K-Ball
Danny K's 15-Ball Rotation Game
An offense-driven rotation game that keeps all 15 balls in play and rewards shot-making, cue-ball control, pattern play, and sustained long runs of balls.
What is K-Ball?
An offensive rotation game.
K-Ball is Danny K's offensive 15-ball rotation pool game. All 15 object balls are used. Balls are played in numerical rotation. Every legally pocketed ball is worth one point.
Traditional defensive safeties are prohibited or heavily penalized. K-Ball is designed to encourage players to attempt the best available offensive shot rather than hiding the cue ball — rewarding shot-making, cue-ball control, pattern recognition, controlled breaking, creative recovery, and sustained long runs of balls.
- 15
- Object Balls
- 1
- Point Per Ball
- 0
- Safeties
- 100+
- Match Points
Match footage
Watch K-Ball
Full matches recorded at the Derby City Classic at Caesars Southern Indiana, January 2026.
Featured Match — K-Ball Week, Day 1
Fedor Gorst vs. Vitaly Patsura — K-Ball Week, Day 1.
Derby City Classic 2026 — Race to 200
John Morra vs. Roberto Gomez — K-Ball Race to 200, Derby City Classic 2026.
Derby City Classic 2026 — Race to 200
Oscar Dominguez vs. Roland Garcia — K-Ball Race to 200, Derby City Classic 2026.
2026 Buffalo's K-Ball
2026 Buffalo's K-Ball — Fedor Gorst vs. Francisco Bustamante.
After the Match
Fedor Gorst, Danny K, and Francisco Bustamante after a game of K-Ball at Buffalo's 2026.
Full Playlist
How to play
The Rules of K-Ball
The seven working rules that define K-Ball as it is currently played. A fully designed official rulebook will be published once Danny K has approved the final version.
The Rack
All 15 balls are racked and spread out like 8-ball (stripes and solids alternated), with the 1-ball in front, the 2 and 3 in the rear corners, and the 8-ball in the center. A regular triangle is used — no Magic Rack (the Magic Rack almost guarantees a ball on the break).
The Break
The balls are broken hard, hitting the 1-ball first. A combination total of 3 balls must either be pocketed on the break or come past the head string.
After the Break
If a ball is made on the break, the shooter takes cue ball in hand anywhere on the table and plays the balls in rotation. If no ball is pocketed on the break, the opponent has CBIH anywhere on the table. Safeties are not allowed.
Call Pocket & Scoring
This is a call-pocket game — each pocket is called. Kisses, banks, and combinations are not called, only the pocket. Each ball pocketed counts one point. After the final ball is pocketed, the shooter re-racks and breaks again, and the same process from Rule 3 continues.
Fouls & Safeties
Any foul results in the loss of a point and CBIH by the opponent. This is an offense-only game — safeties are not allowed. If a player is deemed by the referee to be playing safe, a 15-point deduction is given to the shooter and the opponent breaks a new rack.
Push Back
At any time, the player approaching the table has the option to give the shot back to the shooter.
Match Length
A predetermined amount of points is played to — for example 100 or 150 — similar to 14.1 or straight pool.
Official rules sheet
The origin
Why Danny Created K-Ball
Danny K created K-Ball roughly twenty years ago. At the time, he was playing a daily 10-ball ring game with two good friends. The competition was great, but the format had started to feel repetitive — Danny wanted a game that used all 15 balls and created more offense, pressure, and strategic decision-making.
He considered other structures, including American Rotation and formats built around groups or "triplets" of balls. He ultimately rejected those approaches and settled on a rotation format where every ball counts as one point, and cue-ball-in-hand after a miss or foul raises the stakes on every shot.
The result became K-Ball.
About Danny K
Pool Player. Game Creator. Author.
Danny K is a longtime pool player and the creator of K-Ball, an offensive 15-ball rotation game developed over years of daily play with close friends and testing at the table.
K-Ball has been played and filmed at pool events including the Derby City Classic at Caesars Southern Indiana. Danny continues to grow the game through demonstrations, matches, and appearances.
A memoir covering Danny's life in and around the game is in development.
Coming soon
Danny K's Memoir
Danny K's memoir is currently in development. More information will be announced soon.
Get NotifiedGet in touch
Play. Host. Promote.
Reach out about playing K-Ball, hosting a demonstration, introducing the game at your pool room, tournament use, interviews or media, Danny's memoir, or other opportunities.