If I am shooting the 8-ball for a win, and my opponent has a ball near the pocket I'm aiming for, can I call something like "8-ball off the 2 ball into the corner pocket"?
I thought this was allowed, but a friend says this is an automatic loss and that the 8-ball must never touch another ball before going into the pocket.
Various pool rules aren't clear for me on this scenario.
In the USPPA Official 8-ball pool rules it says the following:
9.0 LOSS OF GAME
9.1 Opponent Wins
The opponent legally pockets the 8-ball.
9.2 8-Ball Foul
An 8-ball foul occurs when the 8-ball comes to rest off of the pool table, when the 8-ball is pocketed in the wrong pocket or out of sequence, or when the 8-ball is pocketed while a foul occurred (i.e., shooting player pockets the 8-ball and simultaneously scratches). The game continues if the 8-ball has not been pocketed.
This seems to confirm that if you legally pocketed the 8-ball, you won.
A legally "called" pocket is defined in the same rules as follows:
In Call Pocket, it is encouraged that all balls be specified along with their intended pocket. However obvious balls and their respective pockets do not have to be specified. Any bank shot (object ball to rail), kick shot (rail(s) to object ball), or combinations (2 or more balls from either group) must be called to their designated pocket, or they are considered a miss. When a player successfully pockets his/her designated object balls, they continue their inning until either a miss or a foul occurs.
Call pocket notes:
a) It is never necessary to specify details such as the number of banks, kisses, caroms, rails, etc.
My reading of this is that as long as your 8-ball went into the pocket you called it was legal. Pocketing the 8-ball isn't treated differently than pocketing any other ball in this respect. You were right, your friend is wrong.
You win. 8-ball pocketed in nominated pocket is all that matters. You can even pot the opposition ball over the pocket with the black and the black continue to roll into the same pocket for the win.
