Rules

Chinese 8-Ball (also known as Chinese Pool) combines elements of American 8-ball and Snooker, played with 16 balls.

Ball Types

• Cue Ball: White ball used to strike target balls
• Solid Balls: Numbers 1-7, solid colored balls
• Stripe Balls: Numbers 9-15, striped colored balls
• 8-Ball: Black solid ball, determines the winner

Break Rules

• Balls are racked in a triangle with 8-ball in the center
• Break shot must hit the apex ball first
• Legal break: at least 4 balls hit cushions or a ball is pocketed
• Pocketing 8-ball on break: re-rack or spot the 8-ball and continue
• Scratching on break: opponent gets ball-in-hand

Ball Selection

• First legally pocketed ball determines your group
• If both solid and stripe are pocketed on break, shooter chooses
• Must pocket all balls in your group before shooting the 8-ball

Fouls

After a foul: opponent gets ball-in-hand anywhere on the table.

Win/Lose Conditions

• Win: Legally pocket the 8-ball after clearing your group
• Lose:
  • Pocketing 8-ball before clearing your group
  • Scratching while shooting the 8-ball
  • 8-ball jumps off the table
  • 8-ball goes into wrong pocket (when called)

To ensure fair competition between players of different skill levels, we use a unique handicap system.

Player Level System

Ball Handicap (1-6 levels difference)

Level Diff	Handicap Type	Description
1	🔴 Front One	After choosing groups, the handicapped player may remove one of their own balls (one ball in front)
2	🟡 Middle One	When the player has 4 balls left, they may remove one more of their balls (one ball in the middle)
3	🟢 Back One	The player’s last ball does not need to be played and is counted as pocketed (one ball at the back)
4	🟠 Middle Two	When the player has 5 balls left, they may remove two at once (two balls in the middle)
5	🔵 Middle+Back One	One ball in front + one ball at the back
6	🟣 Back Two	The last two balls do not need to be played and are counted as pocketed (two balls at the back)

Game Handicap (7-9 levels difference)

Level Diff	Handicap Type	Example
7	Back Two + 1 game	BP20 vs BP27: BP20 gives back two, starts 0:1
8	Back Two + 2 games	BP20 vs BP28: BP20 gives back two, starts 0:2
9+	Back Two + 3 games (max)	BP20 vs BP30: BP20 gives back two, starts 0:3

Registration Rules

• All registered members can sign up for tournaments
• Registration requires committee approval
• Earn +10 points upon approval
• Register before the deadline

Draw Rules

• All draws are completely random, no seeding
• Players are randomly assigned to positions (1-8/16/24/32)
• Empty slots are randomly distributed (byes may occur)
• Mid-tournament draws (e.g., semi-final pairings) are also random

Tournament Formats

Supported Sizes

System supports the following tournament sizes:

Player levels (BP value) are adjusted based on tournament results to reflect true skill.

Promotion Conditions

Achievement	Level Change	Description
🥇 Champion	+2 levels	Win a tournament, level increases by 2
🥈 Runner-up	+1 level	Runner-up, level increases by 1
🥉 Two 3rd Places	+1 level	Two 3rd places accumulated, level increases by 1
⭐ Special Evaluation	Committee Decision	Committee evaluates overall performance for promotion

Points measure overall tournament performance and determine rankings.

How to Earn Points

Points Example