How to Rack Pool Balls: 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 10-Ball, UK and Snooker
Three things are true in every game: the balls must touch each other with no gaps; one particular ball sits on the foot spot; and the foot spot is a quarter of the way up the table from the foot rail, which is 25 inches (63.5 cm) on a 9-foot table.
The games only differ in which ball goes where: the 8 sits in the middle of the third row in 8-ball, the 9 in the middle of the diamond in 9-ball, the black on the spot in UK red-and-yellow pool, and in snooker the reds form a triangle behind the pink.
Racking looks like the easy part, but the details change from game to game and from rulebook to rulebook. In 9-ball, for one, the WPA and the American leagues don't even agree on which ball goes on the spot. Below is each rack from the current rules, with diagrams drawn to scale.
Quick reference
| Game | Ball on the foot spot | Ball in the middle | Other requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8-ball | Apex ball | 8-ball (middle of row three) | WPA, CSI: one stripe and one solid in the back corners. APA: no corner rule |
| 9-ball | WPA: the 9. APA, CSI: the 1 | 9-ball | Diamond, 1-ball at the front, the rest random |
| 10-ball | 1-ball | 10-ball (middle of row three) | Four-row triangle, the rest random |
| Blackball / UK 8-ball | Black (the centre of the rack) | Black | Reds and yellows in a set pattern |
| Chinese 8-ball | Apex ball | 8-ball | Mixed corners, solids and stripes split up |
| Snooker | None: apex red right behind the pink | – | Six colours on their own spots |
Where is the foot spot?
The foot spot is on the long string, the imaginary line down the middle of the table, a quarter of the playing length from the foot rail. The WPA rules divide the table into quarters: the Foot String bounds the quarter nearest the foot rail, and the foot spot is where it crosses the long string. The diamonds on the rails are an eighth of the length apart, so the foot spot lines up with the second diamond from the foot rail. UK rules describe the same point differently, as the place where the diagonals from each side pocket to the opposite corner pocket cross.
Rows in a tight rack are 1.95 inches apart (a 2¼-inch ball times √3/2), so the back row of a 15-ball triangle sits four rows, 7.8 inches, behind the apex ball. That gives these distances from the foot cushion:
| Table (bed size) | Foot spot | Back edge of the rack |
|---|---|---|
| 9-foot (100 × 50 in) | 25 in (63.5 cm) | about 16.1 in (40.8 cm) |
| 8-foot (92 × 46 in) | 23 in (58.4 cm) | about 14.1 in (35.8 cm) |
| 7-foot (78 × 39 in) | 19.5 in (49.5 cm) | about 10.6 in (26.9 cm) |
Bed sizes vary between makers, especially on 8-foot and bar tables. Whatever the size, the foot spot is a quarter of the bed length from the foot cushion.
You don't need a tape measure in practice. Get the apex ball on the spot and the rest follows; the back-row distance is just a check that the rack is tight.
How to rack 8-ball
All 15 balls go in the triangle with the apex ball on the foot spot and the 8-ball in the middle of the third row, the first ball directly behind the apex. The three main rulebooks differ only on the back corners:
- WPA (rule 4.2): one ball from each group in the two back corners. The others go in "without purposeful or intentional pattern."
- CSI (rule 2-2), used by the BCAPL: the same, with the rear corners from different groups (either way round) and the rows parallel to the foot string.
- APA: apex on the spot, 8 in the center, "the remaining balls can be placed in any order." There is no corner rule.
How to rack 9-ball
Nine balls in a diamond: the 1-ball at the front, facing the breaker, the 9-ball in the middle, and the other seven in any order. Which ball sits on the foot spot depends on the rules:
- WPA (rule 5.2, rules effective October 21, 2026): the 9-ball, in the middle of the diamond, is on the foot spot.
- APA and CSI (rule 3-2): the 1-ball is on the foot spot, the traditional placement.
The difference is two rows, about 3.9 inches (9.9 cm), with the WPA rack closer to the breaker.
