Here I am providing a quick short form of One Pocket rules for our tournament. These rules are based on Official One Pocket Rules disclosed on OnePocket.org website at http://www.onepocket.org/one_pocket_pool_rules.htm with some modifications.

Object of the game: As it's called One Pocket, each player shoots a ball into his/her designated one corner pocket. The breaker indicates one corner pocket as his pocket before breaking. Game ends when one player pockets required number of balls to win before his/her opponent does.

1. Break: Cue ball has to go to a rail after contact to an object ball.  To failure to this, the breaker will be penalized one ball foul rule and breaks again. Three fouls rule is in effect even at break.

Read a good article on one pocket -->Break<--

How to break -->Video<--

2. Continue play: A player’s inning continues only as long he/she pockets a ball or balls in his/her own pocket on a legal shot. While it is perfectly legal to pocket a ball in a neutral pocket or in the opponent’s pocket, doing so does not entitle the shooter to continue his/her inning, unless on the same shot he/she legally pockets a ball into own pocket. Any ball pocketed either accidentally or intentionally into the opponent’s pocket is counted for the opponent, unless on the same shot, either the cue ball scratches or jumps off the table.

3. Fouls:

3.1 Unless otherwise announced by the tournament director, we play ‘cue ball fouls only'. In the event that a player accidentally moves a ball, the opponent may elect to have the disturbed ball remain in its new position or be restored to its original position. When balls are restored, they shall be placed as close as possible to their original positions, with no advantage to be gained by the offending player. If no official is available to restore disturbed balls, then the players must come to agreement on satisfactory replacement of the disturbed balls prior to continuing play.

3.2 Any scratch or foul results in the end of the shooter’s inning, as well as a standard one ball penalty. All balls pocketed in the shooter’s pocket as a result of a shot that includes a foul do not count for the shooting player and are to be immediately spotted, along with the standard one ball penalty. Also, any ball pocketed in the opponent’s pocket on a shot that ends in either a pocket scratch or with the cue ball off the table are not to be counted for the opponent, and are to be immediately spotted. However, on a shot when any other foul is committed (such as a push shot, double-hit or illegal ball contact), any ball scored into the opponent’s pocket are to stay down and be counted for the opponent.

3.3 If the offending player has no ball to spot, then he/she will owe one for each such scratch, which must be repaid by spotting at the end of the first inning or innings in which he/she scores. All owed balls must be repaid before any pocketed ball counts towards a player's game score.

Typically, any owed scratches are indicated by placement of a small coin on the rail top adjacent to the offending player's pocket. An additional coin is placed to represent each additional scratch without a scored ball to spot. One coin is removed for each owed ball repaid by spotting at the end of the first inning or innings if any ball is scored, until all owed scratches have been repaid, and standard scoring can commence.

3.4 It shall not be a foul to accidentally touch the cue ball while removing an object ball from an adjacent pocket, or when spotting a ball where the cue ball interferes. It shall be a foul for the incoming shooter to accidentally touch an object ball with the cue ball while placing it in a ball in hand situation.

4. Three fouls in a row: Three consecutive fouls is loss of game, however the opponent or tournament referee must notify the player that he/she is on two fouls, prior to their third foul. Should no notice occur until after the shot resulting in the third foul is in motion, it is not immediate loss of game, but the player will be considered to be on two fouls for their next shot.

Behind the line or head string:  Cue ball should be placed behind the line or head string not on the line or touching.  Similarly if an object ball is on the line or touching the line, that object ball cannot be played in case of ball in hand behind the line.

Please feel free to write me your suggestions or opinions about the tournament and I will try my best to improve the tournament.

Please write me at OnePocketTour@gmail.com

Thanks.