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Lifesaver Billiards

The pool game that's good for your game.

The Lifesaver Pool Game

Lifesaver is a new pool game that helps you:

Get equal time at the table.
You never sit and watch your opponent run out because players alternate shots.

Improve your skills.
You must make your called ball and leave a difficult shot for your opponent.

Minimize luck.
The pocket must be called for all shots and accidental hooks are rare.

Game Synopsis

  • Each player starts the game with 9 Lives.
  • Players alternate shots and can shoot any ball.
  • If a player misses a shot, he or she loses a Life.
  • The last player with Lives left wins the game.

Complete Rules

Object of the Game

Lifesaver is played with 15 numbered object balls and the cue ball. Each player starts with 9 Lives. Players alternate shots and can call any ball and pocket. The goal is to legally pocket an object ball and also leave a difficult shot for the incoming player. One Life is lost for not legally pocketing an object ball or for any foul. The player with any Lives remaining when the opponent runs out of Lives wins the game.

Determining the Break

The player who wins the lag chooses who will break the first rack. The player who pockets the last ball of a rack chooses who will break the next rack. If a player pockets the last ball of a rack and scratches, the opponent chooses who will break the next rack.

The Rack

The object balls are racked as tightly as possible in a triangle, with the apex ball on the foot spot. The other balls are placed in the triangle without purposeful or intentional pattern.

Legal Break Shot

The following rules apply to the break shot:

  1. The cue ball begins in hand behind the head string.
  2. No ball is called, and the cue ball is not required to hit any particular object ball first.
  3. If the breaker pockets a ball and does not foul, he/she continues at the table.
  4. If no object ball is pocketed, at least four object balls must be driven to one or more rails and at least one object ball must reach the kitchen, or the shot results in an illegal break and loss of one Life. The balls are re-racked and the offending player must break again.
  5. If any object ball is driven off the table on a break shot, it is a foul; such balls remain out of play; and the incoming player has the option of: accepting the table in position, or taking cue ball in hand.
  6. If the breaker scratches or fouls in any manner not listed above, the following player has the option of: accepting the balls in position, or taking cue ball in hand.

Continuing Play

Players alternate shots. If the shooter fails to pocket an object ball in the intended pocket, he/she loses one Life. If the shooter commits a foul, he/she loses one Life and the incoming player has cue ball in hand. On any given shot, a maximum of one Life may be lost.

Call Shot

The intended ball and pocket must be indicated for each shot if they are not obvious. The shooter may call “safety,” but not pocketing an object ball will result in loss of one Life.

Spotting Balls

Any object balls driven off the table remain out of play and are not spotted.

Double Hit/Frozen Balls

If the cue stick contacts the cue ball more than once on a shot, it is not a foul as long as the cue ball and object ball are within or equal to one chalk width and the cue ball is hit with one motion. If the cue ball and object ball are further than one chalk width apart, the rules for 6.7 Double Hit/Frozen Balls apply.

Standard Fouls

If the shooter commits a foul, he/she loses one Life and the incoming player has cue ball in hand.

The following are standard fouls at Lifesaver:

  • 6.1 Cue Ball Scratch or off the Table
  • 6.3 No Rail after Contact
  • 6.4 No Foot on Floor
  • 6.5 Ball Driven off the Table
  • 6.6 Touched Ball
  • 6.8 Push Shot
  • 6.9 Balls Still Moving
  • 6.10 Bad Cue Ball Placement
  • 6.12 Cue Stick on the Table
  • 6.13 Playing out of Turn
  • 6.15 Slow Play
  • 6.16 Ball Rack Template Foul

The 6.14 Three Consecutive Fouls rule is not in effect. If there is no referee presiding over a match, it will be played using cue ball fouls only.

Serious Fouls

For 6.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct, the referee will choose a penalty appropriate given the nature of the offense.

Dress Code

The dress code is at the discretion of the tournament director. The WPA Dress Code is not in effect.

World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) Rules of Play apply, except when contradicted by Lifesaver rules. The WPA Rule Regulations cover aspects of the game not directly related to the game rules. For definitions of fouls, see the WPA Rules of Play.