8-Ball Pool Guide: Rules, Fouls and Cue Ball Control
Everything you need to win at 8-ball, from the rack to the final black ball. The rules below are exactly the ones the game engine enforces, so you can learn them here and see them in action on the table above.
How to play online
The controls are built so you can aim precisely on a phone without ever firing by accident.
Aim
Drag on the table · ← →
Drag anywhere on the cloth to swing the cue around the cue ball. The guide line shows the ghost ball, the path of the object ball and where the cue ball deflects.
Fine-tune
Aim wheel · Shift + ← →
Roll the fine-aim wheel for 0.1° steps – essential for thin cuts and long straight-in shots.
Power
Pull the cue slider · Space
Pull the cue slider back to load power and let go to strike. Slide it back to zero to cancel. On a keyboard, hold Space and release.
Spin
Cue tip widget
Move the red dot on the mini cue ball: above center for top spin, below for back spin, left or right for english.
Ball in hand
Drag the cue ball
After your opponent fouls, drag the cue ball anywhere it fits. On the break it must stay behind the head string.
Complete Official 8-Ball Pool Rules
8-ball is played with a cue ball and fifteen numbered object balls: seven solids (1–7), seven stripes (9–15) and the black 8-ball. Each player owns one group and must pocket all seven of their balls before legally pocketing the 8.
The rackRack order
The fifteen balls are racked in a tight triangle with the apex ball on the foot spot. The 8-ball sits in the center of the third row, and the two back corners hold one solid and one stripe. Every other ball is placed at random.
The break shotKitchen
The breaker places the cue ball anywhere behind the head string – the “kitchen”, the first quarter of the table – and drives it into the rack. Most players break at or near full power for the best spread.
If the breaker pockets any object ball without fouling, they keep shooting. Scratching or failing to hit the rack is a foul and gives the opponent ball in hand. Pocketing the 8-ball on the break loses the game in this version (some leagues re-spot it instead).
Open table and choosing groupsOpen table
The table stays open after the break, even if balls were pocketed on it. On an open table you may hit any solid or stripe first, but never the 8-ball.
The first player to legally pocket a solid or a stripe after the break claims that group: pocket the 3 and you own the solids (1–7), and your opponent gets the stripes (9–15). If balls from both groups drop on the same shot, the first ball to drop decides.
Continuing your turnRun
Your turn continues as long as you legally pocket at least one ball of your own group on each shot. Pocketing only your opponent’s balls ends your turn (without a foul), and those balls stay down – a gift to your opponent.
Pocketing the 8-ballWin
Once all seven of your group balls are down, the 8-ball becomes your only legal target. Hit it first and drop it in any pocket without fouling to win the game. This online version uses any-pocket rules, so you don’t need to call the pocket.
Foul & Ball-in-Hand Guide
A foul ends your turn immediately and hands your opponent ball in hand. The game calls four kinds of foul:
1 Scratch
The cue ball drops into a pocket. Watch out for follow shots near pockets and for the cue ball rolling along the tangent line into a corner.
2 No ball hit
The cue ball doesn’t touch any object ball. This usually happens on kick shots off a cushion when you’re snookered.
3 Wrong ball first
The first ball the cue ball touches must be one of your own group, or the 8-ball once your group is cleared. Hitting an opponent’s ball – or the 8 too early – first is a foul, even if your own ball drops afterwards. The guide line marks such targets with a red “FOUL TARGET” warning.
4 No rail after contact
After the cue ball hits a legal object ball, either some ball must be pocketed or at least one ball (cue ball included) must touch a cushion. Rolling up softly to a ball and stopping is a foul.
Ball in hand
After any foul, the incoming player may pick up the cue ball and place it anywhere on the table that doesn’t overlap another ball, then shoot in any direction. Use it to set up an easy straight-in shot or to break up a cluster. Running out of time on the 30-second online shot clock also counts as a foul.
The 8-ball traps that lose instantly
Three situations end the game on the spot:
- Pocketing the 8-ball before all seven of your group balls are down – including the shot that sinks your last group ball together with the 8.
- Pocketing the 8-ball and committing a foul on the same shot – most often a scratch after a firm stroke on the black.
- Pocketing the 8-ball on the break.
On the 8, use stun or a touch of draw so the cue ball stops short of the pocket – never follow through toward it.
Ghost-Ball Aiming & Cue Ball Spin Techniques
Potting balls is geometry. Getting position for the next shot is spin. Here is how both work in the game.
The ghost ball methodAiming
Picture a “ghost” cue ball touching the object ball on the exact opposite side from the pocket. A line from the pocket through the object ball’s center passes through the ghost ball’s center. Aim the cue ball at the center of that ghost ball and the object ball travels to the pocket.
