Flags pool

Flags

Flags also known as (2-10, blue balls, blue ball flags or finish on the blue) is a 2 player tactical pocket billiards game where the objective of the game is to re-capture your flag from the opposing player’s base.

History

Flags was created on Tuesday 1st July 2008 by two temp workers, earning their keep at Vodafone call centre, Kingston, Tasmania. Matthew Breen and Robbie Shafe put pen to paper after finding the original rules of 8-ball no longer excited them on their breaks. The layout was first to be diagrammed on the back of a training workbook, and the rules shortly followed.

Game Play Rules

Setup - All balls numbered 1-15, except the 8-ball are used. Balls 2 and 10 (traditionally the blue balls) are placed on the dots at each end of the table and are the flags in the game. Of the balls that are left, 1-7 are placed around the blue 10 ball and balls 9-15 are placed around the blue 2 ball, to resemble a flower. The cue ball is placed in the centre of the table.

The Toss - To determine who breaks, the chalk is thrown onto the table, while one of the players calls either “chalk” or “cheese”. The side of the chalk where it is applied to the cue tip is “chalk” whereas the opposite side of the cube-shaped chalk would be “cheese”. Whichever side lands facing up is used and needs to be matched by the call, much like tossing a coin. If the chalk lands on a side other than “chalk” or “cheese” then it is continually rolled until it does so.

The Break - The player who wins the toss chooses whether to break or not. Whoever breaks has the choice of which of the two packs to play with, but generally has a slightly tougher first shot. This is because only on the break, must a ball hit a cushion after the pack has been touched. This may be any ball on the table, including the cue ball. For every other shot during the game, something must touch a cushion whether it be before or after the cue ball has struck another ball on the table. Failure to do this results in a standard foul. For the break, and after the cue ball has been scratched, the shooting player may position the cue ball anywhere along the centre line of the table, and must shoot in the direction of their ‘pack’ of balls.

General Rules - The aim of the game is to pot all of your own balls (either 1,3,4,5,6,7 or 9,11,12,13,14,15) and then your corresponding blue ball (the flag), which is hidden amongst your opponent’s balls. First to do so wins the game, and is therefore the holder of the flag until it is taken off them in another game.
You may only play your own balls, or the opposing player’s flag during the game. You may only play your own flag once you have potted all of your own balls first. Players take it in turns to visit the table, and stay at the table until a ball is not potted legally.

Fouls - Standard fouls reward two shots to the opposing player. These shots roll over if a ball is not potted, unless or until the player is on their flag, where it is only one free shot.

A standard foul is given if…
*the rules of the break are not adhered to.
*a ball fails to touch the cushion during a shot.
*a player plays their own flag, without potting their own ‘pack’ first.
*the cue ball is potted or leaves the table and does not return on its own accord.
*a ball is touched by anything other than the cue tip.

Flag fouls reward the game to the opposing player.
A flag foul is given if…
*either of the flags are potted at any time during the game when the corresponding ‘pack’ has not been potted first.
*the cue ball is potted or leaves the table without returning on its own accord, in the same shot as potting a flag.

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See Also

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