Seven-ball is arotationpool game with rules similar tonine-ball, though it differs in two key ways: the game uses only sevenobject balls as implied by its name, and play is restricted to particularpockets of the table. William D. Clayton is credited with the game's invention in the early 1980s.[1]
At the start of the game, balls one through seven areracked in ahexagonal configuration, with the 1-ball placed at the rack'sapex, centered over the table'sfoot spot, the 7-ball placed at the rack's center, and all other balls placed clockwise(see photo top right). Immediately following thebreak shot, the opponent must elect three pockets along one of the table'slong rails, and the player who broke is automatically assigned the three pockets situated along the opposite long rail. Once that selection is made, balls 1–6 may bepocketed in any pocket in rotation, starting with the one, as the object ball. Balls pocketed via combinations off of the object ball are legal. The 7-ball must be pocketed in player's assigned side to be a legal win. Scratches on any object ball allow the opponent ball-in-hand, but the sunk ball remains potted. Scratching on the 7-ball is a loss. Pocketing the 7-ball in any other pocket than one on the called side is a loss.[2]
A special 7-ball was designed for television matches by Charles Ursitti (billiards historian,referee andWillie Mosconi's one time manager) to more easily distinguish the 7-ball from the 3 on television.[1] The ball adopts thestripe of the9-ball with the color of thesolid black8-ball, the "money balls" of their respective namesake games.
No special equipment is required for play; a regular set ofpool balls and a nine-ball diamond rack turned sidewise are adequate.
The original informal incarnation of seven-ball led to a variant professional ruleset that enjoyed a brief heyday in the seriesSudden Death Seven-ball, broadcast on the American cable TV networkESPN from 2000 to 2005.
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