14.1 Racking Rules

Also known as 14.1 Continuous and 14.1 Rack, Straight Pool is a landmark sport where two competing players try to hit as many billiard balls as possible without playing a foul. The game was the main version of the pool, which was played in professional competition until it was replaced by faster games such as nine balls and eight balls in the 1980s. Straight pool rack rules for all possible positions of the landmark ball and the 15th ball at the end of each rack The game was the most popular in the United States and is particularly featured in the 1961 film The Hustler. From 1912 to 1990, a world championship of direct pools was held. The modern incarnation is operated by Dragon Promotions and first took place in 2006. The game is also represented at the continental level at events such as the American 14.1 Straight Pool Championship, the European Pool Championships and the U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship. The unique feature of the right pool is the racking that is played when a ball is left. These in-game racks have a specific set of rules; If the rack needs to be replaced and neither the marker ball nor the object ball remains in the rack area, the balls at the tip are not replaced by a ball. At this point, the goal is to put the remaining ball and Carom in the ball package so that a shot on the next ball can continue the race. Additional rules apply if one of the balls is in the position where the balls would normally be placed.

[7] [8] In 1910, Jerome Keogh, who won many continuous billiard tournaments, wanted to increase the offensive character of demolition shooting. He introduced the modern rule that the balls of objects are not torn again when all have been put in the pocket, but after 14 have been poured and one remains on the table. This new game became known as “14.1 continuous” and “14.1 rack” and was known as straight pool in 1912. [3] The game quickly surpassed the continuous pool in popularity and was the most played version of Pool until Eight-Ball became popular. [3] [4] If the 15th ball is in the rack and the marker ball is not in the rack and does not block the head point, the 15th ball is placed on the head point and the marker ball remains in its position. The ball partially overlaps the bottom edge of the rack when the rack is firmly pulled down, against the upper ball (fingers in the space between the bottom of the triangle and the last row of five balls parallel to the short rail). In the right pool, experienced players can put all the balls in a pot in a single rack and continue to do so for the big races. On March 19, 1954, Willie Mosconi set a record with 526 points from 36 racks. Mosconi had played a 200-point race game against an amateur named Earl Bruney in Springfield, Ohio.[9] Bruney scored the first three points of the match, but Mosconi ran the next 200 points to win.

However, Mosconi continued the race for more than two hours, scoring 526 points before missing a fine shot. The race was watched by 300 people, including a lawyer who submitted an affidavit to confirm it had taken place, and this was later confirmed by the Billiard Congress of America. [10] Straight Pool is derived from a previous game called Continuous Pool[1], where points are earned for each pot ball. When all the balls are spilled, a new rack begins and the player who put the last ball in pot plays the break. As players were able to score dozens of points in a single shot, they often used defensive shots at the break to prevent their opponent from stuffing the 15 balls on the table. [2]. Straight Pool is administered by regional councils such as the European Pocket Billiards Federation and, globally, by the World Pool Association. The World Direct Pool Championship was launched in 1913 and ran sporadically until 1990. In 2006, Dragon Promotions relaunched the championship. [15] Since 1980, a right pool event has been held every year during the European Billiards Championships.

[16] [17] The U.S. Open Straight Pool Championship was held annually from 1966 to 1993; [18] It was relaunched for a year in 2000 and has been held annually since 2016. [19] If the 15th ball is behind the head cord, but does not block the head point, and the marker ball is in the rack, the 15th ball remains. The ball in its position and the landmark ball is placed on the head point. (Note that in this situation, after the balls have been torn, the current player is allowed to shoot the object ball that is in the kitchen if he wishes.) Mosconi`s record for the highest documented race was over 65 years. He was finally broken on May 27, 2019, when John Schmidt ran 626 balls in Monterey, California, resulting in a continuous effort of several months to break Mosconi`s record. [11] Critics have argued that Mosconi`s record was set in competition, while Schmidt simply made breakshots for himself, and his video was never released. [12] [13] Like Schmidt, Jayson Shaw completed a record streak of 51 shots of 669 balls on January 18, 2022 as part of the “Legends of Pocket Billiards” series. [14] If on the 15th. The ball is not behind the head rope and not in the rack and the marker ball is in the rack, the 15th ball remains in its position and the marker ball is in hand everywhere in the kitchen.

If the 15th ball is in the rack and the cue ball is also in the rack, the 15th ball is placed on the foot field (so that all the object balls are rapped together like 15 balls) and the cue ball is somewhere “in the kitchen” in the hand (kitchen means behind the head cord). In the right pool, the player can call and try to insert any object ball on the table, regardless of its number or color, until there is only one object ball and the landmark ball left, after which the other fourteen balls are trampled again. At this point, the game continues with the aim of inserting the remaining ball so that the landmark ball enters the rack, distributes the balls and allows the player to continue the race. The goal is to reach a certain number of points, which is determined by agreement before the start of the game; Traditionally, 100 points are required for a win, although professional games can be higher. A point is scored by inserting an object ball without fault, while a point is deducted for a foul. When the 15th ball blocks the head point and the marker ball is in the rack, the marker ball is placed on the middle point. Straight Pool has been featured in popular culture, most notably in the 1956 novel The Hustler and its 1961 film adaptation. [21] [22] It also provides the framework and context for John O`Hara`s new monologue “Straight Pool.” [23] In the first image of the right pool, the fifteen object balls with the center of the tip ball are placed above the spot of the foot.