Upon recognition by either player or the referee that the groups have been reversed, the rack will be halted and will be replayed with the original player executing the break shot. The Ball Rack Template must be placed in its required spot away from the playing area including the rails and the balls placed back into their original position. If there are no obstructions, the player at the table may remove the Ball Rack Template without the opponent interfering. Template may not be glued on the playing surface. Exception to this rule applies if 1 or more balls are frozen and obstructing the removal, in this case the Ball Rack Template stays in place until such time that the frozen balls are no longer an obstacle in the removal of the Ball Rack Template. With or without a referee present, the Ball Rack Template can only be removed if not more than 2 balls are an obstruction in its removal. Ball Rack template should be made of a plastic material, what is billiards no thicker than 0.14 mm and shouldn’t affect the table in any way. If a referee is not present and there are balls obstructing the removal of the Ball Rack Template, the opponent must be the one to remove the Ball Rack Template.

It may be that a tournament is being played with "area" referees who are each responsible for several tables and there is no referee constantly at each table. Woolen cloth is more commonly found on recreational tables and provides a slower playing surface. However, as soon as a player misses, fouls, or scratches, their turn is considered over - more on fouls and scratches later. If there is no referee presiding over a match, it may be played using cue ball fouls only. When a game has a three-foul rule, the referee should note to the players any second foul at the time that it occurs and also when the player who is on two fouls returns to the table. For example, if one object ball is pocketed, then at least two object balls must touch the head string line; or if two object balls are pocketed, then at least one object ball must touch the head string line.

If a dispute arises between two players in an unrefereed match, and the area referee is asked to make a decision without having seen the cause of the dispute, he should be careful to understand the situation as completely as possible. With the removal of the Ball Rack Template, the referee or opponent may use markers in the form of ball markers or chalk blocks which are at their disposal to mark the obstructing balls. He may assist the player by getting and replacing the mechanical bridge. The contour of the bridge head should be smooth in order not to mar the cue shaft or rip the threads of the table-cloth when being used. It may be that the player miscues on a break shot and tries to prevent the cue ball from following its normal path by deflecting it with his cue stick or by some other means. It may be that something unforeseen under these rules will occur during a match. Should a shot clock be introduced, both players will be "on the clock" and there will be an official timekeeper for the duration of the match.

The tournament director or other appointed official decides whether to use a shot clock or not. If the tournament official determines that the player is intentionally positioning balls in the rack, the player will be given an official warning to refrain from doing so. A shot clock may be requested at any time during a match by a tournament official or either player involved in that match. The non-shooting player may also ask for such attention if he feels that he is unable or is unwilling to rule on the shot. If, prior to a particular shot, the shooting player feels that his opponent will not be able to properly judge the shot, he should ask the area referee to watch the shot. However, you have to announce it before shooting. The American Poolplayers Association (APA) and World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) both have slightly different variations of these rules. In the WPA World Championships, there may be a further appeal to the WPA Sports Director, if he is present. It is featured in numerous international competitions, most notably the World Games, a multi-sport competition held every 4 years. 10. Sanctioning may, if requested, be granted to a Category 5 International Tournament at the sole discretion of the WPA and upon such additional conditions as it may require.