Breaking - Rule of the Week

December 11, 2025 8:56 PM

by San Diego APA

Breaking - Rule of the Week

December 11, 2025 8:56 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.

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