Blackball world championships

[Kieran m]

Hi,

What are your opinions on the world blackball championships?

I hope this is the start of a breakaway from world rules pool to every league playing blackball.

It'll be a huge shame if we end up like darts with the BDO and PDC.

Thanks,

Kieran

[snooker_ref147]

The rule set is way better than world rules however, you will always get the divide until certain people are removed from their positions of power. (George Harwood and his merry men)

Unfortunately there are some of the pro's leaving blackball tour and going back to world rules. The way I see this at the minute is very much like the darts to a certain extent. If you want to play the best players you play IPA Blackball however, there are some top players play world rules. (for example Tom Cousins, Ben Flack etc).

Other thoughts are there are more and more players swapping to blackball now. Just for instance I think its Preston that has the biggest pool league in the country but never had a inter-league side and they have now swapped to blackball and lots of them joining the tour this year.

But overall until the governing bodies put the game and the players first nothing will ever change.

[Kieran m]

I agree with you, Blackball rules are the better rule set. Hope we do one day get to a stage where the governing bodies either unite or at least work in unison. Other wise I feel the best 8 ball players will continually be lost to the other cuesports (9-ball, and recently Chinese pool where gareth potts is trying his hand).

Imagine where sports like football would be if we had 2 or 3 rule sets across different governing bodies !

[DeanH]

Around my way, it has been World Rules for many years but many areas have been changing to Black Ball recently and I think my league may consider going over sometime in the future.
Both rule sets have their pros/cons but there are some features in Black Ball that I miss in World Rules (combination shot and delibrate foul to name but two)
As snooker_ref147 has mentioned, until certain persons are negated I think an amalgamation is not on the cards for many years to come.

[Kieran m]

The local leagues in my area (the three closest) play old EPA, Blackball and world rules.

Surely no-one benefits from this lack of unity !

Why can't the people who are in positions of power with regard to rules see that !

[billabong]

The local leagues in my area (the three closest) play old EPA, Blackball and world rules.

Surely no-one benefits from this lack of unity !

Why can't the people who are in positions of power with regard to rules see that !

Same reason there are so many different world champion belts in boxing. Money / power.

At least in boxing, you can fight for unified ( across the different bodies ) titles , IF you have a good enough negotiator/manager.

[grimreaper]

I just think you should be allowed to play in either or both. However politics always seems to get in the way.

[old school]

IPA & EPA dont see eye to eye at the moment .Politics and power struggles will ruin pool , just like it did to darts. IPA have switched to Black Ball rules and EPA are using World Rules , this has already lead to a farcical World Championships in 2012 & 2013 , when most if not all of the top 32 IPA players did not attend.How can it be a World Championship if so many tour pros and quality players are either a) not eligible , or , b) did not play. Division is killing our sport as " snooker ref " & " dean "have pointed out and I heartily second that.If you read previous posts of mine relating to Trent Trophies , you will see that I regularly play against a lot of the tour " big boys " and so I have first hand knowledge of what has happened and what it is doing to our sport , shocking.

[jb134]

From what I hear the IPA could be struggling. Welsh and English top players going back to WR.

As an enthusiast I looked at it but any tour involving travel and accommodation nowadays is expensive and from what I could fathom, it was tough for the amateurs to have a chance of a return. Am all for the top players reaping the rewards but if the lesser players don't have a lot of hope its difficult to maintain thir support.

The Blackball WC in Perth, I think will be a huge success, the individuals running it will pull out all the stops.

[mythman69]

IPA & EPA dont see eye to eye at the moment .Politics and power struggles will ruin pool , just like it did to darts. IPA have switched to Black Ball rules and EPA are using World Rules , this has already lead to a farcical World Championships in 2012 & 2013 , when most if not all of the top 32 IPA players did not attend.How can it be a World Championship if so many tour pros and quality players are either a) not eligible , or , b) did not play. Division is killing our sport as " snooker ref " & " dean "have pointed out and I heartily second that.If you read previous posts of mine relating to Trent Trophies , you will see that I regularly play against a lot of the tour " big boys " and so I have first hand knowledge of what has happened and what it is doing to our sport , shocking.

What are the main differences between the two sets of rules?

I normally play snooker (and billiards) and was watching an argument on the next table over the rules. One guy was saying that they were playing 'international rules'. Is this another set of rules or did he mean 'World rules'?

Thanks!

[grimreaper]

mythman69 international rules are WPA rules for the American games of 8 ball 9 ball 10 ball etc which is what most of NSW plays.

[billabong]

The Blackball WC in Perth, I think will be a huge success, the individuals running it will pull out all the stops.

Any opinion on who'll win it JB ?

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[Kieran m]

So overall is it detrimental to have 'blackball' world championships as well as the traditional 8ball world championships?

Interestingly the IPA are hosting the blackball world championships at the lakeside hotel where the BDO darts champs are held.

Thought that this venue would attract new spectators who don't necessarily know much about pool.

[billabong]

So overall is it detrimental to have 'blackball' world championships as well as the traditional 8ball world championships?

Interestingly the IPA are hosting the blackball world championships at the lakeside hotel where the BDO darts champs are held.

Thought that this venue would attract new spectators who don't necessarily know much about pool.

From a neutral point of view , I'd say it's detrimental to have 2 x world championships.

Rather than "Blackball" and "Traditional".

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[mythman69]

mythman69 international rules are WPA rules for the American games of 8 ball 9 ball 10 ball etc which is what most of NSW plays.

Thanks grimreaper!

It seems to me that most pubs in NSW play different rules for 8 ball. No two shot, two shot, can't shoot back, can shoot back, can move the cue ball after a foul, must play from the D after sinking the cue ball, can play from the D or where the cue ball finishes after a foul, first foul on black loss of game, first foul on black loss of game only if no other balls on the table, etc, etc, etc.

One of the reasons why many pubs in NSW no longer have pool tables is to stop fights over the rules.

What are the main differences between the rules (in simple terms).