Eight-ball pool (British variation)

It originated in the United Kingdom and is played in the Commonwealth countries such as Australia and South Africa.

[2] In the years following World War II, playing eight-ball on small coin-operated pool tables became a common pub game in American bars, a pastime which spread to Britain by the early 1960s.

In the years following, the British game diverged from the American in equipment (including the use of casino-style balls, which had died out in the US) and rules.

The black ball typically bears a number "8", though numberless variants are not unknown.

British pool tables come in 6 × 3 foot (1.8 × 0.9 m) or 7 × 3.5 ft (2.12 × 1.06 m) varieties,[4] with 7 feet being the regulation size for league play.

Tournament rules may require the presence of more than one type of rest (mechanical bridge), as in snooker.

Since 2022 the EPA and WEPF have adopted a ruleset known as "International Rules", which are used in all events organised by the Ultimate Pool Group.

[5] The English Blackball Pool Federation (EBPF) uses the rules of the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) under the game name "Blackball" to better distinguish it from the American-style game (for which the WPA also promulgates the world-standardised rules).

[6] Since 2013 these rules are used in all events organised by the International Professional Pool Association (IPPA).

The aim of the game is to pot all the balls of a certain colour (either reds or yellows), followed by the black eight-ball.

In 2004, the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) sanctioned a variant of eight-ball pool called "blackball".

The UKPF adopted these rules, and renamed themselves the European Blackball Association (EBA).

These rules are now used at all levels in WPA tournaments and by the professional International Pool Association.

The standard penalty for a foul is 1 "free shot" for the incoming player, followed by one visit to the table.

The incoming player also has the option of moving the cue ball anywhere in the baulk area following a foul.

There is no "free shot" rule, but the cue ball can be moved anywhere on the table following a foul.

The following is a list of IPA world blackball champions, sanctioned by the IPA (International Professional Pool Association)[34] The following is a list of PPPO world eightball champions, sanctioned by the PPPO (Professional Pool Players Organisation).