Nine-ball

Nine-ball is a rotation pool game played with balls numbered 1 through 9. Players must contact the lowest-numbered ball on the table first, and win by legally pocketing the 9-ball.

Nine-ball rack: The diamond-shaped arrangement of balls used to begin a game of nine-ball. The 1-ball leads the rack, while the 9-ball sits in its center.
Cue ball: The white ball struck by a cue to move object balls in pool and other cue sports. Every nine-ball shot begins with the cue ball, whose position determines the next shot.
Eight-ball: A pool game in which players pocket assigned groups of balls before legally pocketing the 8-ball. Unlike nine-ball, players claim a group and must clear it before the winning ball.
World Pool-Billiard Association: The international governing body that publishes rules and sanctions events for pool. Its standardized rules give competitive nine-ball a common framework.
Safety shot: A shot intended to leave an opponent without a direct, legal scoring opportunity. When no reliable pot is available, a safety can protect the run and force a difficult reply.
Break shot: The opening shot that scatters a racked set of balls. A legal break starts the game and can pocket balls or leave a safety.
Object ball: Any ball other than the cue ball that a player aims to strike or pocket. The numbered object balls define the required order of play.
Straight pool: A pool game in which any object ball may be pocketed, with points scored for each legal pocketing. It has no required numerical order or single winning ball.
Billiard Congress of America: A United States organization that promotes cue sports and publishes pool rules. Its rulebook is a major reference for nine-ball play in North America.
Runout: A sequence in which a pool player pockets all required balls without yielding the table. A nine-ball runout clears the remaining balls in order and ends with the 9-ball.

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