In a professional game, the player with the lowest official standing in the league always breaks first. If possible, you can have a player who isn’t playing rack the balls and act as a referee for the game.
If the table doesn’t have a marked foot spot, use the markings around the edge of the table to determine where it would be. The spot should rest on the centerline of the table when you’re standing at a short end. The spot will align with the 2nd mark on the edge of the table between the corner and side pockets.
Ensure the center of the ball that is placed in the apex of the rack will be exactly in the middle of the dot. There are other rack shapes, like the diamond, but those aren’t used for 8 ball pool.
If the base is crooked, this can cause one of the sides of the rack to have a greater chance of going into a pocket.
This is different from 9 and 10 ball pool, which both require the 1-ball to be at the apex of the rack.
If one of the balls goes into a pocket on the break, the player can choose to keep shooting for that type of ball, or they can choose the other type. For instance, if the solid 6-ball went in the pocket, the player would be able to keep shooting solids or they can choose to shoot stripes instead. If both the striped and the solid balls go in a pocket on the break, the player who shot first gets to choose which type of ball they’d like to continue playing for.
Some players choose to alternate between solids and stripes as much as possible to make sure both solids and stripes have an equal chance of going in the pocket on a break.
If the 8-ball is pocketed on the break, the player who didn’t break would receive an automatic win for the game. Placing it in the center of the rack reduces the likelihood of this happening.
If the table has flaws that prevent you from placing the apex ball directly over the foot spot, the UPA’s rules allow you to place it within a dime’s radius (half the width of a dime) of the foot spot.
If you’re having trouble, try lifting the back end of the rack and pushing the apex forward and away from the balls before you lift it up. This will give you more space to move as you lift the rack.
