Nine ball

Nine ball is a contemporary variation of pocket billiards, and its historical beginnings are rooted in the United States and traceable to the 1920s. The game may be played in social and recreational settings by any number of players and subject to whatever rules are agreed upon beforehand, or in league and tournament settings in which the number of players and the rules are set in stone by the sponsors. During much of its history, nine ball was known as a "money" game, in both professional and recreational settings, but today in major tournament settings its reputation is untarnished.

Related Topics:
Pocket billiards - United States - 1920s - Tournament - Money

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The game is played on a billiard table with six "pockets" (receptacles which allow a ball to leave the table surface), and with ten balls. The cue ball, which is usually a solid shade of white, is struck to hit one or more of the other nine balls (often referred to as "object" balls), each of which is distinctly colored and numbered "1" through "9". The object of the game is to pocket the nine ball in a legal manner, subject to the rules in effect at the time. Many players and leagues in the United States adopt the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) or the American Poolplayers Association (APA) rules as their standard.

Related Topics:
Billiard table - Cue ball - Billiard Congress of America - American Poolplayers Association

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In recent years nine ball has become the game of choice in Championship Tournament matches in the United States, basically because a series of games (the "match") proceeds quickly, lends itself well to the time constraints of television coverage and tends to keep the audience engaged; the sports network ESPN has been, for several years, a major catalyst for the popularity of nine ball and a major sponsor of Championship play.

Related Topics:
Television - ESPN

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