How to Rack in APA 8-Ball
The American Poolplayers Association (APA) sets the rules and guidelines for amateur level 8- and 9-ball pool game play. Created in 1979 to start an amateur league for this popular bar game, it now hosts amateur championship events for both teams and individuals. While most of the rules set down by the APA define how the game itself is played, there are a few rules about how pool games begin -- the proper method of racking, or gathering together, the balls.
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Things You'll Need
- Set of 8-ball pool balls (1 cue ball, 15 object, or colored, balls)
- Triangular rack form
- Pool table
Instructions
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1
Place the 15 object balls and the triangular rack form on the table surface.
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2
Put the balls inside the rack form, making sure the black 8 ball is in the center, directly behind the ball located in the front point of the rack. The arrangement of the other balls is not regulated by the APA, although some players have their own aesthetic preference as to the alignment.
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3
Roll the form across the table surface and place the front ball on the foot spot -- this is located in the middle of the table, measured from long bumper, or side, to long bumper, about 1/3 of the distance down the table. It is marked with a round sticker or mark on the felt. The point of the rack should face down the length of the table with the flat of the triangle facing the short bumper nearest to the foot spot.
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4
Gently lift the frame from around the balls, keeping them in formation.
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1
Tips & Warnings
There are two spots marked on the table -- the foot spot and the head spot. Both are equidistant from the shorter sides or rails, so it doesn't matter which spot is used as head and which is used as foot.
Tighten the balls in the rack before lifting it by slipping the tips of your fingers between the back of the frame and the last rank of balls, pushing them up toward the point.
If a ball is knocked out of formation when the rack frame is lifted, gently place it against the balls in its place. A complete re-rack is generally not necessary, unless the player with the break requests it.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit K-King Photography Media Co. Ltd/Lifesize/Getty Images
