free ball rule.

[yourdadsback]

can someone please explain this for me in detail. call me thick but i have been playing snooker for a fair while and have never really looked into/been sure on the rule. cheers

[RaNeN]

We have already got a thread for rules for Free Ball. I cant find it at the moment. It should be under Free Ball Rules.

[DawRef]

Free all

Hi. As a referee, I hope I can help you with this.

Definition (Section 2, rule 13)

A free ball is a ball which the striker nominates as the ball on when snookered after a foul. ( see Section 3, Rule 10 below).

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 acquire the value of, the ball on except that, if potted, it shall then be potted.
(b) It is a foul if the cue-ball should
(i) fail to hit the nominated ball first, or simultaneously with the ball on, or
(ii) be snookered on all Reds, or the ball on, by the free ball, except when only pink and black are the only balls on the table.
(c) If the free ball is potted, it is spotted and the value of the ball on is scored
(d) If a ball on is potted, after the cue-ball struck the nominated ball first, or first simultaneously with a ball on, the ball on is scored and remains off the table.
(e) If both the nominated ball and a ball on are potted, only the ball on is scored unless it was a red, when each ball potted is scored. The free ball is then spotted an the ball on remains off the table.
(f) If the offender is asked to play again, the free ball call becomes void.


Remember, in order for a free ball, the cue ball must not be able to strike the extreme edges of a ball that is or could be on. Also, if the ball on is against the cushion, then you cannot give a free ball.

There is an excellent explanation in John Streets book, The Billiards and Snooker Referees Handbook (out of print, but your library may be able to get a copy) and also The Snooker Referees Association have published a guide to the Rules of Snooker and Billiards (www.refs.org.uk).

Finally, check to see if there is a qualified referee (or preferably an examiner) near to where you live - your local snooker league or EASB may be able to help - to give examples on a snooker table.

[yourdadsback]

so is the free ball just another choice if the opposing player snookers me on a foul shot? i.e i could make them take it again?

[The Statman]

so is the free ball just another choice if the opposing player snookers me on a foul shot? i.e i could make them take it again?

Yes, you still have the option to put them back in – just as you do with any foul (unless it is on the final black).

Your opponent, if you put him back in, does not get the free ball, of course!

[yourdadsback]

yeh of course. what i meant was that on any foul shot where i am snookerd i can play the free ball?

[Robert602]

yeh of course. what i meant was that on any foul shot where i am snookerd i can play the free ball?

That's right, given the conditions covered already. It's not a discretionary thing (like, say, the 'miss').

[DawRef]

Free Ball

Yes. As long as you are snookered on all balls that are or could be on.

Examples:

(i)After a foul, with two reds left, the balls are as follows along a cushion, red, green, cue-ball, yellow, red. The referee has declared free ball. The player nominates yellow and rolls up onto it. It is not a foul as the yellow is only snookering one of the two remaining reds.
(ii) Again, with one red left, player nominates green and after his stroke the balls are cue-ball, yellow, green, red. Not a foul as yellow is the effective snookering ball (ball closest to cue-ball - Section 2, 16, (b)(i)).