World rules pool question

[willtyson]

Hi, I was just wondering what would happen in the follow situation:

Right, I'm on the black but the opponents colours are covering the black ball, which is hanging over the pocket. The shot is therefore impossible to hit. I deliberately foul, just rolling the ball without hitting any ball, he then does the same. This is then a foul snooker. Would I be able to nominate hitting the yellows (being a free ball) and pot the black? Many thanks, Will :snooker:

[Souwester]

The effect of nominating a free ball when you have a foul snooker, is to specifically nominate another ball as one of yours for that shot only. So yes, usoing the free ball as a plant to pot the black is perfectly legal.

Remember, the free ball rule is different to snooker though. In snooker the cue ball has to hit the nominated free ball before any other ball, but this is not the case in WR pool. It is simply another of your balls for that shot, so it is a fair shot to nominate an opponent's ball that's hanging over the pocket as a free ball but first strike one of your own to plant the opponents ball and pot it, leaving the pocket free for your own balls.

[DeanH]

Yes you can, as you say you are now foul snookered, you can now hit a nominated (single ball not "yellows") yellow as a free ball and pot the black.
Careful now though, different pubs/clubs/league have differing interpretations of this situation, the rules states:
Q. Foul Snooker
4(a)(i) ... The player can nominate a particular ball by verbal description of it or its position or by pointing at it. The Referee may ask for further information if any doubt exists as to which ball has been nominated.

But some people say that not only do you indicate the nominated ball BUT you also have to describe what you intend to do, i.e. "I am going to hit that yellow, it will hit the black and pot it".
To me this is wrong because there are no rules that specifically cover what happens after that event that you did not describe, etc, blah, blah...
So just clearly nominate the one ball to "become one" of your Colour, and play your shot.
If you happen to hit a yellow not nominated, standard foul; and if then the black pots, loss of frame

[palukaville]

http://www.epa.org.uk/wrules.php

[willtyson]

Thanks for the replies guys! Will remember this :snooker:

[palukaville]

Learn the game rules inside out, practise with good players who will put you right on a few points... and never expect anything from a ref in a match, they're not supposed to tell you anything unless you ask, its classed as coaching. So rule of thumb: if in doubt, ask a question!!.

[perpetualboredom]

The ref can't answer any questions about the future "Can I..", "Will it..", "If I..". Only the past "did my oponent just foul", or the present "Am I foul snookered" etc.

[willtyson]

Learn the game rules inside out, practise with good players who will put you right on a few points... and never expect anything from a ref in a match, they're not supposed to tell you anything unless you ask, its classed as coaching. So rule of thumb: if in doubt, ask a question!!.

That's why I asked here I am generally pretty good with the rules, and play at a fairly high standard so my practice partners know what they're talking about Thanks :snooker: