The official Poolball® Rules

PoolBall® is a combination of pool and football that has never been seen before. It is a perfect mix that requires feel for the ball, brains, and is so much fun. The PoolBall® rules are quite simple! You play a modified version of 8-ball pool, with one major difference: YOU are the queue! It does not matter whether you put the ball in the pockets of the PoolBall® table using your feet or your head, the main point is that you touch it only once.

It may only be played with the original PoolBall® balls and within the borders. Apart from the players and a referee (observer), nobody must set foot on the field in order not to jeopardise the course of the game. At the time of the shoot, only the active player may stand on the lawn. However, the inactive players and the referee (observer) may stay in the edge area of the table.

Two players or teams compete against each other. You always use the white ball to shoot at the colour balls in order to sink them in the goals. A player shoots at the “striped” balls (balls 9-15), the other at the “solid” balls (1-7). When all balls of a team were sunk, they may then shoot at the black ball (ball 8). When the player sinks it correctly (before every shot, the goal has to be announced, but it can be changed after every unsuccessful attempt), he wins.

The coloured PoolBall® balls are set up in a triangle and should touch each other. The black ball (no. 8) is in the foot spot in the centre of the triangle. In the two rear corners, there is one solid ball and one striped ball each. The remaining balls may be freely distributed inside the triangle.

The white football is aimed at the coloured footballs from the head spot. When at least one coloured ball is sunk in the process, the opening player may continue playing. The striped and solid balls are only assigned at the point in time when the first coloured ball is sunk. Then the adversarial team automatically gets the other half (solid or striped balls).

The opponent always gets in the match when:

• None of your own balls was sunk
• A foul was committed

There is a foul when:

• The white ball does not touch any other ball
• The white ball falls into a pocket
• The white ball hits one of the opponent’s balls (or the black ball if there are still balls of your own)

There is also a foul when the shot was not carried out properly – in particular when:

• The white ball is touched twice during the shot
• A coloured ball on the table is touched outside of the shot
• A ball is still moving at the time of the shot
• The white ball is played with another body part than a foot or a head
• One of the opponent’s balls is sunk
• A ball jumps off the table
• When one of your own coloured balls jumps off the table, it is placed at the foot cushion centrally at the edge. When one of the opponent’s coloured balls jumps off the table, it is deemed sunk and is simply put in a pocket.

In any case, a right shot must be made, or you have to play with a short contact with the sole. The white ball must not be pushed. Deliberate fouls or misbehaviour can be punished by the referee (observer), which can culminate in the loss of the match and disqualification of the player or the complete team. When a foul was committed, it is not only the opponent’s turn, but they may place the white ball in any position on the table “as a punishment” and continue shooting from there in any direction (“free selection of spot on the entire table”). Other than the white ball, no balls from the pockets are placed on the playing field again.

A match is lost when:

• The black ball (“the eight“) is sunk even though there are still other of your own balls on the table
• The eight is sunk in a pocket other than the one that was announced
• The eight is sunk with a foul (e.g. when the white ball is also sunk in the process or when one of the opponent’s ball is shot at first)
• The eight flies off the table