9-Ball Open Series

GENERAL RULES

The 9-Balls Open Championship is a series of 9-Balls monthly competitions. The 9-BALL WORLD STANDARDIZED RULES will be used in the whole series.

Minimum Players
The competition will be by brackets of 4 players each. The minimum number of brackets targeted is 1 with a total of 4 players. If more than 16 players have registered, the players who registered after the 16th will have to wait until a bracket is completed with 4 players. The wait can go on until after the semi-final round. When the bracket is not complete, it will be dissolved and their entry fees will be returned. Loosing players may re-enter as many as they want.

How To Win
The winner in each pair is determined whoever will be the first to win 3 games ("race to 3") during the elimination rounds (qualifying round / quarter finals / semi finals). In the final round, if there are only 2 players (e.g. when there are only 16 entries, there will only be 2 players in the final round), the winner of the round will be determined whoever will be the first to win 5 games ("race to 5"). If there are 24 entries, there will be 3 players in the final round. Every player will have to play with each other using "race to 5" to win. The winner of this round is whoever has the highest number of wins. In cases of ties, the winner is whoever won over the other during their round.

Point System
The finalists will be given points during the monthly competition depending on the number of entries:

4 entries : 1st place = 4 points / 2nd place = 3 points
8 entries : 1st place = 8 points / 2nd place = 7 points
12 entries : 1st place = 12 points / 2nd place = 11 points / 3rd place = 10 points
16 entries : 1st place = 16 points / 2nd place = 15 points
24 entries : 1st place = 24 points / 2nd place = 23 points / 3rd place = 22 points
32 entries : 1st place = 32 points / 2nd place = 31 points, etc.

Series Champion
The player with the highest number of points wins the Series Champion Award. All monthly winners will then qualify to compete in the 9-Balls Challenge the Champion Competition in December.

Entry Fee
Php20 ($.40) entry fee is required for every player. All entry fees collected without any deductions is used as the prize money only for the Champion. The more entries, the higher the prize money will be.

Prize Money
Depending on the number of entries, the prize money for the winner will be as follows:

4 entries = Php50
8 entries = Php150
12 entries = Php200
16 entries = Php300
24 entries = Php450
32 entries = Php600

Schedule
The schedule for the monthly competition is every last Saturday of every month except May and December. The actual dates of competition are as follows:

For Year 2003:
    25 January
    22 February
    29 March
    26 April
    24 May
    28 June
    26 July
    30 August
    27 September
    25 October
    29 November
    13 December (Challenge the Champions)

Any other concerns must be addressed to the Rotary Club of CEPZ.

9-BALL WORLD STANDARDIZED RULES

Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Pocket Billiards apply.

OBJECT OF THE GAME
Nine-Ball is played with nine object balls numbered one through nine and a cue ball. On each shot, the first ball the cue ball contacts must be the lowest numbered ball on the table, but the balls need not be pocketed in order. If a player pockets any ball on a legal shot, he remains at the table for another shot, and continues until missing, committing a foul, or winning the game by pocketing the 9-ball. After a miss, the incoming player must shoot from the position left by the previous player, but after any foul the incoming player may start with the cue ball anywhere on the table. Players are not required to call any shot. A match ends when one of the players has won the required number of games.
RACKING THE BALLS
The object balls are racked in a diamond shape, with the 1-ball at the top of the diamond and on the foot spot, the 9-ball in the center of the diamond, and the other balls in random order, racked as tightly as possible. The game begins with cue ball in hand behind the head string.
ORDER OF BREAK
Winner of the lag has the option to break. In 9-Ball, the winner of each game breaks in the next, unless otherwise specified by the tournament organizer. The following are common options that may be designated by tournament officials in advance:
1. Players alternate break.
2. Loser breaks.
3. Player trailing in game count breaks the next game.
LEGAL BREAK SHOT
The rules governing the break shot are the same as for other shots except:
1. The breaker must strike the1-ball first and either pocket a ball or drive at least four numbered balls to the rail.
2. If the cue ball is pocketed or driven off the table, or the requirements of the opening break are not met, it is a foul, and the incoming player has cue ball in hand anywhere on the table.
3. If on the break shot, the breaker causes an object ball to jump off the table, it is a foul and the incoming player has cue ball in hand anywhere on the table. The object ball is not re-spotted (exception: if the object ball is the 9-ball, it is re-spotted).
CONTINUING PLAY
On the shot immediately following a legal break, the shooter may play a "push out." (See Rule 6). If the breaker pockets one or more balls on a legal break, he continues to shoot until he misses, fouls, or wins the game. If the player misses or fouls, the other player begins an inning and shoots until missing, committing a foul, or winning. The game ends when the 9-ball is pocketed on a legal shot, or the game is forfeited for a serious infraction of the rules.
PUSH OUT
The player who shoots the shot immediately after a legal break may play a push out in an attempt to move the cue ball into a better position for the option that follows. On a push out, the cue ball is not required to con-tact any object ball nor any rail, but all other foul rules still apply. The player must announce the intention of playing a push out before the shot, or the shot is considered to be a normal shot. Any ball pocketed on a push out does not count and remains pocketed except the 9-ball. Following a legal push out, the incoming player is permitted to shoot from that position or to pass the shot back to the player who pushed out. A push out is not considered to be a foul as long as no rule (except rules 8 and 9) is violated. An illegal push out is penalized according to the type of foul committed. After a player scratches on the break shot, the incoming player cannot play a push out.
FOULS
When a player commits a foul, he must relinquish his run at the table and no balls pocketed on the foul shot are re-spotted (exception: if a pocketed ball is the 9-ball, it is re-spotted). The incoming player is awarded ball in hand; prior to his first shot he may place the cue ball anywhere on the table. If a player commits several fouls on one shot, they are counted as only one foul.
BAD HIT
If the first object ball contacted by the cue ball is not the lowest numbered ball on the table, the shot is foul.
NO RAIL
If no object ball is pocketed, failure to drive the cue ball or any numbered ball to a rail after the cue ball contacts the object ball on is a foul.
IN HAND
When the cue ball is in hand, the player may place the cue ball anywhere on the bed of the table, except in contact with an object ball. The player may continue to adjust the position of the cue ball until shooting.
OBJECT BALLS JUMPED OFF THE TABLE
An un-pocketed ball is considered to be driven off the table if it comes to rest other than on the bed of the table. It is a foul to drive an object ball off the table. The jumped object ball(s) is not re-spotted (exception: if the object ball is the 9-ball, it is re-spotted) and play continues.
JUMP AND MASSÉ SHOT FOUL
If a match is not refereed, it will be considered a cue ball foul if during an attempt to jump, curve or massé the cue ball over or around an impeding numbered ball, the impeding ball moves (regardless of whether it was moved by a hand, cue stick follow-through or bridge).
THREE CONSECUTIVE FOULS
If a player fouls three consecutive times on three successive shots without making an intervening legal shot, the game is lost. The three fouls must occur in one game. The warning must be given between the second and third fouls. A player’s inning begins when it is legal to take a shot and ends at the end of a shot on which he misses, fouls or wins, or when he fouls between shots.
END OF GAME
A game starts as soon as the cue ball crosses over the head string on the opening break. The 1-ball must be legally contacted on the break shot. The game ends at the end of a legal shot which pockets the 9-ball, or when a player forfeits the game as the result of a foul.

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