Jasper,
"I think 1 is the "official" rule"
You are wrong. It is also weird that you wrote that after quoting my post with BCA rules cited.
FWIW, here are IPT rules:
"d. If a player scratches or jumps the cue ball so that it comes to rest off the playing surface of the table while playing the eight ball, it is a loss of game. Not making a legal hit on the eight ball, but leaving the cue ball on the table, is a Ball in Hand foul- not an automatic loss of game."
http://www.internationalpooltour.com...es/default.asp
You do know that anyone can edit Wikipedia, right?