THE RULES OF POOL

WE publish in another column a set of rules for the game of Pool, which, though different to the majority of the written rules of the game found in most public billiard rooms throughout the country, will, we think, be found to be in accordance with those generally followed in most of the principal rooms where pool is played regularly.

The present code of rules that we publish to-day will be found in many respects to resemble the old rules that have been in existence for the last half-century, but in others they will be found to differ materially, not only in phraseology but in fact. The principle upon which these rules mainly depend is upon the broad one that in no case ought it to be possible for a player to profit by an oversight or act of carelessness of his own. For instance, if a player's ball runs into a pocket he loses a life; according to the old rules, however, if a player touches his ball before it has done rolling he does not lose a life, but it simply counts as a foul stroke. Now this is the false principle upon which, in our opinion, these old rules have been framed. It seems monstrous in theory that the rules of the game should render it possible for a player to save himself losing a life by accidentally dropping a handkerchief or piece of chalk, and thereby preventing his ball from running in. Of course, for such an accident to take place in reality would be very rare; but what, we ask, are rules for, unless to preclude the possibility of any player profiting from an irregularity?

We have ourselves, on more than one occasion, seen an exceedingly unpleasant dispute arise at the conclusion of a single pool when a player has pocketed his opponent's ball, thereby winning the whole pool, or dividing, but unfortunately has stopped his own ball when running freely round the table. The opponent just pocketed has exclaimed, "I believe that ball would have run into the middle." "I am sure it wouldn't," says the striker. What, then, is to be done? Now, if the rule was clearly established that any one stopping his ball before it has done rolling loses a life, these unpleasant discussions, in which each party has no intention whatever of cheating, and yet at the same time believes himself to be in the right, would be avoided.

We would, however, wish it to be distinctly understood that in offering the present rules to the general public, we by no means offer them as a perfect code. Indeed, we can point out many imperfections. For instance, as far as we know, in the case of any one playing with the wrong ball out of turn, no rule has absolutely been fixed, beyond that the player so doing loses a life, as to who plays ne*t or what is to* be done. In fact, the rules of pool differ considerably in different rooms. In many cases, where some accidental confusion arises, a very common plan has been for the balls to be replaced by the marker, and the right player to take his stroke as if nothing had happened.

Unfortunately, this reasonable method of settling disputes is only applicable where the players are possessed of considerable courtesy of feeling towards one another, and where the marker is thoroughly conversant with the game.' The written rules of pool are probably, nine times out of ten, referred to in cases where each player takes but one view, and that is his own interest, and where the marker has but a very slight knowledge of the game beyond being able to call the pool correctly.

We doubt if it would be possible to draw up any set of rules that would meet every case of dispute that might by chance arise, hence it is the more desirable to have clearly in view, not so much individual rules, as the principles upon which such rules are framed. For instance, it is a sound general principle that a player ought not to suffer from a mistake by which he can gain no possible benefit, and which can be easily rectified without causing confusion.

This is clearly exemplified in the almost universal custom of allowing a player who takes the wrong ball out of the pocket and plays with it from baulk to be exempted from losing a life. The mistake, if discovered in time, is so easily rectified that we do not know of a single instance of any room existing where the rule would be to make the player lose a life. It is at once evident that in the case of taking the wrong ball out of the pocket, the player has absolutely nothing to gain; in the case, however, of stopping a ball before it has done rolling, so much depends upon it—viz., the possibility of losing a life, that any penalty short of the extreme one would be inadequate.

A long-disputed point in the rules of pool has been whether or not a ball ought to be taken up if interfering with the player's stroke, supposing such ball to be farther from the player's ball than the object ball. Here again, however, we would fall back on the general principles on which these rules seem to be framed. No point seems more fully established than that, in every case, the player shall have full freedom of play, so much so, that a ball in the way of the rest, his bridge, or even his coat sleeve, may be taken up.

Now all players know that a ball may be so placed that, though farther from the striker's ball than the object ball, it nevertheless prevents the object ball being struck in a certain point. To frame a rule, therefore, that a ball may be taken up if, in the opinion of the player, it interferes with his sleeve, and, at the same time, * ball may not be taken up, although it absolutely prevents him from striking the object ball in the place he intends, seems to us to be straining at gnats and swallowing camels. It should, too, be borne in mind that the balls could be easily placed in a position wherein the alternative between striking the wrong ball, on the one hand, and running into a pocket on the other, would be a dilemma very difficult indeed to avoid.

We trust that billiard players throughout the country will give us the benefit of their opinions on the different and, at the same time, 'difficult points in dispute. We shall have much pleasure in publishing any letters that we may receive on the subject, so far as they are written in the spirit of inquiry and reason. We would, however, have it remembered, that a simple expression of an obstinate opinion, couched in language bordering on the abusive, is far from the best method of determining what, in the opinion of the best judges of the game, must be, to a certain extent, open question.

We would gladly receive the opinions of old and experienced players in reference to these disputed points, as to what they have generally found to be the rules that best meet the views of the general public.

Rules should be framed to meet the general convenience of players, and to promote harmony, and not to be carried to extremes in order to be' consistent with some abstract theory. At the same time, they should be drawn up with sufficient caution to prevent unscrupulous players from taking any unfair advantage.

Pool is a game so universally played in the present day, that the rules should be adapted to meet equally a dispute at the Army and Navy Club in the West, or an elegant wrangle that might possibly take place at a Wapping restaurant in the East.

