Since the racking technique is different in 9-ball from 8-ball, a different rack is preferred. The pattern of a diamond is 1-2-3-2-1. The traditional triangular rack may be used for racking a 9-ball game, but it will produce a looser rack. The 1-ball is always at the front of the rack, and the 9-ball is always directly in the center. Like in 8-ball, traditional rules state that all other balls are placed randomly. One amateur variant of 9-ball is that the billiard balls are placed in sequential orders, down and from left to right, excepting the 9-ball, which stays in the middle. If done properly, the 1-ball will be at the apex and the 8-ball will be at the bottom.
أحضر معينًا خشبيًا (إن كان ذلك ممكنًا) للكرات التسع. في كل أنواع لعبة التسع كرات، ضع الكرة رقم 1 في المقدمة والكرة رقم 9 في المنتصف. ضع كل الكرات الأخرى بترتيب عشوائي حول الكرتين 1 و9.