Rules for 18.2 BALKLINE BILLIARDS

Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Carom Billiards apply.

PLAYERS

Two individuals, or two teams.

EQUIPMENT

Standard set of balls, on a standard carom table. In addition to the normal markings found on the table the following areas shall be marked:

Balk -- rectangular areas adjacent to the cushions with the outer edges 18-inches from the cushions. There are 8 balk areas.
Anchor -- equally span two adjacent balk areas. They are 9-inches square and run out from the cushion. There are 8 anchor areas.
Free -- is the center rectangle whose borders are those of the larger balk areas.

OBJECT OF GAME

To reach a predetermined point count before your opponent.

SCORING

One point is scored each time a legal count is made subject to the restrictions of the balk and anchor areas as described below.

OPENING BREAK

The red-ball must be the first object ball contacted on the break.

RULES OF PLAY

A legal counting stroke entitles the shooter to continue at the table until he fails to legally count.

The shooter (or an object ball) is said to be in balk (or in anchor) if both the object balls lie in the same balk (or anchor) area. The player may score without regard to the balk areas at the beginning of the shooter's inning, or when one, or both, of the object balls come to rest in a new balk area. If both of the object balls rest in the same balk area where the previous point was scored then the shooter is required to drive at least one of the object balls from that balk area in order to legally count.

Note that if the shooter drives an object ball out of balk as required and it comes to rest in the same balk area it was just driven from (along with the other object ball) then the shooter is still in balk and must again drive at least one of the object balls from balk to legally count.

The anchor areas are played in the same manner as the balk areas. Note that one, or both, of the object balls may be driven out of balk but still be in anchor (the reverse can also hold).

A player may go for the count, or play safe as decribed in the General Rules of Carom Billiards.

PENALTIES FOR FOULS

One point will be deducted from the offender's score for each foul. Any point made on a foul stroke will not count as it is not a legal count.

These rules are used by Billy Aardd's Club, NMIMT, Socorro, NM.