Is it a Foul?

[The Statman]

Our imaginations are running wild here!

Well yes, but it is when the unlikely happens that the referee has to be particularly alert.

Take this situation:

You play a long slow deadweight red to a corner pocket. As it approaches the pocket, a kamikaze woodlouse crawls out from under the cushion and makes its way across the table, conflicting with the path of the red precisely at the point the red gets there. The red, needless to say, veers off course, and the future of the woodlouse is uncertain.

The referee should place the red where he thinks it would have landed - either short of the pocket or, if he is certain it would have reached, in the pocket, in which case it would count.

BUT, there is a principle that a foul that did not happen is not penalized, even if it would have happened. So if the pink had been over the pocket, meaning that a foul would have occurred, then the balls would have to be replaced and the player retake the shot (and, of course, he would not have to take the same shot!).

Strange, but there it is.

[chasmmi]

Does the woodlouse get ejected from the theatre?

[The Statman]

Does the woodlouse get ejected from the theatre?

On production of a valid ticket, a polite request not to interfere again will suffice.

Without the ticket, then yes.

[hegeland]

A situation like this arose some time ago in pool ranking tournament in Sweden. Since it landed on the cloth part of the rail, the player had to continue play from where the ball landed and actually managed to pot the ball he was aiming for! I'm sure that was some sight!

Btw, would the woodlouse get a child discount on his ticket? Considering it's most likely under 16 years of age?

[The Statman]

A situation like this arose some time ago in pool ranking tournament in Sweden. Since it landed on the cloth part of the rail, the player had to continue play from where the ball landed and actually managed to pot the ball he was aiming for! I'm sure that was some sight!

Btw, would the woodlouse get a child discount on his ticket? Considering it's most likely under 16 years of age?

So in Pool, if it had been a red/yellow that landed on the cloth part of the cushion, the poor player who was that colour would have to try and pot it?

(or the black!)

[hegeland]

So in Pool, if it had been a red/yellow that landed on the cloth part of the cushion, the poor player who was that colour would have to try and pot it?

(or the black!)

Actually, no.

Here's the deal:

It was a 14-1 match with the scores 74-55 (first to 75). The player that was trailing by some twenty points tried a deep back screw and the ball ended up landing on top of the table. The "hit" itself was perfectly legal. It was then his opponent's turn and he only had to pot one more ball to win the match.

Official World Standardized General Rules for Pocket Billiards:

"3.28 BALLS JUMPED OFF TABLE
Balls coming to rest other than on the bed of the table after a stroke (on the cushion top, rail surface, floor, etc.) are considered jumped balls. Balls may bounce on the cushion tops and rails of the table in play without being jumped balls if they return to the bed of the table under their own power and without touching anything not a part of the table. The table shall consist of the permanent part of the table proper. (Balls that strike or touch anything not a part of the table, such as the light fixture, chalk on the rails and cushion tops, etc., shall be considered jumped balls even though they might return to the bed of the table after contacting items which are not parts of the table proper). In all pocket billiard games, when a stroke results in the cue ball or any object ball being a jumped ball off the table, the stroke is a foul. All jumped object balls are spotted (except in Nine-Ball and in Eight Ball) when all balls have stopped moving."

For some stupid reason the 3.28 rule had somehow been lost in the new 2006 swedish version of the rules. So, both players, in cooperaton with the Tournament Director, agreed to let the opponent play the ball from where it was. Sportsmanship, anyone? He then went on to pot the one ball that was necessary to win the match!

[Cue_147]

Here's a question and a easy one.

I was playing league pool (English IPA rules), my opponent was at the table he potted a red and screwed back but because the cue ball was close to the red he had to remove the cue quickly, he hit the lamp shade and it dropped off the fixings and landed perfectly over the cue ball.

We could not tell if the shade hit the cue ball or not.

What would be the rule on this?????????

[hegeland]

Here's a question and a easy one.

I was playing league pool (English IPA rules), my opponent was at the table he potted a red and screwed back but because the cue ball was close to the red he had to remove the cue quickly, he hit the lamp shade and it dropped off the fixings and landed perfectly over the cue ball.

We could not tell if the shade hit the cue ball or not.

What would be the rule on this?????????

Without having looked into the specific rules for English Pool, if not any of the object balls had been moved and the cue ball possibly only slighly, I'd say it would be proper to continue shooting. I assume you played without a refree.

Official World Standardized Rules For Tournament Play:

"1.16.1 CUE BALL FOULS ONLY
When a referee is presiding over a match, it is a foul for a player to touch any ball (cue ball or object ball) with the cue, clothing, body, mechanical bridge or chalk, before, during or after a shot. However, when a referee is not presiding over a game, it is not a foul to accidentally touch stationary balls located between the cue ball and the shooter while in the act of shooting. If such an accident occurs, the player should allow the Tournament Director to restore the object balls to their correct positions. If the player does not allow such a restoration, and a ball set in motion as a normal part of the shot touches such an unrestored ball, or passes partly into a region originally occupied by a disturbed ball, the shot is a foul. In short, if the accident has any effect on the outcome of the shot, it is a foul. In any case, the Tournament Director must be called upon to restore the positions of the disturbed balls as soon as possible, but not during the shot. It is a foul to play another shot before the Tournament Director has restored any accidentally moved balls.

At the non-shooting player's option, the disturbed balls will be left in their new positions. In this case, the balls are considered restored, and subsequent contact on them is not a foul.

It is still a foul to make any contact with the cue ball whatsoever while it is in play, except for the normal tip-to-ball contact during a shot."

[Sarmu]

So what happen if the cue ball landed on top of few colours and come to a rest?
Say you going for black, hit black and jumped on top of pack of red and stayed there

[RaNeN]

Making of great refree's!

[The Statman]

So what happen if the cue ball landed on top of few colours and come to a rest?
Say you going for black, hit black and jumped on top of pack of red and stayed there

Again it's a foul for the ball landing other than on the bed of the table. Treat it as if it had landed on the carpet.

[chasmmi]

So if the red in the previous post had ended balanced perfectly on top of the woodlouse (which has nuclear mutated super woodlouse strength) this would also be a foul due to the not being the table rule?

[The Statman]

So if the red in the previous post had ended balanced perfectly on top of the woodlouse (which has nuclear mutated super woodlouse strength) this would also be a foul due to the not being the table rule?

Only if it WOULD HAVE landed other than on the table.

Remember, the woodlouse situation would have come under "Ball moved by other than striker" which would remain the case. Nothing apart from the striker, and the table and its equipment, can be allowed to cause a ball to move, or to veer from its natural course.

[missneworleans]

I thought only if it lay table..than its a foul

[bellamy]

Yep forced off the table, its a foul and next player plays from "d", if a red or coulour gets forced up there after a stroke and rolls along and drops in a pocket , fair shot.if it was played for that is