Rule of the Week - Breaking

March 4, 2025 at 11:01 PM

by San Diego APA

Rule of the Week - Breaking

March 4, 2025 at 11:01 PM

by San Diego APA

Situation: Player breaks but the cue ball scratches without making contact with any object balls. What happens next?

The rack must be struck before a foul can occur. So the same player will attempt to break again.

Rule: Official Team Manual (OTM) page 45-46 section 3 “Breaking”: https://media.poolplayers.com/TMRB/Team-Manual-English.pdf

This section also covers:

Players physically unable to break and what happens.
Where the cue ball needs to be to break.
Legal and non-legal breaks.
When the break switches to your opponent.
Where the rack must be struck.
Soft breaking.

In addition, page 28 section 18 "Coaching" Note 3 states:

A team can only be charged with a time out after the rack has been struck in any individual game.

Note: a coach can help a player position the cue ball and even how to break and this isn’t a timeout.

You can submit a "Rule of the Week" to the league office:

Email to sandiego@apaleagues.com.
Email Subject Line must read “SDAPA Rule of the Week”
Clearly state the rule/situation and if you know where the answer is found please provide those details.

📢 Important Update: We’re Updating Our Email Address!

10/29/26 - 8:00 PM

Hey SDAPA! We’re in the process of upgrading to a new email address to serve you better: 👉 New Email: sandiegoapa@sdbilliards.com 👉 Old Email: sandiego@apaleagues.com What you need to know: Start using the new address (sandiegoapa@sdbilliards.com) for all questions, updates, and league inquiries whenever possible! Don't worry about missed messages: The old email address will remain active th

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