WPA Blackball vs. WEPF 2-shot 8-Ball

[telinoz]

The last few years I've seen WPA Blackball grow in the countries that also play WEPF 2-shot 8-Ball, the rules and equipment are very much the same.

I used to live in UK, but moved in 2000 to Sydney, Australia and did not see the rise of this new game Blackball.
I generally have been playing WPA 8-Ball, 9-Ball and now 10-Ball on 9ft tables with 2 1/4" balls but here in Australia except the state of NSW, 2-shot 8-Ball using WEPF rules played on 7ft tables with 2" object ball and 1 7/8" white is by far the most dominant cue sport and is much bigger than Snooker.

I would love to hear from the WEPF 2-shot players on this forum as I think it is mostly UK members which is the stronghold for both types of game and any WPA champions of Blackball for some of the following;

1) How does Blackball compare to WEPF rules?
consider these areas;
- easier to play?
- fairer?
- more tactical?

2) As it can be played on pretty much the same equipment, do you think it will get more popular in UK and is it likely to become the dominant game of pool in the UK?

3) Does Blackball get televised anywhere?

4) With WEPF and WPA blackball, are these still the dominant game of pool in the UK or is WPA 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball getting bigger with 7, 8 or 9ft tables playing with 2 1/4" balls on napless cloth?

5) Are there leagues playing Blackball like WEPF rules?

6) This could be a sensitive question for some.... Do you think its in the best interest of the 'game' of pool that WPA Blackball becomes the dominant form of pool using the small balls and the WEPF is phased out over time leaving one association with a better chance of getting cue sports into the Olympics?

For those who don't know what Blackball is, here is a link to the rules and the fully endorsed Blackball website;
a) Rules: http://www.wpa-pool.com/index.asp?content=rules_blackball
b) Main Blackball website: http://www.blackball.co.uk

As I mentioned above, NSW is the only state where the small ball game is not really played and I'm more interested in setting up 9ft tables in my new venue in 2010. But, I wanted to get a feel for Blackball and if its worth adding later down the track.

Don't get into a us vs them mindset on this post which is what I've found on this type of topic on other forums as pool players can be very protective of a rule set and feel like its a personal attack, just stay on topic please! :snooker:

[telinoz]

Really???

Nobody has an view on this?

[eaoin11]

Hi, until I moved abroad WEBF (2 shot) 8 ball was my main game and I played it competitively for about 5 yrs. This is the first time I've seen the WPA blackball rules and I don't think they've been adopted by any associations in Australia. I mainly play 9 ball here but look forward to getting back into WEBF pool in Aus next year.

I can see quite a few differences in the rules which change the character of the game. I guess the WPA rules are meant to make the game more spectator freindly and easier for newcomers to comprehend, and the rules are more in line with those of American 9 ball and 8 ball but I'm not sure if they are well suited to the small tables with rounded pockets that are by far the most numerous in the Uk and Australia.

The most significant differences are important in blocked pocket situations. UK style pool tables with rounded pockets often become blocked and some players block them deliberately.
On american style tables with square cut pockets (used for WPA 9 ball, 8 ball etc) they get blocked less frequently and are difficult to block deliberately.

Some rule differences include;

Wrong ball first If you hit the wrong ball first intentionally in WPA blackball it's loss of frame. In WEBF 8ball it's a standard foul, opponent is awarded 2 shots.

In the loss of frame situation (WPA blackball) the referee must judge whether the shot was deliberate. This is a flaw IMO because controversy could arise over whether a result was deliberate.

In WEBF it is sometimes advantageous to deliberately pot an opponent's blocking ball and sacrifice 2 shots. Some (especially players of other cuesports) find this hard to comprehend and consider it a blight on the game but I think it creates interesting tactical situations that the other cuesports don't have. It provides situations where players might have to think 2 or 3 turns in advance making it more like chess than the other cuesports.

In WPA blackball you can pot an opponent's ball so long as you hit one of your own first which is similar to WPA 8 ball. In WEBF potting an opponent's ball (no matter which ball you hit first) always results in 2 shots.

The rules that apply to playing from baulk after a foul and frozen balls are also quite different.

WPA blackball rules look much easier to explain to newcomers. WEBF rules are quite complex, particularly those relating to the break and foul snookers. They are used by all the eight ball associations I know in Australia, but rarely for your average comp at the local. I think WEBF rules have evolved over a longer time to suit small tables with rounded pockets and they are probably fairer and less dependant on a referee's discretion.

I guess as a spectator sport WEBF loses out but I personally think it's a better game. WPA blackball might be more of an attacking game but on such small tables what's the point? It looks like the poor cousin of WPA 9 ball and 8 ball with no unique features.

Having said all that I haven't actually played under the blackball rules yet so would also like to hear from UK players who've played both.