The rules of 9-ball
Only the balls numbered 1 to 9 are used. They are racked in a diamond with the 1 at the front and the 9 in the middle, and the breaker places the cue ball anywhere behind the head string. On every shot the cue ball must touch the lowest-numbered ball still on the table first; the game marks it as Next beside the players' names. After that contact anything may drop. Pot any ball on a legal shot and you shoot again. There are no groups and no called pockets.
The 9 decides the rack. Sink it on any legal shot and you win: on the break, by caroming the 1 into it, or simply as the last ball. A shot is a foul if the cue ball drops, misses everything, touches the wrong ball first, or nothing reaches a cushion and nothing is potted. After a foul your opponent has ball in hand and may place the cue ball anywhere on the table, and a 9 sunk on a foul comes back to its spot. A break must pot a ball or send four balls to the cushions; a weak break is a foul too.
| 8-Ball | 9-Ball | |
|---|---|---|
| Balls | 15, in two groups | 9, no groups |
| What you must hit | A ball of your group | The lowest number on the table |
| How you win | Clear your group, then the 8 | The 9, at any legal moment |
| A weak break | Racked again for the other player | A foul: ball in hand |
9-Ball on AllFun Lamplight Billiards
The Play button above opens the game with the rival card on 9-Ball. Choose who you play: Mako's calm, soft touch, Pixel's firm hit, Nova's spin or Vega, who thinks two shots ahead, each at Easy, Medium or Hard. A win pays 40, 80 or 140 coins by level, and each shot against the computer has a 30-second clock. To play a person, tap Play with a friend, pick the 9-Ball tab and send the link or room code; your friend joins your table from their own phone or computer. The quick Play Online match is 8-Ball.
The physics is the same in both games: tap to aim, pull the power meter, add draw, follow or side spin with the cue-ball button, and use the Fine aim wheel for thin cuts.
How to win more 9-ball racks
- Play for the next ball, not this one. Before each shot, find where the cue ball must stop to see the next lowest ball, and choose speed and spin for that.
- Watch for the 9 combination. When the lowest ball lies near the 9 and a pocket, a carom can end the rack at once, whatever else is still on the table.
- Break with power, square on the 1. A full hit on the 1 spreads the diamond and often drops a ball, so you keep the table.
- Play safe when nothing is on. Touch the lowest ball softly and leave the cue ball behind another ball. If your rival misses the contact, you get ball in hand.
- Use ball in hand fully. After a foul, place the cue ball for an easy pot and a natural angle to the ball after it.
8-ball, trick shots and the Rack Run
The same table has 8-ball pool with online play, 100 Trick Shots and the daily Rack Run, the same ten balls for everyone. Fouls, spin and both games' rules are in our 8-ball and 9-ball guide; Darts, Mini Golf and Table Tennis are on our sports games page.
Questions
Do I have to call my shots in 9-ball?
No. Any ball that drops on a legal shot counts, and the 9 wins whenever it goes in legally.
What happens if the 9 goes in on the break?
You win the rack, as long as the break was not a foul.
Can I play 9-ball online with a friend?
Yes. Tap Play with a friend, choose 9-Ball and share the invite. A friend needs no account to join.
Is 9-ball free?
A game uses 40 play coins, and every new player gets 800 to start. Coins are free to earn and have no money value.
Ready for a game? AllFun Lamplight Billiards is free and opens right here in your browser.
Play 9-BallOpens the 9-Ball table: pick your rival