How to Correctly Rack Pool Balls for Eight Ball
Eddie Frame
English 202C
Introduction:
Racking the billiard balls in correct fashion will help you play and enjoy game of
Eight Ball. Although racking is relatively simple, there are some rules and tricks to
racking properly. This overview will focus on racking for an eight ball game. This
entire task should take 3 to 5 minutes.
Materials:
-7 Solid Billiard balls
-7 Stripe Billiard balls
-1 eight ball
-Eight ball game rack
-A flat surface (preferably a billiards table).
List of Steps:
1) Grab the Rack and set it down on the table.
2) Start with any ball, and place it at the top.
3) For the second row place both a solid and stripe ball. For the third row.
repeat with both a solid and strip ball but add the 8 Ball in the middle.
4) Then Place a stripe and solid ball at the bottom corners.
5) Then fill in the remaining horizontal row below the eight ball. The circle of
balls touching the 8 ball must alternate between solid and stripe. (For
example, in this case the 3, 11, 6, 15, 4, 14 and 3 balls form a circle around the
8 ball and they alternate solid stripes. Also make sure there aren’t 3 of the
same ball type along the sides of the rack.
6) After filling up the rack you want to line up the ball you placed first with the
dot on the billiard board.
7) Use your fingers at the base of the rack to tighten the balls toward the first
ball. (A good tighten rack creates a good break)
8) Remove the rack slowly, without hitting any of the balls.
Troubleshooting:
If you do hit any of the balls place the rack back. Retighten the rack and carefully
lift the rack again. The more you practice this the better you’ll get.
Key Terms:
Break- The player shoots the white ball and hits the group of balls.
Rack- the wooden triangle used to group the billiard balls.