Ball moved by striker's cue

[HemiRR]

This happened at the Seniors club yesterday. Striker was snookered on the brown and in the process of playing out of the snooker, on his stroke follow through, the side of his cue moved the blue ball from it's spot (about 6 inches). The cue ball stopped where there was no free ball and no 'foul & miss' was called by his opponent. The opponent, however, argued that the blue should be replaced. (he could see that if the blue was replaced there would be a free ball situation. It was my turn to sit out, so I was watching the game and ws asked my opion. I must be getting old, because I could not definitively recall a rule that stated that the ball was to be replaced. ! The non-striker 'won' the arguement and the blue ball was replaced. Was the non-striker correct?

[bally969]

not sure, But if a miss wasn't called why was the blue replaced???????

[Souwester]

No, if balls are moved during the course of playing a stroke, then the non-offender has the usual choices of playing himself from the position left. or putting the offender back in from that position.

However, it is worth noiting that the new 2011 rule book does add a new paragraph to s3 r11:

(i) If a striker, when snookered or hampered in any way, fouls any ball including the cueball while preparing to play a stroke, if requested by his opponent to play again, the opponent shall have the choice as to whether the ball on shall be the same as it was prior to the infringement, namely:
(i) Any Red, where Red was the ball on;
(ii) The colour on where all the Reds were off the table; or either
(iii) A colour of the striker’s choice, where the ball on was a colour after a Red had been potted; or
(iv) The option of playing the next Red or Yellow when there are no Reds remaining.
Any ball(s) moved shall be replaced to their original position(s) by
the referee if requested by the non-offender.

As I've highlighted, this only applies to a foul whilst preparing to play a stroke, but gives the non-offender the choice, if he puts the offender back in, what ball he should go for after poitting a red.

[The Statman]

No, if balls are moved during the course of playing a stroke, then the non-offender has the usual choices of playing himself from the position left. or putting the offender back in from that position.

However, it is worth noiting that the new 2011 rule book does add a new paragraph to s3 r11:

(i) If a striker, when snookered or hampered in any way, fouls any ball including the cueball while preparing to play a stroke, if requested by his opponent to play again, the opponent shall have the choice as to whether the ball on shall be the same as it was prior to the infringement, namely:
(i) Any Red, where Red was the ball on;
(ii) The colour on where all the Reds were off the table; or either
(iii) A colour of the striker’s choice, where the ball on was a colour after a Red had been potted; or
(iv) The option of playing the next Red or Yellow when there are no Reds remaining.
Any ball(s) moved shall be replaced to their original position(s) by
the referee if requested by the non-offender.

As I've highlighted, this only applies to a foul whilst preparing to play a stroke, but gives the non-offender the choice, if he puts the offender back in, what ball he should go for after poitting a red.

Yes, Souwester. Of course, you highlighted "when preparing to play a stroke" and I think it's important to note here that the player was snookered behind the brown, and his cue struck the blue on the follow-through - so not relevant in this case.

But as previously mentioned, there is no case here to replace the blue, unless it has been pocketed in which case it is spotted, not replaced.

If the referee thinks the player has deliberately moved the blue (i.e. to avoid the free ball) he would certainly be entitled to issue a warning for ungentlemanly conduct - but even then the blue cannot be replaced!