How do you choose solids or stripes in 8-ball?
B · Beginner · 8-ball · 5 of 6After the break the table is open: neither player has a group. Before each shot the shooter calls a ball. The first called ball pocketed legally gives that player its group and the opponent the other. On an open table any ball may be hit first except the 8-ball, unless a group has been pocketed completely.
How it works
- Open: before groups are set, after the break.
- Calling: the shooter must call the intended ball before each shot.
- Taking a group: legally pocketing the called ball gives the shooter that group.
- Missing: the table stays open and play passes to the opponent.
- First contact: any ball may be hit first, except the 8-ball.
- Hitting the 8-ball first: a foul, unless one group is already fully pocketed.
- A cleared group on an open table: the shooter may take that group for the moment and play the 8-ball.
- On the break: pocketed balls do not decide the groups.
The glossary has the open table, the groups, the call shot, the eight-ball, the break shot and the standard fouls.
Tricky cases
The breaker pots two solids. Are they solids now?
No. The table stays open after the break. Groups are decided by the first called ball pocketed legally.
On an open table, can a player use a solid to pot a stripe?
Yes. Any ball except the 8-ball may be hit first, and the called stripe decides the group.
On an open table, a player calls a stripe and misses. What happens?
The table stays open and play passes to the opponent.
All seven solids have been pocketed but groups were never set. Can someone shoot the 8-ball?
Yes. The shooter may claim the solids for the moment and play the 8-ball, possibly to win.
Why the rule exists
Deciding groups by a called pot, not by whatever drops on the break, means a player earns their group with a deliberate shot.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 8-ball | A called ball decides the group | WPA 4.4 |
| Blackball | Pocketing only one group on a normal shot decides it | WPA 8.6 |
From the rule book
World Pool-Billiard Association, Rules of Play (effective 15 September 2025), 8-Ball 4.3(c), 4.4 and 4.9 (3.2). Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the WPA Rules of Play, revised from time to time.