- Bumper pool features 10 balls -- five white and five red, with one ball in each color set marked as the starting ball.
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The game starts with the balls arranged according to this diagram.The cups on each end of the bumper pool table are designated red and white. The red player places two of his red unmarked balls to the side of the white cup, then places his other two red unmarked balls to the other side of the white cup. He places his red marked ball directly in front of the white cup. The white player does the same, on the opposite end of the table, placing his balls around the red cup. - Both players, simultaneously, shoot their marked ball, trying to get their ball to the opposite end of the table and into their cup. This opening shot is banked to the right as shown by the arrows in the diagram above. The player who sinks his ball, or gets nearest his cup, shoots again. The marked ball must always be pocketed before other balls can be put into play. If any other ball gets pocketed before the marked ball, his opponent removes two of his own balls and puts them in his cup. If both players sink their marked balls on the opening shot, each then takes any of his remaining balls and spots it in front of the cup. They again shoot simultaneously. Players then take turns beginning with the player who pockets his ball or is nearest to his cup.
- After a player has pocketed his marked ball, all remaining balls are eligible for play. When a player sinks any of his balls into his cup, he gets another shot. If a ball is not pocketed during a turn, play passes to the next player. The first player to sink all of his balls is the winner.
- A player is not allowed to jump his ball over other balls or the bumpers or allowed to shoot his opponent's balls. A player may not sink one of his own balls into his opponent's cup (there is no penalty for sinking an opponent's ball into any cup). A player may not cause a ball to leave the table and may not sink any ball until his marked ball has been pocketed. The penalty in all these cases is for the opponent to drop two of his own balls into his cup. Additionally, if a ball has left the table, it will be spotted by the opponent.
- If a player sinks his last ball into the opponent's cup, he forfeits the game. If both players continue to sink their opening shot for all five balls, the game is a draw.
- A player may use his own ball to knock his opponent's ball out of position and block an opponent from scoring by positioning his ball in front of his opponent's cup.