RULES

1. When coloured balls are used, the players must play progressively, as the colours are placed on the pool marking-board, the top colour being No. 1.
2. Each player has three lives at starting. No. 1 places his ball on the spot; No. 2 plays at No. 1; No. 8 at No. 2, and so on, each person playing at the last ball, uless it be in hand; in that case the player plays at the nearest ball.
3. If a life is lost in any way, the next player plays at the nearest ball to his own; but if the player's ball be in hand, he plays at the nearest ball to the centre of the baulk line, whether in or out of baulk.
4. If a doubt arise respecting the distance of balls, the distance must, if the player's ball be in hand, be measured from the centre spot o» the baulk line; but if the player's ball be not in hand, the measurement must be made from his ball to the others; and in both cases the doubt must be decided by the marker, or by the majority of the company; but if the distance be equal, then the owners of the balls at equal distance must draw lots.
5. The baulk is no protection at pool under any circumstances,
6. A life is lost by a ball being pocketed by the player.
7. The player loses a life by any one of the following means:—By pocketing his own ball; by running a coup; by missing a ball; by forcing his own ball off the table; by playing with a wrong ball; by playing out of his turn; by stopping or touching his own ball before it has done rolling; or by his ball striking any ball before hitting the one he ought to have played at.
8. If the striker pocket a ball, and in the same stroke lose a life by any of the means specified in the last rule, the person whose ball is pocketed does not lose a life, and the striker, still loses a life.
9. A player losing a life by any of the means specified in Rule 7, pays forfeit to the person whose ball he played upon, or should have played upon.
10. If the striker miss the ball he ought to play at, and strike another ball, and pocket it, the striker's ball must be taken off the table, and both balls must remain in hand until it be their turn to play.
11. If information be required by the player, as to which is his ball, or when it is his turn to play, or which ball he ought to play at, he has a right to an answer from the marker, or from the players; should he be misinformed by them, or any of them, whether in answer to his inquiry or spontaneously, he cannot lose a life; the balls must, in this case, be replaced, and the stroke played again.
12. If information be required by the player as to which ball is to play upon his ball, he has a right before his stroke to an answer from the marker or the players, and if misinformed by them or any of them, whether in answer to his inquiry or spontaneously, he cannot lose a life to his player.
13. If the player be misled as to which ball is to play on him by a ball which is dead being wrongly marked on the board as still alive, he cannot lose a life to his player.
14. If a ball or balls touch the striker's ball, or be in line between it and the bail he has to play at, so as to prevent him hitting any part of the object ball, it or they, whether nearer to the striker's ball than the object ball or not, may be taken up until the stroke has been played; and after the balls have ceased running the ball or balls so taken up must be replaced, but a ball cannot be taken up in order to strike a ball off the cushion, except in the case of Rule 29.
15. If a ball or balls be in the way of the striker or the striker's cue, so that he cannot play at his ball without a reasonable chance of making a foul, he can have them taken up.
16. When the striker takes a life, he must, except as provided in Rule 31, continue to play on the nearest ball as long as he can make a hazard, till the other balls are all off the table; he then must place his own ball on the spot, as at the commencement.
17. The first person who loses his three lives is entitled to purchase, or, as it is called, to star (that being the mark placed against his lives on the board to denote that he has purchased), by paying into the pool the same sum as at the commencement, for which he receives lives equal in number to the lowest number of lives on the board.
18. If the first person out refuse to star, the second person may do so; if the second refuse, the third may do so; and so on, until only two persons are left in the pool, in which case the privilege of starring ceases.
19. Only one star is allowed in a pool.
20. If, when the player is moving his cue backwards and forwards prior to a stroke, it touch and move the ball, the ball must be replaced, otherwise it is a foul stroke. If the striker pocket a ball by a foul stroke, the owner of that ball does not lose a life, but the ball remains in hand until it is his turn to play; but a foul stroke does not prevent the striker from losing a life.
21. Foul strokes are also made thus:—By striking a ball twice with the cue; by lifting both f«et from the floor when striking; by touching another ball, either in the act of striking or before the balls have done rolling; by playing before a ball has done running.
22. If the striker's ball touch the one he has to play at, he is at liberty either to play at it, or at any other ball on the table, and it is not to be considered a foul stroke.
23. If before a star two or more balls be pocketed by the same stroke, including the ball played at, each having one life, the owner of the ball first struck has the option of starring; but if he refuse, and more than one remain, the persons to whom they belong must draw lots for the star. If the balls pocketed do not include the ball played at, their owners must draw lots for the star.
24. If the striker force another ball off the table, neither he nor the owner of that ball loses a life, but the ball remains in hand until it is such owner's turn to play, and the next player plays on.
25. If the striker's ball stop on the spot of a ball removed, the ball which has been removed must remain in hand until the spot is unoccupied, and then be replaced.
26. If the striker's ball miss the ball played at, no person is allowed to stop the striker's ball till it has ceased running, whether it has struck another ball or not, except the striker, who may stop the ball when he pleases.
27. If the striker have the next player's ball removed, and stop on the spot it occupied, the next player must give a miss from the baulk to any part of the table he thinks proper, for which miss he does not lose a life.
28. If the striker have a ball removed, and any other than the next player's ball stop on the spot it occupied, the ball removed must remain in hand till the one on its place be played, unless it should happen to be the turn of the one removed to play before the one on its place; in which case that ball must give place to the one originally taken up; after which it may be replaced. If two balls were taken up from the same spot, the one last taken up has to be replaced.
29. If the corner of the cushion prevent the striker from playing in.a direct line, he can have any ball removed for the purpose of playing at a cushion first, or he may have the ball moved out a few inches, but cannot then take a life. If, however, only two players be left in, the ball cannot be moved out.
30. The two players left in last cannot star or purchase.
31. The two players left in last, if they are left with an equal number of lives eacH, divide the pool, unless otherwise mutually agreed, and except where the original number of players did not exceed three; the last striker however, is entitled to his stroke before the division.
32. All disputes are to be decided by the majority of the players.
33. The charge for the play is to be taken out of the pool before it is delivered up to the dividers or winner.