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Ball & Cue Racks
A rack is the name given to a frame (usually wood or plastic) used to organize billiard balls at the beginning of a game. more...
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Rack may also be used as a verb to describe the act of setting billiard balls in starting position in billiards games (usually, but not always, using a physical rack), as well as a noun to describe the balls in that starting position.
The most common shape of a physical rack is that of a triangle, with the ball pattern of 5-4-3-2-1. Racks are sometimes called simply \"triangles\" (most often by amateur shooters) based on the predominance of this form. Triangular-shaped racks are used for eight-ball, straight pool, one-pocket, bank pool, snooker and many other games. Although diamond-shaped racks, with an intended pattern of 1-2-3-2-1, are made for the game of nine-ball, the triangular rack is more often employed in nine ball as well.
Racking in specific billiards games
Eight-ball
In eight-ball, fifteen object balls are used. Under the Billiard Congress of America's World Standardized Rules: 8-Ball it is prescribed that:
The 8 ball must be in the center of the rack (the second ball in the three balls wide row).;
The first ball (traditionally but not mandatorily the 1 ball) must be placed at the apex position (front of the rack and so the center of that ball is directly over the table's foot spot).;
The two corner balls must be a stripe and a solid. In theory, this pattern allows for a more equal chance of sinking both a solid and a stripe because the two corner balls are the most likely balls to be pocketed on the break.;
All balls other than the 8 ball are placed at random, but in conformance with the preceding corner ball rule.;
The balls should be pressed tightly together without gaps, as this allows the best break possible.;
In amateur eight-ball play, in contradistinction to the official rules, a racking variant that is often followed is:
The outer edges of the triangle must be in the pattern of solid, stripe, solid, stripe, etc. (resulting in the two corner balls being either both stripes or both solids).;
Sometimes, the balls must be placed in numeric order from the top of the triangle down and from left to right, i.e., the 1 on the foot spot, followed by the 2 then 3 in the second row, and so on. This always results in the corner balls of the rack being both stripes (the 11 and 15, respectively).;
Nine-ball
In nine-ball, the basic principles are the same as detailed in the eight-ball section above, but only balls 1 through 9 are used; the 1 ball is always placed at the rack's apex (because in nine-ball every legal shot, including the break, must strike the lowest numbered ball first) over the table's foot spot, and the 9 ball is placed in the center of the rack.
Read more at Wikipedia.org
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