Balls & racks

What’s in a set, the different kinds of ball, and how to rack for each game.

The set

A pool set has 15 numbered balls and a white cue ball: the solids 1–7, the black 8, and the stripes 9–15, which use the same colours as 1–7.

Source: WPA Equipment Specifications.

Phenolic resin
The material of good tournament sets. Very hard, keeps its shine and lasts many years.
Polyester or acrylic
Cheaper sets. Fine to start with, but they wear, dull and chip sooner.
Cue ball with dots
A cue ball with small red dots. They make spin easy to see, so it’s used on TV and for practice.
Pub and coin-op sets
UK-style pub tables often use smaller 2-inch (51 mm) balls. Coin-op tables may use a slightly different cue ball so the table can return it.

8-ball
WPA 4.2
Triangle, apex ball on the foot spot. The 8 sits in the middle of the third row. One solid and one stripe go in the two back corners; the rest are random.
9-ball
WPA 5.2
Diamond, with the 1 at the front and the 9 in the middle, on the foot spot. The others go in at random.
10-ball
WPA 6.2
Triangle, with the 1 at the apex on the foot spot and the 10 in the middle. The others go in at random.
Straight pool (14.1)
WPA 7.2
All 15 balls in a triangle, apex ball on the foot spot. No rack template allowed.

Source: WPA Rules of Play, 2026. The ball numbers shown in random places are just one example.

Every ball must touch its neighbours. A loose rack spreads badly on the break.
Push the balls to the front of the triangle with your fingers, then lift the triangle off slowly, back end first.
Check that the right ball sits on the foot spot: the apex ball in 8-ball, 10-ball and straight pool, but the 9 itself in 9-ball.
A rack template is a very thin plastic sheet that holds the balls frozen. WPA allows it in 8-, 9- and 10-ball, but not in straight pool.
Keep balls clean. Dirty balls cling together and throw more.

How to clean balls: Table care →