The guide line draws the ghost ball for you, along with the path of the object ball and the cue ball’s deflection. A real pool hall has no guide line, so practise picturing the ghost ball yourself before you check it.
Cut angle and thicknessThickness
The thinner you hit the object ball, the larger the cut angle and the less speed it receives. A full-ball hit sends the object ball straight ahead with almost all the speed; a half-ball hit cuts it 30° and passes on only about 87%.
The 90° rule and stunStun
When the cue ball is sliding with no spin at impact, it leaves the object ball along the tangent line – 90° from the object ball’s path. On a straight-in shot it simply stops dead: the stun shot. Hit slightly below center so the ball still slides when it arrives.
Top spin – followTop spin
Striking above center makes the cue ball roll forward. After contact it bends forward off the tangent line and follows the object ball. Use follow to move down the table – and beware of following the object ball into the pocket.
Back spin – drawBack spin
Striking below center puts back spin on the cue ball. As long as that spin survives until impact, the cue ball spins back toward you. The farther away the object ball, the more power you need, because cloth friction wears the back spin off on the way.
Side spin – englishEnglish
Hitting left or right of center spins the cue ball around its vertical axis. It has little effect in the open, but when the cue ball meets a cushion, right english throws it to the right and left english to the left. Running english widens the rebound angle and keeps speed; reverse english tightens it.
Start with center ball and add spin only when you need a specific position. Every tip offset makes the shot less forgiving.
Cut angle vs. contact thickness
| Hit | Cut angle | Speed passed on |
|---|---|---|
| Full ball | 0.0° | 100% |
| ¾ ball | 14.5° | 97% |
| ½ ball | 30.0° | 87% |
| ¼ ball | 48.6° | 66% |
| ⅛ ball (thin cut) | 61.0° | 48% |
Measured in the game: cue ball reaction
| Cue tip | Cue ball after contact | Object ball |
|---|---|---|
| Back spin (draw) | −4.8 ⌀ | ✓ |
| Low center (stun) | +0.0 ⌀ | ✓ |
| Center ball | +1.9 ⌀ | ✓ |
| Top spin (follow) | +10.8 ⌀ | ✓ |
Numbers are produced at build time by running the exact physics engine that powers the table above.
Game modes
Online Quick Match
Join the queue and get paired with another player. Shots are verified by the game server, so both players always see the same table. Tired of waiting? “Start Immediately with AI” drops you straight into a game against the computer.
Play vs. AI
Three AI levels use real ghost-ball geometry: they check every ball against all six pockets, reject blocked paths and simulate the shot before playing. Pro Hustler also plans position for its next shot.
2 Players on one device
Classic 2-player pool on a single phone, tablet or computer – pass the device after each turn.
Play with a Friend
Create a private table and send the link. Your friend joins instantly from any device.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 8-Ball Pool Online free?
Yes. The game is completely free and runs in your browser on desktop and mobile. There is nothing to download and no account to create.
Can I play pool against the computer?
Yes. Choose Play vs. AI and pick Easy, Medium or Pro Hustler. You can also press “Start Immediately with AI” while waiting for an online opponent.
How do I put spin on the cue ball?
Use the cue tip widget next to the table. Move the red dot up for top spin (follow), down for back spin (draw), or left and right for english, which changes how the cue ball comes off a cushion.
What happens if I pocket the 8-ball early?
You lose the game. The 8-ball may only be pocketed after all seven of your solids or stripes are down. Pocketing it on the break, or on a shot where you foul, also loses.
What is ball in hand?
After a foul, the opponent may place the cue ball anywhere on the table that doesn’t overlap another ball before shooting. On the break the cue ball must be placed behind the head string.
Why was my shot called a foul when I hit my own ball?
After contact, a ball must be pocketed or at least one ball must touch a cushion. A soft shot that only nudges your ball without reaching a rail is a “no rail” foul.
Which group do I get, solids or stripes?
The table is open after the break. The first player to legally pocket a solid (1–7) or a stripe (9–15) gets that group, and the opponent gets the other.
How does the ghost-ball guide line work?
It traces the cue ball to the first ball or cushion it would touch and draws a translucent ghost ball at the point of contact, plus the object ball’s path and the cue ball’s deflection. A red warning appears if you are aiming at a ball you are not allowed to hit first.
Can two people play on the same device?
Yes. Choose 2 Players (one device) for classic pass-and-play. To play from different devices, use Play with a Friend and share the table link.
Is online play fair?
Every shot is a single packet with aim, power and spin. The game server re-runs the physics itself and sends the authoritative result to both players, so nobody can fake an outcome.