
WORLD HEYBALL MASTERS
Rules of Heyball (Rev. 2017 Updated 2019)

1. Player's Obligations
It’s players’ obligation to be in the know with all the rules and regulations of the game. Should there be any changes to the rules and regulations, the Organizing Committee should deliver the latest changes timely.
2. Method of Play
3. Equipment
4. Racking Balls
Object balls should be racked as tightly as possible in a triangle, with the apex ball on the foot spot and the 8 ball at the centre of the triangle. A solid ball and a stripe ball should be placed on the two lower corners of the triangle. Other solids and stripes should be separated as far as possible, but being racked as tightly as possible. Players can check if the balls are placed right and tightly, and both can ask for referee’s adjustment. (This could be reappointed by the organizing committee before the game).
5. Lagging for the Break
6. Break Shot
7. Restoring a Position
When necessary for balls to be restored or cleaned, the referee will restore disturbed balls to their original positions to the best of his ability. The players must accept the referee’s judgment as to placement.
8. Cue Ball in Hand Behind the Head String
9. Cue Ball in Hand
When the cue ball is in hand, the shooter may place the cue ball anywhere on the playing surface and may continue to move the cue ball until he executes a shot. Players may use any part of the cue stick to move the cue ball, including the tip, but not with a forward stroke motion. For break shots, placement of the cue ball is restricted to the area behind the head string.
10. Open Table
11. Call Your Shot - No Need
12. When shooting
13. Cue Ball Contacting Legal & Illegal Balls Simultaneously
After a stroke, if the cue ball causes both the legal and illegal balls to move at almost the same time, and the referee cannot judge which ball was first touched, then it will be considered the legal ball being touched first.
14. Balls Settling
A ball may settle slightly after it appears to have stopped, possibly due to slight imperfections in the ball or the table. Unless this causes a ball to fall into a pocket, it is considered a normal hazard of play, and the ball will not be moved back. If a ball falls into a pocket as the result of such settling, it is restored as closely as possible to its original position. If a settling ball falls into a pocket during or just prior to a shot, and this has an effect on the shot, the referee will restore the position and the shot will be replayed. The shooter is not penalized for shooting while a ball is settling.
15. Frozen Balls
16. Jump Shot
A jump shot is one in which the cue ball is made to go over an intervening obstacle such as an object ball or part of the cushion. Whether such a shot is legal depends on how it is accomplished and the intention of the shooter. Usually a legal jump shot is played by elevating the cue stick, hitting the upper half of the cue ball and driving the cue ball down into the playing surface from which it rebounds.
17. Fouls
18. Intentional Fouls
It is an INTENTIONAL foul for the cue ball to first contact the other group of balls on purpose / deliberately. Intentional fouls are regarded as a serious foul. A player’s first intentional foul will be judged as losing a rack, and his second intentional foul will result in losing the whole match.
19. Ball Group Confusion
After the table is closed, if a player wrongly hits the other group balls, the foul must be pronounced before his next shot. When any player or a referee realizes that the groups are wrongly played, the rack should stop at once, and re-rack.
20. Loss of rack
21. Stalemate
If the referee observes that no progress is being made towards a conclusion, he will announce his decision, and each player will have three more turns at the table. Then, if the referee determines that there is still no progress, he will declare a stalemate. If both players agree, they may accept the stalemate without taking their three additional turns. If a stalemate occurs, the original breaker will break again.
22. Outside Interference
When outside interference occurs during a shot that has an effect on the outcome of that shot, the referee will restore the balls to the positions they had before the shot, and the shot will be replayed. If the interference had no effect on the shot, the referee will restore the disturbed balls and play will continue. If the balls cannot be restored to their original positions, the situation is handled like a stalemate.
23. Abstention
Players can make voluntary abstention only in his turn. Abstention could be designed to a rack or the game.
24. Unsportsmanlike Conduct
25. Time Limitation
26. The lag and the break shot
Players lag first to determine order of play, and then break by turns. There is a 30-second shot clock for the break shot, with no extensions available.
27. A Legal Break Shot
28. Winning, Losing & Shoot-out
29. Time-Out
There is a 5-minute or 10-minute official time-out after every 8 racks, player who showed himself or herself late will be considered as losing the rack. Except for special circumstances, players are not allowed to call time-out on their own. The time-out will not be counted into the A minutes match time. (The Organizing Committee has the right to adjust this term before the match)
30. Dispute
If disputes occur during the game, the time of dispute is not counted into the match time.