Free to play · no download

Play 9-Ball Pool online

Free 9-ball in your browser, on desktop and phone. Lowest ball first, the 9 to win, real physics and real rivals. Nothing to download.

Play 9-Ball now Practice solo

9: object balls
45s: shot clock
2: players
0: aiming lines

The game

9-Ball Pool, played properly

9-ball is the fast, attacking pool game: nine balls racked in a diamond, and whoever pots the 9 on a legal shot wins, even on the break. Chalk Rivals plays it with push-outs, ball in hand and the three-foul rule.

Play a rival in the lobby, practise on your own with no clock, or learn the controls in the tutorial. It runs in any modern browser on desktop, tablet and phone.

Start the tutorial

A racked 9-Ball Pool table in Chalk Rivals — 9-Ball Pool table, ready for the break

Rules

How to play 9-Ball

The rules the table plays by, shot for shot. Fouls and the shot clock are below.

Lowest ball first
On every shot, hit the lowest numbered ball on the table first. After contact, a ball must drop or reach a cushion.
The break
A legal break pots a ball or sends at least four object balls to a cushion.
The push-out
The shot straight after the break may be a push-out: roll the cue ball anywhere without the usual contact rules. Your opponent then chooses to play from there or pass it back to you.
Winning the rack
Pot the 9 on any legal shot to win, including on the break or in a combination off the lowest ball.

Fouls

Fouls and penalties

After a foul your opponent has ball in hand anywhere on the table. Three fouls in a row lose the rack.

Pro rules are a table option: call the ball and the pocket after the break.

The cue ball is potted.
The lowest numbered ball is not hit first.
No ball is potted and no ball reaches a cushion after contact.
An object ball leaves the table.
The 45-second shot clock runs out.

Controls

Your cue, your stroke

No aiming lines and no ghost ball. The cue ball goes where your stroke sends it.

Aim

Hold the left mouse button and drag, or drag a finger on a phone. Hold Ctrl (or use Fine aim) for small adjustments.

Shoot

Right-drag down to draw the cue back, then forward through the ball. On a phone, switch to Shoot and do the same with one finger. A faster stroke hits harder.

Spin and elevation

Pick the contact point on the cue ball for top, back or side spin, and raise the cue for a swerve or a jump.

Views

Play from the cue view, walk round the table in 3D, or look straight down in 2D.

Online

Play 9-Ball against real players

Online, every match starts with a challenge: tap a player's name in the lobby, pick one frame, best of 3 or best of 5, and rated or casual. A rated match moves your rating once, on who wins the match, so a 2-0 and a 2-1 count the same. There are no aiming lines for anyone, in any mode.

Find a rival

FAQ

9-Ball questions

Is 9-ball pool free to play?

Yes. Every game and mode is free. The store sells looks only, never anything that changes a shot.

What is a push-out in 9-ball?

On the shot right after the break you can push out: play the cue ball anywhere without needing contact or a cushion. Your opponent then decides who plays the next shot from there.