Free-ball fouls

[appletango2]

I've always been slightly unsure of the ruling regarding fouling after nominating a free-ball.
Say reds are left on the and the pink (say) is nominated as a free-ball.
If I went in-off the pink in this situation would this be a foul 4 or foul 6?
I suppose basically is the ball-on still red or the pink after nominated as a free-ball, which would determine the value of the foul.

Thoughts/Answer (and section in rules) please.

Many Thanks.

[Freddie Ng]

Bro..there are many threds about free ball out there.. check them out by using the search button..

[jrc750]

Well if you nominate the pink as being a red it counts as 1 point if you pot it, so if you foul on it it counts as a red so 4 points away

[Souwester]

The ball you nominate as your free ball takes on the value of the ball on. In your case it would be one point for potting it and four points for going in off.

Imagine though, that only blue, pink and black are left. You're snookered on the blue after a foul, so nominate pink as free ball. If you go in off the pink, then the foul would carry a penalty of five points, because blue is the ball on.

[APK]

Since you asked and, as yet, no one has done so, the Rule is as follows.....

Section 3
Rule 10
After a foul, if the cue-ball is snookered, the referee shall state FREE BALL.
(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 aquire the value of, the ball on except that, if potted, it shall then be spotted.
This Rule extends to cover different situations but this is what is relevant.

So you can see that this Rule clearly states that the Pink in your situation is regarded as a red for the duraton of that stroke. The foul is therefore 4 points.

[DawRef]

In your case it would be one point for potting it and four points for going in off.

I think that should say, "or four points for going in off".

[The Statman]

Yes, as soon as you nominate the pink as a free ball, it is impossible to make a foul of 6 points on that shot.

Same goes for the blue, impossible then to foul 5 points.

(But not so for the black!)

[appletango2]

Thanks for the replies so far!
Another clarification, if a freeball is nominated say brown with only colours left and say pinged round the table and happened to land partially covering on side of the yellow, would that be a foul? (presuming yellow is the next ball on, and no other snookering balls)

[Souwester]

Yes... if it is the only ball covering the yellow, or the nearest obstructing ball if there is more than one ball snookering the yellow.

12. Penalties
All fouls will incur a penalty of four points unless a higher one is indicated in paragraph (a) to (d) below. Penalties are:

(a) value of the ball on by
(i) striking the cue-ball more than once,
(ii) striking when both feet are off the floor,
(iii) playing out of turn,
(iv) playing improperly from in-hand, including at the opening stroke,
(v) causing the cue-ball to miss all object balls,
(vi) causing the cue-ball to enter a pocket,
(vii) playing a snooker behind a free ball,
(viii) playing a jump shot,
(ix) playing with a non-standard cue, or
(x) conferring with a partner contrary to Section 3 Rule 17(e).

And rule 16:

(b) If the cue-ball is so obstructed from hitting a ball on by more than one ball not on
(i) the ball nearest to the cue-ball is considered to be the effective snookering ball, and
(ii) should more than one obstructing ball be equidistant from the cue-ball, all such balls will be considered to be effective snookering balls.

For example, yellow is ball on. Nominate brown.

- if the balls come to rest in the following line: cue ball, brown, blue, yellow ... then it's a foul, penalty four points (being the value of the ball on)

- if the balls come to rest in the following line: cue ball, blue, brown,. yellow... then it's a fair shor, as blue is deemed to be the effective snookering ball, as it's the one closest to the cue ball.

[Souwester]

Another interesting point that often catches players out...

You have a free ball, red is ball on and there are two reds left (for simplicity). The position of the balls is that they are lined up red, yellow, cue ball, black, red.

The player can nominate either yellow or black and trickle up to it, because neither is snookering the cue ball hidden behind the other colour.

See section2 rule 16:

(c) When Red is the ball on, if the cue-ball is obstructed from hitting different Reds by different balls not on, there is no effective snookering ball.

[tepe]

One more. Blue , pink and black are left on a table and after a foul it's a snooker situation. Pink is nominated as a free ball. I don't pot it and it lands between CB and blue. It's a foul but how many points is penalty? Five (because it was nominated as blue), six (because it's pink creating snooker) or four?

[DawRef]

5 points. The 'free ball' (pink) has taken the value of the blue.

[jrc750]

... Pink is nominated as a free ball. I don't pot it and it lands between CB and blue. It's a foul....

So if you "accidentally" snooker someone using the free ball its still a foul ?? - i thought it was only if you did it on purpose ! interesting :snooker:

[DawRef]

So if you "accidentally" snooker someone using the free ball its still a foul ?? - i thought it was only if you did it on purpose !

No. Whether by accident or design, it is still a foul.

[jrc750]

cheers - must remember that