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Ghost Event Rules

Ghost Event Rules

Official format, scoring, recording, equipment, and gameplay requirements for the 15-week ABL Ghost Event.

View the Ghost Event page or register in the ABL App.

Event At A Glance

Section titled “Event At A Glance”
$50,000 up for grabs

The prize fund is allocated among the five Fargo brackets in proportion to signups every 15 weeks.

Five Fargo brackets

Eligible players compete from 660-600 through 449 & under. No Fargo? Email Us!

15-week event

Players pay a $10 sign-up fee plus $10 per week for 15 weeks. The official start date is October 26, 2026.

Four racks each week

Record one session of four Ghost 8-ball racks and enter scores in the ABL App during play.

Fargo Brackets And Prize-Fund Allocation

Section titled “Fargo Brackets And Prize-Fund Allocation”

Players with a Fargo rating of 660 or lower compete in the bracket that matches their rating at signup.

Bracket 1

660-600

Bracket 2

599-550

Bracket 3

549-500

Bracket 4

499-450

Bracket 5

449 & under

The $50,000 prize fund is up for grabs across all five Fargo brackets. ABL will allocate the fund among the brackets in proportion to each bracket’s share of total event signups.

Bracket allocation = $50,000 × (signups in that bracket ÷ total event signups)

If every bracket has 100 registered players (500 players total), each bracket represents 20% of signups and receives a $10,000 prize-fund allocation.

Eligibility, Entry, And Key Dates

Section titled “Eligibility, Entry, And Key Dates”
  • Players must have a Fargo rating of 660 or lower and compete in the bracket that matches their rating at signup.
  • ABL decides whether a player without an established Fargo rating may participate and, if approved, which bracket applies. No Fargo? Email Us!
  • ABL may disqualify a player whose Fargo rating was not accurate at signup.
  • The standard fee structure is a $10 sign-up fee plus $10 per week for 15 weeks—$150 in weekly dues before the early-signup offer.
  • Register at play.ablplayers.com. To hold the spot, complete signup and make the $10 sign-up fee payment in the ABL App.
  • Sign up by September 20, 2026, and get your first week’s dues free. The $10 sign-up fee is still required to hold your spot; the offer waives the Week 1 dues.
  • Secure your place by October 15, 2026 through the ABL App. No late entries.
  • The official start date is October 26, 2026.

Weekly Format

Section titled “Weekly Format”
  1. Play four racks of Ghost 8-ball each week.
  2. Play on any day and at any time during that event week. You may play at home or another location as long as the table meets the equipment rules below.
  3. Each player is allowed one makeup match, except during Weeks 13, 14, and 15.
  4. Once recording begins, that is the player’s only scoring attempt for the week.
  5. Enter scores in the ABL App during play.
  6. A player who quits during the season is not eligible to play in the next season, which will have a larger prize fund.

Enter each rack’s score in the ABL App during play.

Scoring

Section titled “Scoring”

Point values rise during the event. The ABL App will use the values for the current week. Top scores will be posted on the ABLPlayers.com website and updated weekly.

Weeks 1–6

Solids/Stripes
1
8-Ball
3
Bonus
2
Example

8 on the break = 3 points + bonus of 2 points + 3 stripes made = 8 points

Weeks 7–12

Solids/Stripes
2
8-Ball
6
Bonus
4
Example

8 on the break = 6 points + bonus of 4 points + 3 stripes made = 16 points

Weeks 13–14

Solids/Stripes
5
8-Ball
15
Bonus
8
Example

8 on the break = 15 points + bonus of 8 points + 3 stripes made = 38 points

Week 15

Solids/Stripes
10
8-Ball
30
Bonus
15
Example

8 on the break = 30 points + bonus of 15 points + 3 stripes made = 75 points

Before You Start Recording

Section titled “Before You Start Recording”

Complete this setup before the weekly attempt begins:

  1. Place a phone on a tripod at the rack end of the table. The recording must show the full table.
  2. Rack the balls using the official ABL 8-ball pattern shown in the event rack reference.
  3. Open the ABL App, make the $10 weekly payment, and prepare to enter scores in the app during play.
  4. State your name and show your face to the camera for five seconds.
  5. Show a valid ID to the camera for five seconds.
  6. Confirm the full table remains visible. Only the player’s body may block the camera while the player is shooting.
  7. Start only when ready: once recording begins, there is no second scoring attempt that week.
  8. One hour time limit for each session.

Official Video Walkthrough

Section titled “Official Video Walkthrough”

Watch Hall of Fame pool champion Mike Sigel demonstrate phone camera placement, live scoring in the ABL App, and table setup for your weekly Ghost session.

Game Rules

Section titled “Game Rules”
  • Play four racks of Ghost 8-ball by yourself. In each rack, continue shooting until you miss or commit a foul. Any balls made with a foul will not count as points.
  • Call the intended pocket or clearly point to it with the cue unless the shot is obvious. No slop.
  • This event uses cue-ball fouls only. Accidentally touching the cue ball ends the inning.
  • If another ball is accidentally moved or touched, it must remain where it comes to rest. Do not move it back. Continue shooting until the inning ends, then total the balls made during that inning.
  • All games and shots are recorded with a timestamp and will be reviewed by ABL staff.

What Happens After The Break

Section titled “What Happens After The Break”
  • If at least one stripe or one solid is made, the player must take that group. Take what you make.
  • If at least one stripe and one solid are made, the player may choose either group. Open table.
  • If no ball is made, play continues and the player may choose either group with no penalty.
  • If one or more balls are made and the player scratches or drives the cue ball off the table, spot all balls made, including the 8-ball, back on the spot in the rack area. The player shoots from behind the head string and may choose either group, with no penalty.
  • Any balls made with a foul do not count. Balls spotted after the break do not count as points until legally pocketed.
  • If the player miscues and no object ball reaches a rail, the player may rerack and start over with no penalty.
  • If the player miscues on the break, they must let the cueball come to a complete stop before proceeding. If the player interrupts the cueball before it comes to a complete stop, it is a foul and the rack is over.

8-Ball On The Break

Section titled “8-Ball On The Break”
  • If a player makes the 8-ball on the break legally, they automatically get the points for the 8-ball plus the bonus points and the 8-ball stays down for the rest of that game.
  • The player also continues to shoot and gets a choice of either group (Solid or Stripes) regardless of what object balls are made on the break.

Open Table

Section titled “Open Table”
  • To claim stripes, the cue ball must first contact a stripe and legally pocket a stripe.
  • To claim solids, the cue ball must first contact a solid and legally pocket a solid.
  • A player cannot shoot a solid into a stripe to claim stripes.
  • To claim stripes with a combination, the player must shoot a stripe into any combination of balls (including the 8-ball), and the pocketed ball must also be a stripe.

Playing Equipment

Section titled “Playing Equipment”

You may play on:

  1. Any standard size bar table.
  2. Any standard 4 × 8 home table.
  3. Any standard 4½ × 9 tournament table.

Pockets must be standard size and no larger than 5 inches. Jump cues are permitted for this event.

Ghost Event Flyers

Section titled “Ghost Event Flyers”

Share these ABL Ghost Event flyers online or print them for your venue. Both designs include the ABL logo and a QR code. Download the full-resolution 1080 × 1350 PNGs below.