# 8 ball etiquette **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [January 4, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062 "2013-01-04T15:03:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bri001](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@bri001](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bri001)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/1 "2013-01-04T15:03:15Z")
In non-competitive 8-ball (private table) is it alright to move previously sank balls to a different pocket to prevent overfilling of pocket? ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/2 "2013-01-04T15:17:56Z")
I see this in professional level 8- and 9- ball tournaments quite frequently. If I were to do this in a non-competitive situation and get any grief about it from my opponent, I would likely make it my last game against them (politely, of course). ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/3 "2013-01-04T15:30:17Z")
These are limitations of the table’s design that reasonably should have no outcome on the game itself. Pockets can be filled by either player so one should not be penalized when this does occur. I move them and am surprised to hear anyone would ever have a problem with it. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/4 "2013-01-04T15:35:12Z")
Yeah, I agree with the others. Can’t imagine why anyone would care. Although I used to play with a guy who I can envision making up a rule like that. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/5 "2013-01-04T15:37:23Z")
Of course it’s fine. I find it hard to imagine how it wouldn’t be, unless the person complaining is a bit of a dick. ---
**Author:** ![Archeonomist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/7cd45c/32.png) [@Archeonomist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Archeonomist)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/6 "2013-01-04T15:40:01Z")
No mention of it in the [standardized rules](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-ball#Standardized_Rules_of_Play) I’d say when a ball is sunk, it’s out of the game and it doesn’t really matter where it is. The alternative is that you might not be able to sink a ball at all in an overfilled pocket. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/7 "2013-01-04T15:45:17Z")
> [@Khadaji](#): > > Yeah, I agree with the others. Can’t imagine why anyone would care. > > Although I used to play with a guy who I can envision making up a rule like that. Yeah, I used to golf with a guy like that. It’s a lot of fun having a friendly golf game with someone who’s memorized the entire rule book and points every single obscure infraction and the penalty thereof. ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ea5d25/32.png) [@Happy\_Scrappy\_Hero\_Pup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Scrappy_Hero_Pup)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/8 "2013-01-04T15:53:29Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yeah, I used to golf with a guy like that. It’s a lot of fun having a friendly golf game with someone who’s memorized the entire rule book and points every single obscure infraction and the penalty **thereof.** “Therefor.” 😃 ::d&r:: ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/9 "2013-01-04T16:01:18Z")
To insist otherwise would be the equivalent of tea bagging a pool table and man… that’s messed up. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/10 "2013-01-04T16:28:59Z")
> [@arnesw](#): > > No mention of it in the [standardized rules](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-ball#Standardized_Rules_of_Play) > > I’d say when a ball is sunk, it’s out of the game and it doesn’t really matter where it is. The alternative is that you might not be able to sink a ball at all in an overfilled pocket. Y’know, that may actually be an interesting variation, though. Make a table with shallower pockets than normal and add some pocket management strategy, where a player not only has to consider ball configuration of the table, but also if sinking it in pocket A or B is going to make subsequent shots harder because they’ll be more full. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/11 "2013-01-04T17:27:38Z")
The rules of informal 8 Ball are simple. Anything is a rule when first declared by a player. It’s bad form not to accept the stupid rules claimed by your competitors, so just play better than them. Also, declaring stupid rules after play starts greatly increases your chances of scratching on the 8 Ball, so do this kind of thing at your own risk. ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/12 "2013-01-05T06:58:52Z")
Yes it’s fine. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 7:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/13 "2013-01-05T07:34:30Z")
All signs point to yes. ---
**Author:** ![fubbleskag](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c2a13f/32.png) [@fubbleskag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fubbleskag)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/14 "2013-01-05T15:11:10Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > All signs point to yes. :golfclap: ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/15 "2013-01-05T15:47:46Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > All signs point to yes. Took me a second.😛 ---
**Author:** ![Superhal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Superhal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superhal)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/16 "2013-01-06T07:45:36Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Took me a second.😛 Did you concentrate and ask again? ---
**Author:** ![etv78](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d78d45/32.png) [@etv78](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/etv78)\ **Post date:** [January 6, 2013, 9:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/17 "2013-01-06T09:56:39Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Took me a second.😛 Me too. Very nice! ---
**Author:** ![epbrown01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7ba0ec/32.png) [@epbrown01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/epbrown01)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/18 "2013-01-10T11:38:58Z")
> [@arnesw](#): > > No mention of it in the [standardized rules](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-ball#Standardized_Rules_of_Play) > > I’d say when a ball is sunk, it’s out of the game and it doesn’t really matter where it is. The alternative is that you might not be able to sink a ball at all in an overfilled pocket. And this what I’ve encountered on occasion - a pocket so full that the ball won’t sink, and your opponent counts it as a “miss.” My policy is to not argue with the person, but not play with them again. It’s up there with people that want you to name every molecule the balls will touch when you call your shot, rather than a simple “6 in the corner.” ---
**Author:** ![Dead\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9fc29f/32.png) [@Dead\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dead_Cat)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2013, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/8-ball-etiquette/646062/19 "2013-01-10T14:40:04Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > And this what I’ve encountered on occasion - a pocket so full that the ball won’t sink, and your opponent counts it as a “miss.” My policy is to not argue with the person, but not play with them again. It’s up there with people that want you to name every molecule the balls will touch when you call your shot, rather than a simple “6 in the corner.” Actually, this is correct (at least in the rules of snooker - I can’t be bothered to look up all the rules of pool). If a ball is prevented from going in a pocket by another ball already potted, even if this was the only reason, you may not count that ball as potted and it is a miss (though not a foul - the next player simply plays as normal). Which is the whole reason for wanting to move balls out of over-full pockets before playing your shot (which, as everyone has said, is perfectly fine unless you have deliberately introduced not doing so as a variant). If you fail to do this, the consequences are on you.