What happens when the cue ball is touching another ball?
A · Advanced · Fouls and penalties · 2 of 7If the cue ball comes to rest touching a ball that is on or could be on, the referee calls "Touching ball". The striker must play away without moving that ball, and there is no penalty for not hitting it. A ball that falls into a pocket on its own is usually put back, and the stroke may be replayed.
How it works
- The call: the referee calls a touching ball and, if in doubt, says which ball.
- After a red: if touching colours, the striker is asked to declare which colour they are on.
- Playing away: the striker must play away without moving the touching ball, or it is a push stroke.
- No penalty: if the touching ball is on, or could be on and is declared, or could be on and another ball that could be on is declared and hit first.
- A ball not on: the referee will say whether it is touching, if asked.
- Movement not caused by the striker: not a foul.
- A ball falling in by itself: if no stroke is involved, it is put back and points stand.
- Falling in during a stroke: if it would have been hit, all balls are put back and the stroke is replayed; if a foul was made, the penalty applies.
- Teetering and then falling: a ball that balances on the edge and then drops counts as potted.
The glossary has the cue ball, the ball on, the push stroke, the pocket, the pot and the foul.
Tricky cases
The white touches a red and the striker plays away, moving the red slightly. Foul?
Yes, unless the referee is satisfied the movement was not caused by the striker.
The white is touching a red after a red was potted. Can the striker play away from it?
The red is not on then, so the referee will say if asked whether it is touching; the striker must hit a colour.
A red falls into a pocket while the players are sitting down. What happens?
It is put back and play continues, with any points counting.
A red hangs on the edge, the white heads towards it and it drops before contact. What then?
If no foul is made, all balls are put back and the striker may play the same or a different stroke.
Why the rule exists
Without the touching ball rule, a player could be left with no legal shot at all. Putting back a ball that drops without being hit stops a quirk of the table from deciding a frame.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Touching ball | Play away without penalty | WPBSA Snooker 3.8 |
| Ball on the edge of a pocket | Replaced, stroke replayed | WPBSA Snooker 3.9 |
| English billiards | Balls re-spotted and the striker plays from the D | WPBSA Billiards 3.14 |
From the rule book
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Official Rules of the Games of Snooker and English Billiards (May 2022 update), snooker part, Section 3 Rules 8 and 9. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the association's rule book, which covers snooker and English billiards together.