But... it's all the same game, right?

Well, yes it is and no it isn't. All variations of English Pool are played on the same kind of table, and with the same number and colour balls on the table.

The essence of the game is: You break, somebody gets on a colour (red or yellow), proceeds to pot all of that group, and then pots the black to win the game. So far so good, but from here on, it gets a little more tricky.

BAPTO vs EPA

The two largest pool associations in the UK are BAPTO (British Association of Pool Table Operators) and the EPA (English Pool Association). BAPTO organise many leagues and competitions, and use the EUKPF (Europe and United Kingdom Pool Federation) rules, often called 'Fed' rules, or simply BAPTO rules.

The EPA use rules from the WEPF (World Eight-ball Pool Federation), known as 'World' Rules. They EPA used to use their own EPA rules, but switched in 1998. However, it should be noted that several local leagues still use the old EPA rules.

So, why the need for two rulesets? Well, there isn't really, save for the fact that people who play World Rules often seem to hold their Federation Rules counterparts in contempt, and vice-versa. If you wish to play for your county in a league organised by one association, it bars you from doing the same in the other organisation.

The Actual Rules

The Break

Firstly, the order in which the balls are racked is slightly different. In both the old EPA rules, and the Federation rules, the racking is the same, forming the familiar yellow semi-circle around a red ball in the bottom right corner of the triangle. In the World rules, the third ball along the bottom (from the left) is switched with it's neighbour to the right, forming a 'tick'.

The break itself is considered 'fair' in World Rules if four object balls hit a cushion - or if one object ball is potted. In the Federation rules, two balls must come back past the middle cushions, or one ball must be potted. In either ruleset, if the player fails to perform a 'fair' break, the balls are re-racked, and the other player takes the break with an extra visit (ie - two shots)

In both sets of rules, if the black ball is potted on the break, it is considered a 'void' break, and the balls are re-racked, with the same player to break again with no penalties imposed.

Deciding Colours

In the World rules, if you pot a ball off the break, you may nominate to be either colour - but you must have potted one of that colour in order to be 'on' that colour. For example - if you pot a red off the break, and you nominate red as your colour, then you are 'red' as you've already potted one. If you were to nominate yellow, you would need to pot a yellow, or else the table would still be open for your opponent.

If nothing is potted off the break, play continues with an open table until such time as a colour is legally potted, at which point the player is 'on' that colour. Colours can never be decided on a foul shot.

In the Federation rules, after any fair break, the player nominates his colour, regardless of what happened on the break. This then decides which colour the player is 'on'.

Legal Shot

In the Federation rules, you merely have to strike the cue ball so that it makes contact with a ball 'on'. In the World rules, you not only have to do this, but after the cue ball has made contact with the object ball, something must hit a cushion, or something must be legally potted. The exception to this is when you are in a 'total snooker'. A total snooker is when you can't actually hit any of your balls with a straight-line shot. You'll want to ask the referee for a total snooker. In such a situation, you just need to make contact with one of your balls.

Fouls

If you're playing World rules, you will get two visits when your opponent fouls. Two visits 'carry' in the World rules, so if you pot something on your first shot, you still have your extra visit.

Federation rules, on the other hand, not only let you pick up the cue ball and place it in the 'D', but also give you an extra visit, in which you can play any ball on the table, even the black. You can even pot one of your opponent's balls (but not the black unless you're on it), and it's all perfectly legal. However, the extra visit doesn't 'carry', so if you pot one of your balls, you just have the one visit remaining.

There are some situations in the World rules where the player may move the cue ball, or play an opponent's ball. Firstly, if the cue ball is potted, the opponent gets two visits and can place the cue ball anywhere behind the baulk line. Secondly, if a player is 'foul snookered', he or she may either nominate an opponent's ball, or the black, and play that ball, or opt to move the cue ball and play from anywhere behind the baulk line.

A foul snooker is when your opponent has fouled, and you can't see the furthest extreme of both sides of any of your balls. If you can see one of your balls, and can make the finest cut on either side, it isn't a foul snooker. The referee must be asked for a foul snooker, and must be asked to move the cue ball, or informed as to which ball you wish to nominate as a 'free' ball.

Foul Play

In the World rules, there's no extra penalty for deliberatley playing a foul, and it is common to see players committing fouls in order to clear pockets tied up by their opponent's colour. The rule of the thumb is - it's okay to give away two shots, provided the other player will have to use one shot to get position on something.

In the Federation rules, deliberately playing an opponent's ball means loss of frame. You can, however play a 'skill shot'. In a skill shot, you need to make contact with one of your balls, and pot both one of your own colour, and one of your opponent's colour. For example - if you are on red, and you hit a red in to the pocket, and the white comes back down the table and pots a yellow, it is a skill shot, rather than a foul.