Hello, and a question from an elderly noob

[Hairy Scot]

Hi,
Happened to find your forum when searching for an answer to a question.
Back in the day when I was a competent club player I seem to remember that it was considered unsporting to create a snooker by rolling the cue ball up behind the object ball.
I know it's not against the rules but in the clubs and leagues where I played that kind of shot was not part of the repertoire.
However it seems that in the modern professional game it has become a potent weapon to be used whenever the cue ball ends up in baulk after a red has been potted.
Does professionalism demand that sportsmanship be abandoned?

[Londonlad147]

Rolling up to a colour to create a snooker has been in the repertoire of most professional players in the 36 years I've been watching snooker, and certainly during the 26 years I've been a referee.

[ADR147]

These days if they have a shot on they will take it it is only when they are not able to pot a baulk colour and get on a red then nestle up, largely because it is pretty easy to escape from it safely.

[islandfox]

Perhaps the roll-up being considered unsporting is a local nuance you have? It's certainly been played for years professionally and isn't considered a problem.

[Hairy Scot]

Perhaps the roll-up being considered unsporting is a local nuance you have? It's certainly been played for years professionally and isn't considered a problem.

I'm going back a few years (well decades actually), and you could be correct, it might well have been a local or regional thing.
Plus memory being what it is, the fact that I don't recall seeing it in the 20th. century may well be down to CRAFT.

[Hairy Scot]

Plus memory being what it is, the fact that I don't recall seeing the pros do it in the 20th. century may well be down to CRAFT.[/QUOTE]

[DeanH]

Hello, and a question from an elderly noob

the roll up has always been allowed per the rules and so has always been played at all levels of the game.
As has been said above maybe frowned upon at your club maybe?
6-red snooker rules stipulate that a rollup is not allowed.

[Londonlad147]

Perhaps the roll-up being considered unsporting is a local nuance you have? It's certainly been played for years professionally and isn't considered a problem.

Although, of course, it isn't allowed in 6-Reds (to ensure the game is not bogged down with slow play getting out of snookers).

[jonny66]

I don't think it should be allowed, just makes the game boring. I don't mind safety play and a well hit safety is great to see/play, but you'll never hear applause for a roll up. I think it should be one cushion/pocket hit on every shot.

[itsnoteasy]

Simplest way is just extended the free ball rule, no snookering behind nominated ball, if you can play off one ball and get tight behind another to me that's showing a bit of skill so fair enough.

[Sir Ivanhoe]

As the referee quoted rolling up behind baulk colours for snookering is part of the professional game. However, apart from the pack of reds open and spread top of table their is not much to gain as most professionals can negotiate out of snookers from behind baulk colours if a clear path off cushions at 90 degrees is available, rolling up to the pack of reds or dropping on one on a cushion.

[Shockerz]

When I played league snooker the first time around (1981 to 1999 ish) rolling up behind the object ball would cause an issue and sportsmanship would always come into play so it wasn't done (no rules on it though).

I then went off to play golf for 11 years.

Since playing in the same league for the last 6 years that has definitely gone.

It's normal to roll it into the pack, roll behind the object ball for a snooker, stand on a creaky floorboard, put the additional half point up a couple of times so you don't need a snooker in a minute and so on which has all been a bit of s surprise how it has changed (where we are anyway).

Is it better? I don't have a problem with tactics or rolling the ball up as it is a skill and we all choose how we want to play. If someone doesn't like it then break the balls up a bit more or do the same, the game is called snooker.

I don't mind either way as you both have choices (as for the scoreboard stuff and creaking floorboards that was a surprise when I started playing and has brought some colourful language out of me).

[Shockerz]

In the 80's some bowlers asked me to make a team up for a match (I don't play) as they were short and I was just playing some practice snooker.

During the game (which I don't play) I couldn't see a way of getting to the jack so I just launched one down there, hit everything and landed by the jack, pure luck.

The club President came over, told me this was in the spirit of things and never do it again; I explained I had seen an England player do it and if they do it what was the problem, apparently it is bad sportsmanship at our level...............go figure.

Some 30 years on I was watching them play and sure enough I saw it done and what happened, applauded for a great result and a bit of back slapping........times change!

[vmax4steve]

I have to admit that I don't do it myself, always look for a more clever alternative or try to pot a baulk colour in the middle pockets. When I played UK 8 ball I never blocked a pocket or played a roll up snooker either as I considered that to be too easy.
Give me your best game and I'll try to give you mine is my motto, if you don't or I don't or we both don't then all that happens is one of us will lose, if we both rise then we will have something to remember, win or lose.

" The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning.
It's nothing of the kind. The game is about glory.
It's about doing things in style, with a flourish.
About going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom. "

Danny Blanchflower

Something that Mark Selby and Louis Van Gaal have no idea about.

[Shockerz]

I have to admit that I don't do it myself, always look for a more clever alternative or try to pot a baulk colour in the middle pockets. When I played UK 8 ball I never blocked a pocket or played a roll up snooker either as I considered that to be too easy.
Give me your best game and I'll try to give you mine is my motto, if you don't or I don't or we both don't then all that happens is one of us will lose, if we both rise then we will have something to remember, win or lose.

" The great fallacy is that the game is first and last about winning.
It's nothing of the kind. The game is about glory.
It's about doing things in style, with a flourish.
About going out and beating the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom. "

Danny Blanchflower

Something that Mark Selby and Louis Van Gaal have no idea about.

I guess we all think the middle ground for how we play is different other wise football teams would all have 11 forwards and rush goalkeepers and the scores would pretty high scoring.