Strange foul. Respot Question

[Krypton]

Just to make things even more tricky (as the original question has been answered correctly already), one more for the guys interested in the rules:

The rules say that, if the black or the pink cannot be spotted between their spots and the top cushion, they are placed down the table, as close as possible to their spots (to the blue side).

Now: The blue was forgotten in the rule - what happens, if the blue is off the table and all the spots between blue center spot and top cushion are occupied?

(a bit of a tricky one, Statman will know it - keep calm for the others... )

[Souwester]

There aren't enough balls on the table to prevent the blue being spotted somewhere between its own spot and the top cushion, even if they were all lined up along the centre line with just less than a fraction of a ball's width between them!

[Krypton]

I'm sure you knew that before... and where do you play from in hand when the 'D' is full..?

[Souwester]

I'm sure you knew that before... and where do you play from in hand when the 'D' is full..?

Have you tried putting 21 balls in the 'D'?

[Krypton]

You're a dog in the manger...

[bongo]

There aren't enough balls on the table to prevent the blue being spotted somewhere between its own spot and the top cushion, even if they were all lined up along the centre line with just less than a fraction of a ball's width between them!

Are you sure? Don't you mean that there aren't enough balls to prevent the blue being spotted somewhere above or below its own spot. In other words, there aren't enough balls on the table to be spread in a straight line on the centre line of the table so that no colour can be placed on that line to be respotted, so there is always enough space for a colour to be respotted on the centre line in the case of brown, blue, pink and black either above or below its spot.

[Krypton]

no, bongo, you're missing the point:

all the colours on the center line (brown, blue, pink, black) have to be spotted on that line, as close to their respective spot, from the BLACK END (top end) of the table, once all the spots are occupied.

as it is possible to cover all the space between pink spot and top cushion, there's an EXCEPTION in the rules, allowing black and pink (only) to be spotted on the center line, but towards the bottom end (baulk end) of the table, as close to their spots without touching.

question was: what happens, if all balls are spread out (or lined up ) in a way that spotting the BLUE on the center line TOWARDS THE TOP cushion is not possible anymore. DOES the blue, by common sense, have to be spotted towards the brown spot? and why hasn't the exception been mentioned in the official rules?

the perfect answer has been given already:
it is indeed absoluely impossible that every spot between blue spot and top cushion is covered - basta. therefore, no exception for the blue is needed, and sure none for brown, green, yellow.

[The Statman]

Well, it's just about 6 feet from the blue spot to the top cushion, that's 72 inches. A ball is just over 2 inches in diameter, so surely if there are 20 balls on the table, each one exactly on the centre line of the table and each one exactly 2 inches from its neighbours, then there are enough balls to fill the gap?

20 two-inch balls and 20 two-inch gaps = 80 inches, easily enough to prevent the blue from being spotted above its spot.

Very unlikely to happen, since all the balls would have to be lined up in exactly that position when there are at least 13 (I would say) reds still on the table – but technically possible nevertheless.

[Souwester]

Well, it's just about 6 feet from the blue spot to the top cushion, that's 72 inches. A ball is just over 2 inches in diameter, so surely if there are 20 balls on the table, each one exactly on the centre line of the table and each one exactly 2 inches from its neighbours, then there are enough balls to fill the gap?

20 two-inch balls and 20 two-inch gaps = 80 inches, easily enough to prevent the blue from being spotted above its spot.

Very unlikely to happen, since all the balls would have to be lined up in exactly that position when there are at least 13 (I would say) reds still on the table – but technically possible nevertheless.

Sorry to disagree Statman, but there is only a problem in spotting the blue if the baulk spots are occupied, so there are only 17 balls that could be in the line, and that's less than 72 inches.

[Krypton]

sure, Souwester, that's the point. I almost can't beliefe Statman didn't know that.

It IS impossible. The rules are fine

[Souwester]

sure, Souwester, that's the point. I almost can't beliefe Statman didn't know that.

It IS impossible. The rules are fine

Thinking about it though, the cue ball could also be in the line, so 18 balls could make it possible that the blue can't be spotted between its spot and the top cushion!

[Krypton]

yes.

15 reds, 6 colours, one cueball = 22 balls

3 on baulk spots

blue to be spotted
= 18 left.

but then, that could be enough to cover? bloody inches...

[Souwester]

18 balls are a little over 37.2 inches. Double that up for the maximum gap between them and that give 74.4 inches which is more than half the table length.

[Krypton]

hmm...

got to do more calculation with those measurements, but...

18 balls, each of which covers 4 inches (approximately, they are larger)

that would mean that 72 inches are covered. 2 inch gap on top cushion, 2 inches ball, 2 gap, and so on...

the outer edge of the 18th ball would reach the 72 inch mark, which is the blue spot... blue won't fit then?!

or am I miscalculating now?

[Krypton]

18 balls are a little over 37.2 inches. Double that up for the maximum gap between them and that give 74.4 inches which is more than half the table length.

so we were WRONG.