rule help required

[Vince G]

Hello everyone, first post!

Whilst watching a game recently, a player attempted a pot, but the cueball was heading for a pocket. He cupped his hand at the back of the pocket and the cueball fell into his hand which he then placed under the baulk cushion for his opponent. Is this a normal foul (i.e. value of the ball on). Somewhere in the back of my mind I'm thinking this is called a "penalty" and is punishable by 7 points, but I have scoured the rulebook and can't find anywhere how this might be imposed. Can anyone help please?

[Souwester]

It's a normal foul, the penalty being the value of the ball on. As it was picked up by the offender then this is considered to be forced off the table, and the non-offender plays from in hand.

[Souwester]

Not sure if this is the incident you're referring to but there was a situation with Dott v Selby when Dott punched the cue ball away from the pocket (which is was going to enter) such that it stopped in the D. Selby assumed he was in hand and as he picked up the cue ball to reposition it Chamberlain called a foul. Because the ball had not left the bed of the table, Selby should have played the cue ball from where the ball came to rest.

Here's the thread with a lot of discussion about this incident: http://www.thesnookerforum.com/board...ight=dott+foul

[willtyson]

If I had been Dott during this incident I would have gone back to the table and played the cueball straight into the pocket and given him back ball in hand and the points

[sprogbasket]

Always amuses me - so called professionals not knowing the rules of the game they play.....I would have laughed at Selby and done my best to clear the table or put him straight into a difficult snooker !

[The Statman]

Always amuses me - so called professionals not knowing the rules of the game they play.....I would have laughed at Selby and done my best to clear the table or put him straight into a difficult snooker !

Yes, although from Dott's reaction, it was clear that HE didn't know either!

[screw-back]

I remember another top referee handling a similar situation differently where he asked the player who stopped the ball if he was conceding the white was going into the pocket. The player said it was so the ref told him not to do it again and to let the white run in future. He picked the white up and put the ball up to the baulk cushion which I think was a better, common sense way of handling the situation. Having said that, Chamberlain was also correct in what he did. As sprogbasket said, pro players should know the rules better than it appears they do.