8-Ball Rules Question

[timcunnell]

Hi guys. I've been playing 8-ball in a local league for years and consider myself quite clued-up on the rules - but I have realised that there is a possible scenario that I just can't work out the ruling for!

My question is, what happens if someone pots a red and a yellow from a free ball situation? Simple enough really! Can't really believe I don't know the answer, but there you have it!

Thanks in advance for any insight!

[billabong]

In blackball, carry on regardless.

[old school]

Under World rules if you are in an " open table " situation eg. following a dry break , you can play at any colour .My interpretation is that if you pot one of each colour then it is not a foul , but you must nominate a colour , which becomes your group/colour regardless of if you pot or not on the following shot after nomination. This is the same as potting red and yellow off the break , failure to nominate is a foul. If you are talking about a " foul snooker " which you could consider a " free ball " situation and nominate an opponents ball , to play as a plant for example , that ball becomes your own and potting both is not a foul. In Blackball a type of shot can be played a " skill / combination shot " where you can pot both your and your opponents ball legally. That is my interpretation , hope this helps.

[rdsalt]

In world rules, its not a foul if you nominated one of the potted balls as your "free ball" you could then carry on (provided the rest of the shot was legal), it would be a foul if one of the balls potted was not your nominated ball. i.e you must nominate which ball is your "free ball" and you can only hit or pot that nominated ball of your opponents, it is not an open table like Blackball where any ball can be hit or potted on your free visit (except potting black if your not on the black).

[SnkrRef]

By 'free ball situation' I take it you mean that you have been awarded a 'foul snooker'? I also assume we're talking World Rules? If you nominate another colour as your free ball then that ball just becomes one of your balls for that next shot and can be legally potted (unless it is the black). Unlike snooker, if you nominate a free ball it is just one of your balls for that next shot, and it does not matter whether you hit it first, last or even at all! It is perfectly in order, therefore, to pot that free ball and one of your own colour.

[timcunnell]

Ah no I really must apologise for the glaring error in my original post! I didn't mean "free-ball situation", should have said "open table". Sorry for this! (and thanks to everyone who has responded!)

[rdsalt]

old school's answer is correct then, provided it was a legal shot, you carry on but you must nominate your chosen colour before playing your next shot (or this is a foul for failing to nominate colour, the same as failing to nominate after potting off the break), you are then your chosen colour regardless of what happens next.

[DeanH]

Open Table by definition means no colour group has been defined yet, so potting one of each colour group on a single shot in an open table situation is a legal shot, i.e no foul (as long as no subsequent foul occurs, ie. pocketing the white or black); but you must declare your colour group choice before the next shot. You are now that colour for the frame regardless if you don't pot or even foul on the next shot.

oops, was typing when other post appeared

[timcunnell]

Ah that makes good sense. Thanks! And in fact I have learned even more than I intended, because the additional info regarding the ruling for an actual free-ball (foul snooker) situation is really interesting and something else I didn't know!
Thanks everyone for replying

[SnkrRef]

That's the beauty of these forums.. you often ending up coming away with answers to questions you didn't know existed!

[billabong]

That's the beauty of these forums.. you often ending up coming away with answers to questions you didn't know existed!

Yep, and in this case, the answer is . . play blackball. .

[old school]

Biiiiiilllll life would be boring if there was no variation .I have to agree ( up to a point ) , I play WR at the moment and parts of the rulings are soooo complicated , much more so when you are out for a " jar and a frame " and the rules get in the way of your enjoyment. Too much to remember can cut into your drinking time , even as a ref . IPA are now Blackball , major shift politically , we need standardisation across the board ( like snooker ) , but which rules to play by ???

[rdsalt]

Yes standardisation would be a huge step forward in pool, I cant really think of any other sports where you have to ask what rules you are playing before you play.The "which rules" argument has been done to death, but I will say that we switched from WR to Blackball this year, obviously some prefer it others don't but there hasn't been anywhere near as much arguments with this switch over compared to switching to WR and the deliberate foul. Blackball is much easier to pick up than WR, and the best players in the league are still the best players regardless of rules.

[billabong]

Biiiiiilllll life would be boring if there was no variation .I have to agree ( up to a point ) , I play WR at the moment and parts of the rulings are soooo complicated , much more so when you are out for a " jar and a frame " and the rules get in the way of your enjoyment. Too much to remember can cut into your drinking time , even as a ref . IPA are now Blackball , major shift politically , we need standardisation across the board ( like snooker ) , but which rules to play by ???

To be honest, I've never had to choose, as most ( all ? ) of the central belt of Scotland plays blackball.
Like a lot of players, I'm just go with the status quo.
If pushed however, I'd go with the rules that let you unblock a pocket with a skill shot. More open, attacking rules, I'd say.
There is even rumour of the break rule changing to require 3 balls past the middle bags, even if you pot something. . .

bish bash bosh