free ball help needed

[phillips1981]

me and a mate were in an unusual situation the other day with the free ball rule.

we were on the colours (blue) and i'd fouled. from where i'd left the blue it was a clear free ball but it was potable. (the pink and blue were off their spots and pink obstructing one side off the blue)

we couldn't agree if because the ball was easily potable and the clear choice of pot weather it was counted as a free ball if it was potted.

he needed the points using it as a free ball and the positioning to go from blue to pink was much harder then blue to re-spotted blue etc

we decided as neither of us were sure we'd ignored the free ball. i think i took the frame as he ran out of position (blue to pink) but he thinks the free ball should have applied and the potted blue re-spotted. can anyone help???

[jrc750]

The idea of a free ball is to be able to play a different ball to what normally would be the "ball on" - so no you cant pot the blue as a free ball and then have it replaced - good try tho

[phillips1981]

cheers it was an interesting position to be in. pleased we didn't re-spot it then as he'd have likely won the frame

[Souwester]

The previous answer is correct: you can't choose the ball on as your free ball and then have it respotted to be potted again.

One further point to note about free balls is that, when a colour is the ball on, if you nominate a ball as your free ball and then go on to pot both the free ball (having struck that ball first) AND the ball on in the same stroke then you only score the value of the ball on (not twice!), and only the free ball is respotted. the ball on stays down. If red is the ball on and you pot the free ball and one or more reds then you'll score one point for each.

[phillips1981]

thanks guys, you've been a great help