What is a "no rail" foul in pool?
I · Intermediate · Fouls · 3 of 8In games that require a particular ball first, hitting any other ball first is a foul. On any shot that pockets nothing, the cue ball must hit an object ball, and then at least one ball must reach a cushion. A ball already touching a cushion does not count unless it leaves the cushion and comes back.
How it works
- Wrong ball first: a foul in games that require a particular ball or group to be hit first.
- Hard to tell: if the legal ball and another were hit at about the same instant, the legal ball is assumed first.
- No rail after contact: with nothing pocketed, a ball must be driven to a cushion after the cue ball touches an object ball.
- Driven to a rail: a ball not touching the rail that then touches it; a pocketed ball or one driven off also counts.
- Frozen balls: a ball already touching a cushion counts only if it leaves and returns.
- Declaring frozen: a ball is assumed not to be frozen unless the referee, the shooter or the opponent declares it.
- Ball and cushion together: if it cannot be told which came first, the legal ball is assumed first.
- Suspended: both rules are lifted on a 9-ball or 10-ball push out, and the no rail rule when snookered at blackball.
The glossary has the standard fouls, the frozen ball, the safety, the nine-ball, the groups and the push out.
Tricky cases
The cue ball hits the object ball, which is frozen to a cushion and does not move off it. Is that a foul?
Yes, unless another ball reaches a cushion. A frozen ball that stays put has not been driven to the rail.
The cue ball hits the legal ball and then itself rolls into a cushion. Is that enough?
Yes. The cue ball counts as a ball driven to a rail.
The cue ball seems to hit the 3-ball and the 4-ball together when the 3 is on. Foul?
No. If it cannot be told which was first, the legal ball is assumed first.
Must the opponent agree that a ball is frozen?
Any of the referee, the shooter or the opponent may declare it frozen; otherwise it is assumed not to be. The shooter should get it declared before the shot.
Why the rule exists
Without the rail rule, a player could nudge the cue ball up to a ball and leave the opponent nothing, at no cost. The rule makes every safety shot carry some risk.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 9-ball and 10-ball | The lowest-numbered ball must be hit first | WPA 5.7, 6.9 |
| 8-ball | A ball of the player's group first, except on an open table | WPA 4.9 |
| Push out | Both rules suspended | WPA 5.4, 6.4 |
| Blackball | No rail rule suspended when snookered | WPA 8.10 |
From the rule book
World Pool-Billiard Association, Rules of Play (effective 15 September 2025), Definitions 2.7 and Fouls 3.2 and 3.3. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the WPA Rules of Play, revised from time to time.