Free ball question?

[dieselman147]

Hi, i should know the answer to this but its still not clear in my mind! Playing a frame last night 1 red left. The blue was over the corner pocket and the red Was touching it. The green was next to the red. I was awarded a foul and a free ball as i could not hit the extreems of the red. Can i nominate the blue as a red and pot it using the red? This is was i did which left the red over the pocket blue respoted which i potted next then red, blue clearance to win on black. I think that was ok but just didnt feel right nominating blue but hitting the red?

[magicman]

It's a foul I'm afraid. If you nominate blue you must hit the blue. If the balls were reversed you could nominate blue as a red and knock that onto the red to pot it, but not the other way round.

[DeanH]

The rules state:
3.12(b) It is a foul if the cue-ball should:
(i) fail to hit the nominated ball first, or first simultaneously with the ball on;...

so, sorry, from my reading of your scenario, you fouled as you cannot hit the Red to pocket the nominated Blue; the other way round is ok, i.e. nominated Blue hit to pot the Red. Or as the second caveat states you could have hit the Blue and the Red simultaneously to pot the Blue, that would have been ok.



damn this slow refresh

[dieselman147]

Ok. Sounds right. Well keep that to ourselves lol.

[SnkrRef]

Yes as Dean and Magicman have said, it was a foul they way you played it. Unlike World Rules pool, if you nominate a colour as your free ball then you must hit that ball first (or simultaneously with the ball on). The reds remain 'on' so you can legally pot a red as well as the nominated free ball, which is why as Magicman says, if the blue and red had been reversed, cou could have nominated and played blue to get the cannon and pot the red.