Ball jumped off the table

 What happens when a ball goes off the table?

It does happen in a game of pool, from time to time, that a ball goes off the table. Several shots can cause this. Most common I have seen is a jump shot gone bad. Another shot is when the player slams the cue with a slight down stroke and maybe some side spin. This tends to send the cue ball into flight. I am sure there are other ways to accomplish this, but the end result is the same.

Let's look at what is considered a 'jumped ball'. Since I am a VNEA certified referee, I will only explain their rules as found on the VNEA website.

General Definitions:

 8. JUMPED CUE BALL. When a stroke results in the cue ball being a jumped ball, meaning jumped completely off the pool table on the floor, the stroke is a foul.  The cue ball may leave the playing surface and return, which is not to be considered a foul.

11. BALLS JUMPED OFF THE TABLE. Balls coming to rest other than on the bed of the table after a stroke (on the cushion top, rail surface, floor, etc.) are considered jumped balls. Balls may bounce on the cushion tops and rails of the table in play without being jumped balls if they return to the bed of the table under their own power and without touching anything not a part of the table. The table shall consist of the permanent part of the table proper. (Balls that strike or touch anything not a part of the table, such as the light fixture, call pocket disc, chalk on the rails and chalk on the wood cushion tops, shall be considered jumped balls even though they might return to the bed of the table after contacting items which are not parts of the table proper).
When a stroke results in the cue ball or any object ball being a jumped ball off the table, the stroke is a foul. All jumped object balls are spotted (except in Nine Ball) when all balls have stopped moving.

Let's break it down.... 

  • The 'table proper' is the pool table bed, rails and cushion top. So basically the pool table itself
  • If a ball contacts anything other than the 'table proper', other balls, or the cue tip it is considered 'jumped'
That is the rule in a nutshell. If a ball touches the floor, light, chalk, stick (after initial contact), player, bird, etc... it is considered 'jumped'.

OK, now that we know what  a 'jumped ball' is, what do we do? In both 8-ball and 9-ball, anytime a ball is jumped off the table, it is a ball in hand foul. A lot of players seem to forget or not know that part. When reffing and this scenario comes up, I always make sure to remind the players this is ball in hand.

If you are playing 9-ball, jumped object ball(s) go down, expect the 9, it gets spotted. Cue ball off the table is a ball in hand foul. 

If you are playing 8-ball, all jumped balls are spotted. If multiple balls are jumped in the same shot, they are spotted in numerical order. If the 8-ball is jumped off the table, it is a loss of game. Cue ball off the table is a ball in hand foul. 

Now that we're talking about spotting balls, let's dive a little deeper on that subject. You spot a ball by placing it on the foot spot. When spotting multiple balls, place them in numerical order along the long string (center line) as close to each other as possible. You are allowed to freeze spotted balls to other balls. If there is another ball resting on the table that makes this not possible, place the spotted ball(s) behind and as close to the foot spot along the long string as possible. Who knew spotting balls was so complicated (and interesting!). When spotting the 8 after a break, follow the same spotting procedure.



The rules for a ball going off the table are slightly different than when a ball is accidentally moved and pocked. Jumped balls get spotted. Accidentally moved balls have the opponent's option to move them back or leave down. Jumped balls never have that option.

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