Pool etiquette: the unwritten rules

Pool is a game of concentration played in social places. Good etiquette lets everyone play their best and keeps the atmosphere friendly. It also gets you games: in a bar, players who are pleasant to play against get asked back, and owners notice who looks after their tables.

• Stay out of the shooter's line. Don't stand behind the pocket they're aiming at, or anywhere in their eyeline. Stand back from the table, ideally behind or to the side of the shooter.
• Keep still and quiet while your opponent is down on a shot. No chalking, no talking, no walking past.
• Wait your turn. Don't start lining up your shot while the balls are still moving or before your opponent has finished their visit.
• Keep your cue to yourself. Hold it upright and away from the table and other players.
• Don't touch the balls unless you're shooting or racking, and ask before you clean or mark one.

• Call your own fouls. If you touch a ball or miss the first ball, say so, even if nobody saw it.
• Agree the rules before you start, especially on a bar table where house rules vary: what happens after a foul, whether you call shots, what happens if the black goes in on the break.
• Don't coach your opponent unless they ask, and don't talk them through their misses.
• Shake hands before and after a game, win or lose. "Good game" goes a long way.

On a busy bar table there's usually a queue, and every bar has its own way of running it. Watch for a minute or ask a regular. The most common systems are:

• Coins on the rail. Players line up the coins for the next game on the rail or by the table's coin slot, in the order they arrived.
• Names on the board. Many bars and pubs keep a chalkboard or whiteboard next to the table. Write your name at the bottom of the list.
• Winner stays on. The winner keeps the table and plays the next challenger. If you put your name down, you play the winner, not the person you'd like to play.

Be ready when it's your turn, don't jump the queue, and if you're with a group, let others in rather than keeping the table to yourselves all night.

• Check in at the counter before you start. Tables are usually rented by the hour and the timer or light comes on when they give you a table.
• Use the table you've been given, even if another one looks free.
• Look after house cues and put them back in the rack when you've finished.
• Return the balls in their tray to the counter, and let staff know if anything is damaged.
• Keep the noise down near other tables, especially during league nights or matches.

• No drinks on the rails or the cloth. One spill can ruin the cloth, and re-covering a table is expensive.
• Don't sit on the table or lean your weight on it while shooting.
• Jump and massé shots only with permission. They can tear the cloth, and many venues don't allow them.
• Chalk away from the table, and put the chalk down cube-side up on the rail, not on the cloth.

Snooker clubs tend to be quieter and more formal than pool halls. Keep your voice down, never walk past the end of the table when someone is on a shot, and don't stand in a player's eyeline. Some clubs ask members to wear smart casual clothes, and a few have dress codes for matches. If there's a referee, follow their calls without argument.

• Arrive on time and tell your captain early if you can't play.
• Know your league's rules, which may differ from the bar's usual house rules.
• Let the home team's players know if you're borrowing a table to warm up.
• Thank the venue. League nights keep many bars and pool halls going.

Some players like a small bet on a game. Whether that's allowed depends on local laws and on the venue, so check before you play. If you do agree to play for something, settle the stake and the rules clearly before the break, and don't play anyone who seems unsure or under pressure. If you'd rather not play for money, just say so; no one should mind.