Pool Tournament Etiquette: The Unwritten Rules
Most pool tournaments are friendly, and most of the rules that keep them that way are never written on the flyer. Here is what regular players expect from each other.
Before your match
- Be there when you are called. If you have to step out, tell the director. Many events give a short grace period and then forfeit the match.
- Pay before the draw. Have cash ready. Directors are often running the event and playing in it at the same time.
- Know the rules for the event. Ask about the race, the break rules and who racks before the first match, not after a disputed shot.
At the table
- Stay still and quiet while your opponent shoots. Sit down out of their line of sight. Don't chalk loudly, stand behind the pocket they are shooting at, or talk to them.
- Rack carefully and fairly. A tight rack is a courtesy. If your opponent asks to see the rack, let them.
- Don't coach during the match unless the event allows coaching. Friends at the rail should stay quiet too.
- Put the phone away. Step away from the table to take a call.
Fouls and close hits
Call your own fouls. If a shot might be close, such as a possible double hit or a hit you can't see, ask a neutral player or the director to watch it before it is shot. Arguing about it afterwards rarely ends well. In most bar events, if no one watched, the shooter gets the benefit of the doubt.
Sharking
"Sharking" is anything meant to distract or upset an opponent: noise, movement, slow play on purpose, or needling talk. Most events can penalize it, and it is the quickest way to get a bad reputation in a local scene.
Winning and losing
- Shake hands at the end of a match, win or lose.
- Report the result to the director right away, as the winner, the loser or both, whatever the event uses.
- Don't unscrew your cue to concede a game unless you mean it. In most events, that counts as conceding.
Disputes
Stop play, call the director and explain calmly. The director's decision is final. If you think a ruling was wrong, bring it up politely after the match, not at the table.
Heading to your first event? Read what to expect at your first pool tournament, then find a tournament this weekend.