LearnToPlayPool.com
Practice Games
Created by BCA Certified Instructor Chris O'Donnell
Three-Set Rotation
Copyright 2003-2010 Chris O'Donnell All Rights Reserved
Three-Set Rotation is designed as an individual practice game, although it can be played competitively by alternating racks between two or more players. The game is played with 15 balls divided into three sets. Set One includes the one-ball through five-ball. Set Two includes the six-ball through ten-ball. Set Three includes the eleven-ball through fifteen-ball. The object of the game is to pocket all 15 balls with 15 shots or less, alternating sets on each shot, posting a score of 15 points.
The object balls are racked in a 1-2-3-4-5 triangle with one ball from each set on a corner of the rack. Following the break, all balls pocketed are spotted* and the player has 15 shots to pocket as many balls as possible, beginning with a ball from Set One, then a ball from Set Two, then a ball from Set Three, then rotating back to Set One, etc.
The player has the choice of beginning play where the cue ball comes to rest after the break, or may take the cue ball in hand behind the head string. A ball from one set is legally pocketed only when the cue ball first contacts that ball or another ball from the same set. The player is not required to designate the ball to be pocketed. If a ball from one set is pocketed when attempting to pocket a ball from another set, that ball is spotted* without penalty.
If a player pockets two or more balls from the same set on a legal shot, they all remain pocketed. The player still has a total of five shots for each set. If the player pockets all five balls in a set in less than five shots, the player my legally use any remaining shot(s) for that set to legally pocket a ball from any other set.
Any object ball illegally pocketed or jumped off of the table is spotted* on the first open spot with no penalty. When the cue ball is pocketed, or jumped off of the table, the player resumes play with the cue ball behind the head string (in the kitchen) with no penalty, except the shot used and any object ball pocketed on the shot is spotted and does not count toward the players score.
After 15 total shots, the player is awarded one point for each ball pocketed. Three-Set Rotation is designed to mark your progress by tracking your average score over ten or more racks. The average score ranks you in one of five levels as follows:
Champion 13+ - 15
Contender 10+ - 13
Player 7+ - 10
Gamer 3+ - 7
Rookie 0 - 3
*Balls pocketed on the break shall be spotted as follows: The lowest number ball on the foot spot, the next lowest on the head spot, the next lowest on the center spot, the next lowest on the center of the foot rail and the next lowest on the center of the head rail. Any object ball(s) jumped of of the table shall be spotted in the same manner. A spot is "open" if a ball can be spotted without contacting any other ball.
