Shooting
BREAK
Player 1
0
Racks Won
Pockets: Unassigned
Waiting
BREAK
Player 2
0
Racks Won
Pockets: Unassigned
Phase: Break Shot
Lowest Ball ON: 1-Ball
Break Shot: Breaker must hit 4+ cushions or pocket at least 1 object ball. Pocketing the 7-Ball on a legal break is an instant Golden Break win!
🎯 The Defining Rule: Pocket Selection
Non-breaker Player 2 chooses one long rail (all 3 pockets along that side). The breaker receives the opposite long rail.
Left Long Rail (3 Pockets)
1
2
3
Balls 1-6: Any Pocket | 7-Ball: Assigned Rail Only
Right Long Rail (3 Pockets)
4
5
6
Rack Balls (1 - 7)
Tap ball to select / pocket
Edit Player
Used for pocket indicators and turn glow
⚠ Loss-of-Game Foul
Select the infraction. An immediate loss-of-game foul immediately awards the current rack to the opponent:
🎱🏆
Confirm 7-Ball Made
Did Player legally pocket the 7-Ball into their assigned Rail to win the rack?
How to Play 7-Ball
7-Ball Pool Official Rules & Guide
📖 Overview & History
Invented in the early 1980s by William D. Clayton, 7-ball is a fast-paced rotation pool game designed for intense tactical maneuvering and rapid rack turnarounds. It blends the quick pace of 9-ball with strict positional requirements, making pocket management just as important as shot-making.
🎱 Equipment & Racking
- Balls: Standard cue ball and object balls numbered 1 through 7.
- Rack Shape: Hexagonal (circular ring around the center money ball).
- Placement:
- 1-Ball: Placed at the front apex, centered on the foot spot.
- 7-Ball (The Money Ball): Placed in the dead center of the hexagon.
- 2 through 6 Balls: Placed around the perimeter surrounding the 7-ball in clockwise numerical order.
Hexagonal 7-Ball Rack Layout
1
6
2
5
7
3
4
💥 Break Shot Rules
- Determining the Breaker: Determined by local rule (lag or coin toss), alternating thereafter.
- Legal Break Requirement: At least 4 object balls must contact a cushion/rail, OR at least 1 object ball must be pocketed.
- Golden Break Win: If the 7-ball is pocketed on a legal break, the breaker wins immediately!
- Illegal Break: If fewer than 4 balls hit a rail and nothing drops, the incoming player may either accept the table as it lies or force the breaker to re-rack and break again.
- Scratch on the Break: Opponent receives ball-in-hand behind the head string (in the kitchen).
🎯 The Defining Rule: Pocket Selection
Before any shots are made after the break, the table's pockets are divided:
- The non-breaking player (opponent) selects one long rail (all 3 pockets along that side: corner, side, corner).
- The breaking player receives the opposite long rail (the remaining 3 pockets).
- Gameplay Impact: Balls 1 through 6 may be legally pocketed into any of the six pockets. The 7-ball must be pocketed into one of your three assigned pockets to win.
🔄 Order of Play & Combinations
- Rotation Format: The cue ball must always make contact with the lowest-numbered object ball on the table first.
- Turn Continuation: As long as a legal contact is made and an object ball is pocketed, the shooter's turn continues.
- Combinations: Legal at any point, provided the lowest-numbered ball is struck first. A player can combo the lowest ball into the 7-ball; however, if the 7 drops, it must fall into one of the shooter's assigned pockets to count as a win.
⚠ Fouls & Penalties
Standard Fouls (Penalty: Opponent gets Ball-in-Hand Anywhere on Table)
- Scratching the cue ball (except on the break, which is ball-in-hand behind the head string).
- Failing to strike the lowest-numbered ball first.
- Failing to drive at least one ball (cue ball or any object ball) into a rail after object ball contact.
Loss-of-Game Fouls (Immediate Loss of Rack!)
- Pocketing the 7-ball out of rotation/turn (unless part of a legal combination or on the break).
- Pocketing the 7-ball into a pocket that belongs to the opponent's assigned side.
- Scratching on the shot when the 7-ball is pocketed.
- Pocketing the 7-ball via any illegal shot or foul.