After the balls are scattered with a break shot, a player is assigned either the group of solid or striped balls once they have legally pocketed a ball from that group. Following a foul, the incoming player has ball-in-hand anywhere on the table, unless the foul occurred on the break shot, as noted previously. Balls pocketed on the break, or as the result of a foul while the table is still open, are not used to assign the suits. If the 8 ball is pocketed on the break, then the breaker can choose either to re-spot the 8 ball and play from the current position or to re-rack and re-break; but if the cue ball is also pocketed on the break (colloquially referred to as a "scratch") then the opponent is the one who has the choice: either to re-spot the 8 ball and shoot with ball-in-hand behind the head string, accepting the current position, or to re-break or have the breaker re-break. The game arose from two changes made, namely that the 8 ball must be pocketed last to win, and that each player may pocket only half of the other object balls. Wood tables, particularly those made of MDF, are more susceptible to warping from environmental conditions like humidity and temperature changes.

It is made up of small, compressed wood fibers that are sealed into a flat piece for use as pool table playing surfaces. Professional tournament rules vary on the use of the kitchen when a scratch occurs. WPA professional competition generally employs regulation tables, while the amateur league championships of various leagues, including BCAPL, VNEA, and APA, use the seven-foot tables in order to fit more of them into the hosting venue. The regulation size of the table's playing surface is 9 by 4.5 ft (2.7 by 1.4 m), what is billiards though exact dimensions may vary slightly by manufacturer. Carom billiards is played on a table usually 5 by 10 feet (1.5 by 3 m) or 4.5 by 9 feet (1.4 by 2.7 m). The British version of eight-ball, known internationally as either blackball or simply eight-ball, has evolved into a separate game, retaining significant elements of earlier pub versions of the game, with additional influences from English billiards and snooker. 2014. These are also the rules of the English Pool Association and other national WEPF affiliates. Internationally, the World Pool-Billiard Association and the World Eightball Pool Federation both publish rules and promote events.

American-style eight-ball rules are played around the world by professionals and in many amateur leagues. The rule has been increasingly adopted by amateur leagues. Some leagues and tournaments using the World Standardized Rules may allow smaller sizes, down to 7 by 3.5 ft (2.1 by 1.1 m). The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), the governing body of pool which has continental and national affiliates around the world, promulgates standardized rules as Pool Billiards - The Rules of Play. Perth, WA, Australia: World Eightball Pool Federation. Three consecutive fouls in bottle pool results in a loss. While the cue ball coming in contact with the bottle first before hitting any of the object balls also counts as a foul. Before the game begins, the shake bottle is placed neck down (inverted) on the center of the pool table. The order of the balls should be random, with the exceptions of the 8-ball, which must be placed in the center of the rack (i.e., the middle of the third row), and the two back corner balls, one of which must be a stripe and the other a solid. The two rule sets differ in some details regarding the penalties for fouls. The rules of blackball differ from standard eight-ball in numerous ways, including the handling of fouls, which may give the opponent two shots, racking (the 8 ball, not the apex ball, goes on the spot), selection of which group of balls will be shot by which player, handling of frozen balls and snookers, and many other details.

This goes a wee bit toward remedying that. If the breaker fails to make a successful break-usually defined as at least four balls hitting cushions or an object ball being pocketed-then the opponent can opt either to play from the current position or to call for a re-rack and either re-break or have the original breaker repeat the break. On the break shot, no balls are pocketed and fewer than four balls reach the cushions, in which case the incoming player can demand a re-rack and take the break or force the original breaker to re-break, or may take ball-in-hand behind the head string and shoot the balls as they lie. Because of this, it is possible for a game to end with only one of the players having shot, which is known as "running the table" or a "denial"; conversely, it's also possible to win a game without taking a shot; such a scenario may occur if the opposing player illegally pockets the 8 ball on any shot other than the break (such as sinking the 8 ball in an uncalled pocket, knocking the 8 ball off the table, sinking the 8 ball when a player is not yet on the black ball, or sinking both the 8 ball and the cue ball off a single shot).