponent will have the remaining foot pocket. The starting player must then either pocket a called ball in his pocket, or cause a ball from the rack, or the cue ball (after hitting an object-ball), to make contact with a cushion. Failure to do so is a foul, and the player's inning is ended and a 1-point penalty is applied.

RULES OF PLAY: A player will continue his inning so long as he legally pockets a called ball in his pocket.

Any balls which fall into a pocket other than one of the foot pockets will be spotted at the end of the player's inning. If there are no more balls on the table and a player's inning is still alive then any balls in illegal pockets will be spotted so the player can continue his inning. (An illegal pocket is any pocket other than one of the foot pockets).

Safety play is allowed. Any ball(s) which are pocketed on a safety stroke will be spotted, unless they fall in the opponent's pocket (they count for the opponent as legally scored balls).

Safety play on a ball frozen to a cushion (any ball within a cue-ball's width of a cushion) requires the following for a legal safety. Normal safety play applies unless the ball remains frozen. If the frozen ball has not become unfrozen after each player has played two safeties on it then the third, and any subsequent, safety on said ball (until it becomes unfrozen, or a different object-ball has been played) must either: drive the frozen object-ball to a cushion other than the one it is frozen to, or the cue-ball must contact a cushion after contact with the frozen ball, or the shooter may play a different object-ball. Failure to play a frozen ball as outlined above is a foul. Any ball which falls into the opponent's pocket will count for the opponent (even if the stroke was foul).

LOSS OF GAME: A player looses the game if his opponent scores eight balls before he does. A player will loose the game for committing any foul in each of three successive innings.

WINNING THE GAME: A player wins the game when he has eight legally pocketed balls in his pocket. A player may win the game by pocketing balls in his opponent's pocket if the opponent does not call attention to the fact that the balls have been scored in the wrong pocket before the required number of balls for the game have been scored. If the opponent notifies the shooter that he has been pocketing balls in the wrong pocket, before the shooter has reached the number required to win the game, then all balls the shooter pocketed will count for his opponent.

PAYING PENALTIES: Normal penalties for fouls, scratches, and such will apply. In the event the penalized player does not have any balls to pay the penalty with he will owe the table those balls.