Two WPA regulations go with it. Regulation 15 says the balls other than the 1 and the 9 must be placed at random; a player who keeps arranging them after a warning is penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct. Regulation 16 says WPA ranking 9-ball events must use the three-ball break rule together with a racking template or a tapped table. The rest of the game is covered in 9-Ball Rules.
How to rack 10-ball
The WPA (rule 6.2) and CSI (rule 4-2) agree: ten balls in a four-row triangle, the 1-ball on the foot spot, the 10-ball in the middle of the third row, and the rest at random.
How to rack red and yellow balls (UK 8-ball)
In blackball, the UK form of 8-ball played with seven reds, seven yellows and a black, the black goes on the foot spot. Because the black is also the middle ball of the rack, the whole triangle sits further toward the breaker than an American 8-ball rack. WPA rule 8.4 says the balls are racked "as illustrated," with a fixed red-and-yellow pattern (bottom right in the diagram above), and the World Eightball Pool Federation rules likewise rack "with the Eight-Ball on the Spot."
Pub tables are usually 6 or 7 feet with smaller balls, and pub rules vary from place to place, so it's worth agreeing on the rules before the break. The differences from American pool are covered in English Pool vs American Pool.
How to rack Chinese 8-ball (Heyball)
Chinese 8-ball is played on a table the size of a 9-foot pool table but with snooker-style pockets. The WPA Rules of Heyball (effective 2025, and the 2017 World Chinese Eight-Ball Masters rules before them) put the foot spot 635 mm from the top cushion, the same quarter-length point, and rack the apex ball on the spot, the 8 in the centre, a solid and a stripe in the back corners, and the other solids and stripes "separated as far as possible" while still racked tight. The referee racks, the front three balls must be frozen together, and each player may check the rack once and ask for corrections. Full rules: heyball rules.
How to set up a snooker table
The WPBSA rules (revised September 2024), Section 3 Rule 2: the 15 reds form a tightly packed equilateral triangle, with the apex red on the centre line "as close to the Pink Spot as possible without occupying it," and the base of the triangle parallel to the top cushion. The six colours go on their spots, which Section 1 Rule 1 places as follows:
- The baulk line is 29 in (737 mm) from the bottom cushion, and the D is a semicircle of 11½ in (292 mm) radius centred on the middle of it.
- Seen from the baulk end, yellow is on the right corner of the D, green on the left and brown in the middle of the baulk line. A common way to remember it, left to right: God Bless You.
- Blue is halfway down the table, on the centre spot.
- Pink is halfway between the blue spot and the top cushion, 35.1 in (892 mm) from it.
- Black is 12¾ in (324 mm) from the top cushion.
With the apex red right behind the pink, the back row of reds ends about 25 inches (63 cm) from the top cushion, leaving roughly 11 inches (28 cm) of open cloth between the reds and the black. In professional matches the referee sets up the table.
What if a colour's spot is taken?
Colours potted during a frame are re-spotted. If a colour's own spot is occupied, Section 3 Rule 7 says it goes on the highest-value spot available; if several colours need spotting, the highest value goes first; if every spot is taken, it goes as near its own spot as possible, between that spot and the top cushion. A spotted colour must not touch another ball. The scoring side is in Snooker Rules Explained.
Racking templates (magic racks)
A ball rack template, often sold as a magic rack, is a thin plastic sheet with a dimple for each ball. The balls settle into the holes touching each other, so racks are tight, quick and identical every time, and nobody can quietly arrange them. WPA Playing Regulation 4 (effective September 15, 2025) sets the terms:
- It can be used in 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball and Heyball (Chinese 8-ball), but not in 14.1 straight pool.
- It must be plastic, no thicker than 0.14 mm, not glued down, and positioned on a line drawn on the cloth.
- After the break the referee removes it. Without a referee, the opponent removes it if balls are in the way; otherwise the shooter may.
