whats with a free ball???

[denden]

dont mean to sound a div but whats with snookering peeps from a free a ball??????

[DawRef]

You cannot snooker your opponent behind a free ball, unless only Pink and Black remain. This is clearly defined in the rules (Section 3 Rule 10 (b)(ii)).

[noel]

dont mean to sound a div but whats with snookering peeps from a free a ball??????

Two things to mention Dennis...

1. you cannot snooker behind a free ball... even partially is a foul.


2.




=o|

Noel

[philip in china]

Could somebody explain the free ball rule please?

[dinovirus]

dumbest rule in the game

[Krypton]

www.worldsnooker.com -> learn2play -> rules

Read that, then ask.

[bongo]

Official Rules of Snooker Section 3 Rule 10 - Snookered After a Foul (in other words, free ball rule)

10. Snookered After a Foul
After a foul, if the cue-ball is snookered, the referee shall state FREE BALL (see Section 2, Rule 16).
(a) If the player next in turn elects to play the next stroke,
(i) he may nominate any ball as the ball on, and
(ii) any nominated ball shall be regarded as, and acquire the value of, the ball on except that, if potted, is shall then be spotted.
(b) It is a foul if the cue-ball should
(i) fail to hit the nominated ball first, or first simultaneously with the ball on, or
(ii) be snookered on all Reds, or the ball on, by the free ball thus nominated, except when the Pink and Black are the only object balls remaining on the table.
(c) If the free ball is potted, it is spotted and the value of the ball on is scored.
(d) If a ball on is potted, after the cue-ball struck the nominated ball first, or simultaneously with a ball on, the ball on is scored and remains off the table.
(e) If both the nominated ball and a ball on are potted, only the ball on is scored unless it was a Red, when each ball potted is scored. The free ball is then spotted and the ball on remains off the table.
(f) If the offender is asked to play again, the free ball call becomes void.

[philip in china]

Bongo, I know you posted that to help me but......... frankly I don't understand it! Thanks anyway. I will go to World snooker and see if that is any less impenetrable. I know that that is a double negative but I couldn't resist.

[philip in china]

We now have a house rule. No free ball rule and anybody raising the subject is banned for life.

[DawRef]

If, after a foul, there is a ball(s) not on between the cue-ball and the object ball(s), i.e. a snooker, then the referee will call 'free ball'. This means that you can nominate another ball as the ball on and attempt to pot it. If there are reds on the table, the 'free ball' will assume the value of a red if potted, i.e. 1 point. You would then go for a colour, then red, etc The ball potted as a free ball would then be re-spotted.
What you CANNOT do, is roll up behind the free ball. and leave your opponent snookered. The only time you can do this, is when only the pink and black balls remain, or if the free ball will only snooker ONE of the object balls.
e.g. After a foul, the balls are lined up as follows:
(1)Red Green White Blue Red. All other colours are on their spots. The player nominates Green and rolls up behind it. This is NOT a foul because the green is only snookering one of the reds, not both;
(2)Red Green Red Blue White. The player nominates the Blue and rolls up behind it. This IS a foul, as the blue is the snookering ball on both reds. (Section 2 Rule 16(b)(i) the ball nearest to the cue ball is considered to be the effecive snookering ball).
I would suggest you go to a tournamen or league match and ask a referee to explain it to you. This is one of the rules easier to describe on a table.

[philip in china]

Thank you. That is now clear.

[Terry Davidson]

Not so sure that's a smart move Philip, just in case any of your players play anywhere else where straight rules are in effect.

Basically, after any foul if the object ball cannot be seen in a straight line from cueball to object ball so that the object ball could be cut 90degrees to either side then a 'free ball' is declared and the incoming player has 2 options then. He can nominate (and he must) another ball as a 'free ball' and it becomes another object ball with the same value as the ball on. He cannot play a snooker behind the free ball unless only the pink and black are on the table.

If there's a red left on the table and the player pots both the free ball and the remaining red then he scores 2 points, just as if he potted two reds and the colour ball is re-spotted. If in the colours (no reds left) and both balls are potted then he only scores for one of the balls and the free ball is re-spotted.

The tough part in all of this is determining if it's actually a free ball and that there's a full ball width visible on each side of the object ball. Sometimes you need either a ball marker or else another ball to check it out by placing it 90degrees to the side of the object ball.

Hope this helps

Terry

[perpetualboredom]

Not so sure that's a smart move Philip, just in case any of your players play anywhere else where straight rules are in effect.

Basically, after any foul if the object ball cannot be seen in a straight line from cueball to object ball so that the object ball could be cut 90degrees to either side then a 'free ball' is declared and the incoming player has 2 options then. He can nominate (and he must) another ball as a 'free ball' and it becomes another object ball with the same value as the ball on. He cannot play a snooker behind the free ball unless only the pink and black are on the table.

If there's a red left on the table and the player pots both the free ball and the remaining red then he scores 2 points, just as if he potted two reds and the colour ball is re-spotted. If in the colours (no reds left) and both balls are potted then he only scores for one of the balls and the free ball is re-spotted.

The tough part in all of this is determining if it's actually a free ball and that there's a full ball width visible on each side of the object ball. Sometimes you need either a ball marker or else another ball to check it out by placing it 90degrees to the side of the object ball.

Hope this helps

Terry

Might be a little pedantic, but whent he balls are close together the tinnest possible contact isn't at 90 degress is it? This argument comes up all the time in pool matches where the cue ball, object ball and offending snookering ball are all close together.

[Krypton]

even then, very close, the object ball would move at almost 90 degrees from the cueballs path...

pool players got to learn that the 'rule of thumb' 90 degrees is not the 'actual rule wording'.

if snookered after foul -> free ball. that's the only rule that matters, concerning a free ball. the rest is about 'what is a snooker, and what not'

[BrooklynCueless]

I remember there was a free ball called last week when Higgins played Allen and the commentators went on about it was a free ball because it didn't hit and stay at the side cushion and they didn't understand why Allen had played the Snooker that Higgins had left him in that way. Since it was near the blue(?) the call was made for the free ball.

The simple action of the ref stating a free ball is easy to understand what will happen next, but the reason for the call seems more confusing(ie. Why?!?).