Newbie Introduction followed by question....

[lewmac99]

Hello everyone! I'm an American who is brand new to snooker. Being from the states, I have grown up playing eight and nine ball nearly exclusively, but was introduced to the game recently by a new friend of mine who is an Aussie. The first time I tried the game I instantly thought it was fantastic. To me, it has a lot of great elements from other games with some added strategy and fun due to the different point values.

I did want to ask for a clarification just to make sure I'm comprehending one of the rules correctly. There is an rule we have never employed involving a "free ball". The concept itself seems simple enough, the shooter fouls, if the opponent is "snookered", they are allowed to pot (I still have to get used to saying that) another ball. The part I wanted to clarify is the actual definition of what constitutes a "snooker". I copied this from another post which showed the "official" definition and it said the following:

The cue-ball is said to be snookered when a direct stroke in a straight line to every ball on is wholly or partially obstructed by a ball or balls not on. If one or more balls on can be struck at both extreme edges free of obstruction by any ball not on, the cue-ball is not snookered.

The first part of the statement implies after a opponent foul you would never be required to kick at the object or "on" ball, since you are supposed to be able to hit "in a straight line". Correct? When the rule states a ball is "partially" obstructed, what exactly is meant by this? Is that what they attempt to define in the second sentence talking about being able to hit BOTH "extreme edges" of the "on" ball? Because to me that means simply that there is no obstruction, either full or partial.

Any feedback is appreciated...

[Terry Davidson]

In simple terms after a foul stroke the incoming striker must be able to see a full ball's width on each side of the object ball (any ball considered 'on'). If he can't then the incoming striker has the option of playing any other ball as the ball 'on', pots it and then carry on to the next ball in his break.

If a red or reds are left on the table then the nominated free ball (would be a colour ball) becomes a red ball with colour to follow. If all the reds are gone then the nominated free ball becomes the same colour as the ball 'on' and can be potted for the same value as the ball on. If both the nominated free ball and the actual coloured ball are potted then the points are only counted once (i.e. yellow is ball on but striker is snookered, nominates blue as yellow and pots both the blue and yellow, he scores 2 points and the blue is re-spotted).

The miss rule is different. If after a stroke the player fails to strike the ball on first and leaves the incoming player so that he cannot see both sides of an object ball 'on' then he can get a free ball or else have the cueball replaced in its original spot and have the offender play again (this is normally done after a snooker situation).

There is another part of this which states if the striker can hit a ball 'on' in a direct line but elects to try and hit another object ball (always reds) and misses it then after two misses the ref gives him a warning and if he misses the 3rd time the frame is awarded to his opponent. It's actually a little complicated and usually the 'miss rule' is not applied in a friendly game and also it's been altered by the IBSF for 6-reds games where after 3 misses the opponent can put the cueball wherever he wants on the table, like in 9-ball.

Terry

[DeanH]

"…you would never be required to kick…" do you mean to swerve the cue ball around an intervening ball, correct the definition is for a straight line shot, no swerve, not off a cushion, etc.

Partially obstructed, means you can see part of the ball on but, as the rule states, you cannot hit both extreme edges. So even if you can hit the ball on full ball, if you cannot hit both edges you are snookered.
If you can hit both extreme edges but a direct straight shot, you are not snookered.
Here is the latest set of World Snooker Rules for future reference:
http://www.worldsnooker.com/staticFi...~167232,00.pdf
Also a good reference on "How to judge a Free ball" by a senior referee:
http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...f-you-have-one

ps, welcome to TSF

[culraven]

are you allowed to play a plant intentionally, say use the black to pot a red on a free ball?

[Souwester]

After a foul, you must be able to play at a ball on (ie reds or colours in ascending order if all reds are off the table) and be able to hit both extreme edges from the position left, else you have a free ball awarded. If there is a ball which is NOT 'on' which prevents a straight line bath to both edges, then this is the obstruction... wholly obstructing the ball on means you can't hit any part of the ball on, whereas a partial obstruction means you can hit a ball on, but not both extreme edges.

[Souwester]

are you allowed to play a plant intentionally, say use the black to pot a red on a free ball?

If a free ball is awarded then you many nominate a ball 'not on' as a 'ball on' for your first stroke. However, you MUST hit that nominated ball first, else it is a foul. Provided you hit the nominated ball first, then yes, you can play a plant onto a ball on (or indeed pot both free ball and ball on). If ball on is red, then you'd score one point for each ball potyted, BUR if ball on is a colour, and you pot say black as free ball and the yellow in the same stroke, then only two points is scored (the yellow remains off the table but the black would be spotted).

[lewmac99]

Right, that makes sense, good explantion on the free ball. The "miss" rule I was reading has some weird component where it requires in theory a referee to determine that a poor effort was made to hit the ball "on". Interesting wrinkle on the 3 consecutive fouls aspect

[lewmac99]

Yeah, "kick" is maybe mostly a pool term, it means to bank the cue ball off cushions to attempt to hit something. Alternatively, there is the "masse", which specifically would mean you are making the cue ball curve with extreme english. "Swerve" is a new term I had not heard before, does it refer specifically to the same shot as what we'd call a "masse" shot in pool?

[DeanH]

kick = cushion shot - ok
also heard this called a bank shot.
Swerve, is when you make the cue ball swing off the straight slightly - usually to go round an obstructing ball - where masse would be the swerve to massive extreme, and played differently on the cue ball

[DeanH]

You may (and I will) find this useful now you are on TSF
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Append..._and_snooker#K

[DandyA]

kick = cushion shot - ok
also heard this called a bank shot.

using American terminology ...

a "bank" is when you hit the object ball so it rebounds off a cushion into the pocket ... us limey's call it a double ...

a "kick" is when you hit the cueball into a cushion so it rebounds off the cushion and then hits the object ball into a pocket ... us limey's call it a cushion-first double ...

hope this helps!

[DeanH]

thanks for that, yep seen the definition on that webpage.

[walkerpool]

No kicking in snooker unless your a bad loser like my brother lol