- It can't be removed if more than two balls are in the way, or while a ball frozen to it is in the way.
A removed template left on the rail is a foul if a ball touches it (WPA rule 3.15). The other way to get repeatable racks is a tapped table: the balls are tapped into the cloth through a template so they leave small dimples that hold a rack without it. The CSI rules ask players to avoid tapping unless necessary and to brush the rack area instead.
How to get a tight rack
The break works by passing energy from ball to ball, and any gap stops it, which is why a loose rack spreads badly. This is the usual method, which is common practice rather than a rule:
- Brush the rack area. Chalk dust or a crumb under one ball is enough to open a gap.
- Place the required balls first: the 8 (or the 9 or 10) and the two corners, then fill in the rest.
- Push the triangle forward until the apex ball is on the spot, then press the balls forward from the back row with your fingers so every ball touches its neighbours.
- Hold the balls and lift the rack straight up. Sliding it back drags the back row loose.
- Check it: no light between any balls, the back row parallel to the foot rail, and the apex ball covering the spot.
If worn cloth around the spot makes the balls roll apart, switch to a template, or ask the referee.
Who racks?
| Rules | Who racks |
|---|---|
| WPA (Regulation 28) | The referee, if there is one; the breaker may not inspect or touch the rack and can only protest a rack that breaks the rules. If players rack, they can agree to rack their own or for each other; if they disagree, each racks for the opponent, to the best of their ability. |
| APA | The non-breaking player, so the loser of the previous game racks for the winner. The breaker may ask for a re-rack. |
| CSI (rule 1-14) | The breaker racks their own. The opponent may inspect without touching and can require one re-rack; after that, a referee racks and both must accept it. |
| Chinese 8-ball Masters | The referee; players may check the rack and ask for corrections. |
| Snooker | The referee, in professional play. |
In a casual game, agree on who racks and which rules you're using before the first break. It saves most arguments.
Racked. Now break it.
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Where does the 8-ball go in the rack?
In the middle of the third row, the center of the triangle. In UK blackball the black goes on the foot spot, which is also the middle of the rack.
Do the back corners have to be a stripe and a solid?
Under WPA and CSI rules, yes: one from each group. APA rules don't require it.
Which ball goes on the foot spot in 9-ball?
The 9-ball under WPA rules, the 1-ball under APA and CSI rules. The racks are two rows, about 3.9 inches, apart.
Is there a set order for the other balls?
No. Apart from the balls with fixed positions, the WPA rules require the rest to go in without any deliberate pattern. Chinese 8-ball is the exception, asking for solids and stripes to be split up.
Are racking templates legal?
In WPA play, yes, for 8-ball, 9-ball, 10-ball and Heyball, but not 14.1. Leagues and local events set their own policy, so ask first.
Related reading: 8-Ball on the Break · 8-Ball Rules: 14 Questions Answered · 9-Ball Rules · How to Break in Pool · English Pool vs American Pool · Snooker Rules Explained · Billiards vs Pool vs Snooker
Sources: WPA Rules of Play, effective 2026-10-21 (rules 2.1, 3.15, 4.2, 5.2, 6.2 and 8.4); WPA Playing Regulations, effective 2025-09-15 (regulations 4, 15, 16 and 28); APA game rules, section 2, Racking (© 2026 American Poolplayers Association); Official Rules of CueSports International (rules 1-14, 2-2, 3-2 and 4-2); World Eightball Pool Federation Playing Rules (2014); World WPA Rules of Heyball (effective 2025-08-16), Chapter I rule 4 and Chapter II rules 3–4; Chinese Eight-Ball Masters Rules (2017, English text), articles 3 and 4; WPBSA Official Rules of the Games of Snooker and English Billiards, revised September 2024 (Section 1 Rule 1, Section 3 Rules 2 and 7). The diagrams use a 9-foot table with 2¼-inch balls and a full-size snooker table with 52.5 mm balls. This article contains no sponsored or affiliate links.