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Combination Shot Rules Clarification

10/23/2016 7:44:09 AM

Combination Shot Rules Clarification

I was playing pool in a bar the other day. The shot I called was "my 12 ball off your 4 ball, 12 ball into the corner pocket". My opponent said this was an illegal shot because I cannot use his ball as part of the combination. This was news to me, as I thought that as long as I hit my ball first and my called ball goes into the called hole, I'm good.

And I understand that you can agree on any "house rules" ahead of time, but he claimed this was standard 8-ball rules. Now I thought that standard 8-ball rules said that I could call my 12 ball into the corner pocket, and if it goes off 4 rails and caroms off of every other ball on the table and ends up in that corner pocket, it's a legal shot. But most people prefer to call their shots a little more accurately with "no slop" rules.

Am I incorrect about any of this?

This question relates to the following billiard rules:

Combination Shot Rules Clarification

Replies & Comments
  1. enchantbilliardsforum on 10/23/2016 9:14:25 PM

    You are correct in this case. There is nothing in the rules of 8 ball (nor the general rules of pocket billiards) that prohibits this. You only need to call the ball you are intending to sink, and the pocket. You need not call the details (unless the opponent specifically asks it before you execute the shot).

    As long as the cue ball strikes your ball first, you are all set.

    You can do what you did, and can even have your opponents ball go in a pocket , and you are still good. Your inning continues as long as:

    1. Cue ball hits your ball first.
    2. Called ball goes in the called pocket.
    3. No other details matter

    Also see these similar questions on 8 ball combination shots regarding combination shots with opponent's ball in the middle. There are a number of answers which agree with what I am saying.

    Hope that helps.

  2. enchantenchant on 10/24/2016 6:44:16 AM

    It definitely helps. Thank you.

    I do have a followup question, sort of.

    Looking at that third link (Solid to stripe to solid ball combo shot legal?), someone says:

    Your --> his --> yours --> pocket

    ... results in the end of inning under "no slop" rules.

    I thought that "no slop" meant that you had to call whatever happens that affects the sinking of your ball. His statement sounds like there are official "no slop" rules somewhere, and I haven't found anything like that.

  3. enchantjana on 10/28/2016 9:11:25 AM

    I was confused by that one too.

    It is my understanding that "no slop" has only to do with calling shots... and nothing about whether or not combination shots are legal, etc.

    • Slop - Anything goes. If it falls in, it stays in, no foul.
    • No Slop - You call everything. Every detail.

    I believe APA rules and BCA rules lie somewhere in between "slop" and "no slop" and each varies slightly on the spectrum between slop and no-slop.

  4. enchantgibson on 11/1/2016 8:02:46 PM

    I have seen no slop rules that are ridiculous. One of these was that if the ball touches the rail including the inside of the pocket, it must be called. The only no call shot is one that hits the back of the pocket directly. Most bar rules will state that you can not use an opponents ball regardless. You can carom off of your own ball, but if you carom off an opponent ball you give up your turn. For some reason this is not considered a clean shot. Don't play on a table in a new place for the first time without watching a few games to consider what you are up against.

  5. enchantRayMills on 6/25/2020 4:56:40 PM

    Between Jana's options on variations of slop games, the term "Call Pocket" should be inserted as #2. E.g.:

    • Slop - Anything goes. If it falls in, it stays in, no foul.
    • Call Shot - Cue ball hits any of the shooter's balls first, and you call the ball and pocket you intend to make. Extra ball hits, rail hits, etc. do not need to be called.
    • No Slop - You call everything. every detail.

    For "call shot" - as long as the cue ball starts by contacting any of the shooter's object balls (or the 8 if it's last), all that has to be predicted is which ball is going in what pocket. It can go in via any number of other balls or rails, etc.

    Consider it to be "long-distance slop", or, "the shooter is allowed to get 'helpers'".

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Combination Shot Rules Clarification

  • Title: Combination Shot Rules Clarification
  • Author:
  • Published: 10/23/2016 7:44:09 AM