Sport Scoring SolutionsPool scoring: 8-ball match formats and a free frame counter
Pool is played in pubs, clubs and leagues across South Africa. A match is a series of frames, and the scoring is simple: one frame, one point. The work is in keeping the frame count, knowing who breaks next and remembering how each frame was won. Our free pool scorer handles that.
Watch: how to play pool
Frames and match formats
- Race to a number of frames (for example race to 5) is the usual format for singles matches and tournaments. The first player to win that many frames wins the match.
- Leagues often play a fixed number of frames between two players or teams, so a draw is possible.
- When both players need one frame to win, the match is hill-hill and the next frame decides it.
Who breaks
| Rule | How it works |
|---|---|
| Alternate breaks | Players take turns to break, whoever won the last frame. This is common in tournaments and leagues. |
| Winner breaks | The winner of a frame breaks the next one. This is common in casual and pub play. |
| Loser breaks | The player who lost the frame breaks next, which helps keep matches close. |
A lag or coin toss usually decides the first break. The app shows who breaks every frame, and you can swap it if your table plays differently.
How frames are won
- Normally by potting the black (8-ball) legally after clearing your own group of balls.
- A break and dish (break and clear) is when the breaking player pots all their balls and the black without the opponent getting a shot. The app keeps a tally, because players like to brag about them.
- A player can also lose on the black, for example by potting it early or fouling while potting it. Record it as Opponent lost on the black.
Blackball or American 8-ball?
Two main sets of 8-ball rules are played: blackball (red and yellow balls, used in many South African and British leagues) and American-style 8-ball (spots and stripes, call-shot rules). Fouls, free shots and ball-in-hand differ between them, but match scoring by frames is the same. Agree the rules before you start, or follow your league's rule book.
How to use the pool scorer
- Enter the players or teams, choose race-to or a fixed number of frames, and set the break rule.
- When a frame ends, tap the winner and choose how it was won.
- The finished match, with every frame, is saved under My results and can be shared.