Rules of 14.1 CONTINUOUS

1. Game objective

The "14" is a nominated game. The player must nominate a ball and a pocket. For each nominated and correctly pocketed ball a player receives one point and they play until:
a.) the nominated ball is pocketed, or
b.) a foul is committed.
The player can pocket the first 14 balls, but before continuing a turn by shooting at the 15th (and last remaining) ball on the table, the 14 pocketed balls are racked as before, except with the apex space vacant. The player then attempts to pocket the 15th ball in a manner so that the racked balls are disturbed and he can continue the run. The player who scores the predetermined point total for a game (usually 150 in major tournament play or any agreed upon total in casual play) prior to the opponent, wins the game.

2. Players

There are two players.

3. The balls used for playing

Standard set of object balls numbered 1-15, plus the cue ball.

4. The Rack

A standard triangle rack with the apex ball on the foot spot, 1-ball on the racker's right corner, 5-ball on left corner. Other balls are placed at random and must touch their neighbors.

5. Ball score

Any ball legally pocketed counts one point for the shooter.

6. Opening break

A starting player must either:
a.) designate a ball and a pocket into which that ball will be pocketed and accomplish the shot, or
b.) cause the cue ball to contact a ball and then a cushion, plus cause two object balls to contact a cushion.
Failure to meet at least one of the above requirements is a breaking violation. Offender's score is assessed a 2-point penalty for each breaking violation. In addition, the opponent has the choice of:
a.) accepting the table in position, or
b.) having the balls re-racked and requiring the offending player to repeat the opening break.
That choice continues until the opening break is not a breaking violation, or until the opponent accepts the table in position. The three successive fouls rule does not apply to breaking violations. If the starting player scratches on a legal opening break, he is charged with a foul and assessed a one point penalty, which applies toward the "Successive Fouls Penalties." The incoming player is awarded cue ball in hand behind the head string, with object balls in position.

7. The rules of play

7.1.

A legally pocketed ball entitles a shooter to continue at the table until he fails to legally pocket a nominated ball on a shot. A player may shoot any ball, but before the shot, must designate the nominated ball and nominated pocket. Details such as kisses, caroms, combinations or cushions (all of which are legal) need not be indicated. Any additionally pocketed ball(s) on a legal stroke is scored as one point for the shooter.

7.2.

The white ball must touch a color ball in all strokes and then:
a.) a color ball must be pocketed, or
b.) The white ball or a color ball must be made to contact a cushion.
If at least one of these requirements is not met, a foul is committed. If a color ball does not touch any cushions before the stroke but it is situated within the distance equal to the ball diameter, a player is allowed to play two correct safeties only. If a player does so, during the next turn of the player the ball is treated as a ball touching a cushion. The general rules of "Touching Ball" apply here if a player decides first to make the white ball contact with that object ball on the third shot.
NOTE: If a player committed a foul while striking immediately before or immediately after playing this ball, the "Touching Ball" requirements must be immediately met while playing this object ball. The same applies to two consecutive fouls. If the player does not meet the "Touching Ball" requirements, the third successive foul is committed, and the relative penalty points as well as one point for each of the previous fouls are counted. Then 15 balls are racked in a triangle again and the correct break is performed by the player who was penalized.

7.3.

When the last remaining 14th ball is pocketed, playing is ceased and the 15th ball is in position on the table. 14 balls that have been pocketed are re-racked in a triangle in the same way as at the beginning, and the space at the foot spot is vacant. The same player continues playing and pockets the 15th ball in such a way that the white ball hits the rack and makes the balls spread, which makes it possible to continue playing. The player is not obliged to play the 15th ball as striking any ball is allowed. If the 15th ball is pocketed in conjunction with the 14th one, the way how to continue is presented in Paragraph 7.6.

7.4.

A player can declare a safety. Safety playing is allowed if it does not violate the rules that apply to it. A player's turn is completed when a safety has been played and the balls that have been pocketed are not scored. Each ball that has been pocketed in a safety is spotted on the table.

7.5.

A player is not allowed to grab, touch or interrupt the moving ball in any other way when it is heading for the rack or a pocket; putting a hand in the pocked is also forbidden. A deliberate foul is committed then, which results in one penalty point for the foul and extra 15 penalty points, which sums up to 16 penalty points. After a deliberate foul, the player who plays next can:
a.) accept the position of balls on the table with the white ball in hand behind the head string, or
b.) order to rack the 15 balls again and make the opponent perform a stroke according to the regulations of the opening break.

7.6.

If the 15th ball (remaining on the table) and / or the white ball are obstacles for re-racking the triangle, the balls are to be set as presented in the diagram below. The shaded areas stand for the situations with no such obstacles - both balls remain in position.

7.7.

If the player has the white ball in hand behind the head string, (e.g. after the opponent has pocketed the white ball) and all the balls are in the baulk, at a player's request the ball that is situated nearest the head string is spotted to the foot spot. If at least two balls are situated at the same distance from the head string, the player is allowed to determine which ball is to be spotted onto the foot spot.

8. Balls that are pocketed incorrectly

All the balls that have been spotted incorrectly are re-spotted on the table. It does not involve any penalty.

9. Color balls jumped off the table

It is regarded as a foul. Any jumped ball(s) is spotted after the balls come to rest.

10. The white ball is off the bed of the table

The player who is to perform the next stroke has the white ball in hand and spots it within the baulk, unless the paragraphs 7.2., 7.5. or 12 of the regulations are to be enacted and then the procedure must be followed accordingly.

11. Foul penalties

Each foul is punished with one penalty point.
Each foul is punished with one penalty point. Exceptions: stricter punishment for a deliberate foul (paragraph 7.5) or three consecutive fouls (paragraph 12). The player who is to play next must accept the white ball position, unless the white ball has been pocketed or jumped off the table or a deliberate foul has been committed or the opponent's three consecutive fouls have been committed.

12. The penalty for three consecutive fouls

If a player commits a foul, the penalty of one point (or more depending on its significance) is imposed. A player is notified to be "on a foul" and remains so until his / her next stroke is performed. Then, the player can remove the foul when the nominated ball is pocketed correctly or a legal safety is performed by him / her. If none of the requirements is met, the player is punished with one penalty point and is "on a foul" again. If the requirements of pocketing a ball correctly or playing safety correctly are also not met on the third successive turn at the table, the player is charged with 15 extra penalty points. While the third consecutive foul is committed, all the previous foul records are automatically cleared. The player who is to play next can choose whether to:
a.) accept the position of balls on the table, or
b.) order to rack the 15 balls again and make the opponent perform a stroke according to the regulations of the opening break.
It is essential that the penalty can be imposed for committing consecutive fouls in successive turns, not in successive innings.
For instance: If a player's sixth inning results in a foul, then a player intends to perform the seventh inning and commits a foul immediately (and is "on two fouls"), and then starts the eighth inning pocketing a ball correctly before scratching on his second stroke attempt of the inning, such a player has not committed three consecutive fouls, even though there have been fouls in three successive innings. As at the start of the eighth inning a color ball was pocketed correctly, the two previous fouls are cleared. A player is "on one foul" while commencing the ninth inning.

13. Scoring

Being punished with negative penalty points may result in negative scoring of a particular player. The score can be e.g. "minus 1", "minus 2", "minus 15" etc. It is possible for a player to win a game with 140 points while the opponent has had two fouls only. The reading of the final score is 150 to -2. If a player does not pocket any ball while striking and commits a foul, the penalty point is taken away from the score that was valid before the stroke. If a player pockets a ball and commits a foul on it, the ball is spotted on the table without scoring and the penalty point is taken away from the score that was valid before the stroke.