Game Rules & Setup

Crud

The complete rules guide for the fast-paced, no-mercy pool game that mixes billiards with a survival format — and punishes hesitation above all else.

Game Guide · Updated May 2025 · 5 min read

Crud is an exhilarating, fast-paced game that combines the skill of billiards with the strategy of a survival format. Played on a pool table with just a cue ball and the eight ball, it rewards quick reactions, punishes hesitation, and produces chaotic, memorable games every single time.

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Equipment

What You
Need to Play

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A Pool Table

The arena. Any regulation pool table works — the standard 7, 8, or 9-foot sizes all play well.

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The Cue Ball

Your weapon. You hit the eight ball with it. No cue stick — the cue ball is thrown or rolled by hand.

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The Eight Ball

The target. The entire game revolves around keeping this ball moving and out of the pockets.

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Friends

Minimum 3 players to make it interesting. More players means longer survival rounds and higher chaos.

Game in progress — players rotate around the table's short ends

Setup & Objective

The Goal &
Starting the Game

Each player starts with three lives. The goal is simple: be the last player standing. Lose all three and you're eliminated. Before play begins, establish the player order — a whiteboard or chalkboard works well for tracking turns and remaining lives throughout the game.

The Serve

Place the Eight Ball

Set the eight ball on the foot spot of the table — the marked dot near the far end. This is its starting position at the beginning of each serve.
Serve from the Opposite End

The serving player stands at the head end of the table and throws or rolls the cue ball to hit the eight ball. No cue stick — the cue ball is played by hand. The server has three attempts to make a valid hit.
Three Misses = Lost Life

If the server fails to contact the eight ball on all three attempts, they lose a life. The same player serves again — or, if eliminated, the next player in the order takes over the serve.

Crud in action — short rail only, cue ball by hand

Crud is chaos with rules. The speed, unpredictability, and nonstop momentum make it unlike anything else you can do on a pool table.

— On what makes Crud unique

Core Rules

The Rules
of Play

Once the serve makes contact with the eight ball, the game enters continuous play. The two core principles govern everything that follows — break either and it costs you a life.

Keep the Motion. After a valid hit, the next player in order must strike the moving eight ball before it stops. As soon as they make contact, their turn ends and the next player's turn begins. There is no pause, no reset, no breathing room. Stalling equals losing.

The Cue Ball is Always Live. You may throw the cue ball as many times as needed to hit the eight ball during your turn. If the cue ball falls off the table or into a pocket, retrieve it immediately and keep going. There are no pauses or resets while the eight ball is still moving.

Penalties

How Lives
Are Lost

Foul 01

Dead Ball

Failing to hit the eight ball before it comes to a complete stop. The most common way to lose a life in a fast game.

− 1 Life

Foul 02

Short Shot

The eight ball travels less than six inches after being struck. A hit must propel the eight ball with meaningful force to count.

− 1 Life

Foul 03

Back Shot

Striking the cue ball in the direction of yourself — toward your own end — is strictly forbidden. All shots must be directed across the table.

− 1 Life

Foul 04

Side Shot

Shots may only be taken from the short ends of the table. Throwing from a long rail — the sides — is illegal and costs a life immediately.

− 1 Life

Foul 05

Sink Shot

Pocketing the eight ball doesn't cost the shooter a life — it costs the last non-shooter a life. A devastating way to target specific opponents.

− 1 Life (last non-shooter)

Foul 06

Foul Handling

Touching the eight ball with anything other than the cue ball, or knocking it off the table with your body, is an immediate life forfeit.

− 1 Life

// Quick Reference — The Full Rules

→ Three lives: Lose all three and you're eliminated from the game.
→ Serving: Three chances to make a valid serve. Miss all three and lose a life.
→ Keep it moving: Hit the eight ball while it's still rolling or lose a life.
→ Short ends only: All throws from the short rails. Long-side shots are illegal.
→ Six-inch rule: The eight ball must travel at least six inches after contact.
→ Sink the 8: Pocketing the eight ball costs the last non-shooter a life — not you.

// Conclusion

Crud is not just about reflexes — it's about mastering the rules and using them. Once you understand that the sink-shot penalty costs the last non-shooter, you start to play with targets. Grab the cue ball, pick your spot at the short rail, and find out who among your friends survives longest.

For more on Crud's origins, read our deep dive into Crud's Canadian roots.

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