Nineball Pool for Beginners

Interested in becoming better at 9-ball? Use this app to watch tutorial videos that take you through the basics to more advanced techniques.

9-ball is a game played on a pool table with 6 pockets, 9 object balls, and a cue ball. The 9 object balls are further divided into 8 solid balls (numbered 1-8), and a yellow striped ball which is the 9-ball.

In nine-ball, a legal shot consists of striking the cue ball into the lowest numbered object ball on the table and subsequently either pocketing an object ball, or driving any ball (including the cue ball) to any rail, otherwise the shot is a foul.

Object balls do not have to be pocketed in numerical order; Any ball may be pocketed at any time during the game, so long as the lowest-numbered ball is contacted first by the cue ball.

Nine-ball is not a call shot game. The 9-ball itself can be legally pocketed for a win at any turn in the game, intentionally or by chance, including the break shot.

Also, a player could potentially pocket all of the object balls numbered one through eight during the course of the game and lose after his opponent pockets only the nine-ball.