What Is a Jump Shot in Pool — And Is It Legal?

What Is a Jump Shot?

A jump shot is a stroke where the cue ball leaves the table surface and travels through the air to clear an obstacle ball (or land past it on a specific spot). Unlike the masse, which curves around blockers, the jump goes over them.

At the professional level, a clean jump shot is a precision skill — the cue ball rises at a controlled angle, clears the blocker by millimetres, and continues toward the target with enough pace and positional intent to pot it.

Is a Jump Shot Legal?

This is where rules differ sharply by discipline:

• WPA 9-ball and 8-ball: Legal, provided the tip strikes the cue ball above its equator (no scooping under the ball). This is the key rule — the ball must be struck downward into the cloth so it bounces up, not lifted with an underhand scoop.
• Snooker: Illegal. Under WPBSA rules, deliberately causing the cue ball to jump over any part of another ball is a foul, regardless of technique. This is one of the starkest rule differences between pool and snooker.
• English pool (EPA): Illegal in most club and competition formats — the ball must stay on the table surface at all times.
• Bar leagues / house rules: Jump shots are banned in many venues. If in doubt, ask before attempting one.

The WPA official rulebook defines the legal stroke precisely: “The cue ball is jumped over an object ball by elevating the cue and striking the cue ball above its center so that the cue ball strikes the bed of the table before reaching the object ball.”

How to Execute a Legal Jump Shot

1. Elevate the cue to around 30–45° above horizontal.
2. Strike above centre on the cue ball — aim for 12 o’clock or slightly to the side if you need English after the jump.
3. Use a short, punchy stroke — a long follow-through pushes the cue into the table and produces a foul push stroke.
4. A jump cue (short, lighter, often two-piece) makes the shot significantly easier to execute cleanly and is standard equipment for competitive players.

Never scoop under the cue ball. If the tip contacts the bottom of the ball and levers it upward, that is always a foul — even in formats where jump shots are otherwise allowed.

When to Use a Jump Shot

Jump shots are most valuable when you are fully snookered — the obstacle ball sits directly between your cue ball and the target, with no angle available for a plant or kick. They are also used offensively in 9-ball when a direct path to the 9 is blocked mid-run.

Because the technique requires control to maintain position after the jump, most club players are better served by mastering scratch and safety rules than chasing exotic escape routes. In American pool specifically, laying a good safety often wins more games than a risky jump.

Browse our full collection of pool and billiards technique articles for more skill-building guides.

Jump Shot vs. Masse Shot

Both are escape tools, but they work differently. The jump clears the obstacle by going over it; the masse curves around it while staying on the cloth. In tournament play, choosing between them depends on the gap available, the distance to the blocker, and your own skill level with each technique. Professionals often prefer the jump for close snookers and the masse for situations where the obstacle is further away and a wide curve is possible.