Free Ball Snooker

[pottr]

I think I may have gotten away with murder last night?

I had my opponent in a tough snooker... with the red full ball snookered touching behind the blue at the bottom of the table.

I played yellow as a free ball and left the white half behind the yellow and half behind the green to make the shot harder.

Should this have been a foul?

If the yellow (free ball) was removed from the table, my opponent was still full ball snookered behind the blue and green.

My opponent had already played his shot before someone mentioned it so it became moot... I would still like to know.

Many thanks,
Jack

[DeanH]

Which ball was closest to the cue ball? If the yellow then it would have been a foul (snookering behind a nominated free ball), if another ball then no foul.
The thing is you never "let's take this ball away and I am still snookered", the closest ball to the cue ball is the only ball you consider and all others that are in line with the ball on, are not taken into consideration.

If you have multiple balls that are exactly the same distance from the cue ball then BOTH balls are considered.
Interesting, if the Yellow and Green are equidistant...
there is the post that covers this, I will try to find...

[pottr]

Problem is, I don't remember...

The lad reffing didn't spot it, my opponent didn't spot it and neither did I. I cannot say with any certainty if it was the yellow or green that was closest to the ball.

He played the shot and then one of his team members piped up...

[DeanH]

If there was not foul called and the player continues then the "possible" foul is condoned, and game continues.
for info here are some great posts to help with Free Ball scenarios:

Free Ball – how to judge if you have one
http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...ad.php?t=15560

Free Ball – what you can (and can't) do with it
http://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/boa...ad.php?t=15561

[SnkrRef]

Yes, if there is more than one ball obstructing the path from cue ball to object ball, then the effective snookering ball is the one closest to the cue ball. This prevents you, generally, from just trickling up to the cue ball.

Some players are under the misapprehension, though, that should the free ball accidentally come to rest to cause a snooker that's ok, but is not. It matters not whether the snooker is deliberate or accidental: if the free ball comes to rest and is the effective snookering ball then it is a foul.

[DawRef]

If the cue-ball is snookered by two or more balls not on and both are equidistant from the cue-ball, then both balls are considered to be snookering balls. Therefore, I would say that as the yellow and green were equidistant and the yellow had been a free ball, then, yes, it should have been called a foul.

[Rankrotten]

Hello all, please help with this free ball senario that happened to me at a recent club match.
With reds on the table, my opponent tried and failed to snooker me behind the blue.
Unable to hit a red, i was awarded free ball.
The black and pink are close together near a pocket.
I intended to nominate the black as my free ball and hit it onto and potting the pink.
I assumed in this free ball senario all balls are considered as reds and therefore i made a "plant".
After much disscusion, my opponent and i could not agree if this shot is allowed or not.
Would this shot be a foul or not?
I am sure i have seen this situation on TV before although the colours used where different.
Thanks in advance.

[jrc750]

Sorry but that is a foul shot, you nominated the black as a red, but potted the pink, so 6 away
(But if you didn't pot the pink then it was ok)

[Rankrotten]

Wow that was a quick reply...
Many thanks for your help jrc

[jrc750]

Just to clarify, only the nominated colour counts as a red, not all colours !!
You could plant your chosen colour onto a red, that would be fine, but not what you did

[SnkrRef]

Here are a couple of definitions from the rules which might help to understand:

12. Nominated Ball
(a) A nominated ball is the object ball which the striker declares, or indicates to the satisfaction of the referee, he undertakes to hit with the first impact of the cue-ball.
(b) If requested by the referee, the striker must declare which ball he is on.
13. Free Ball
A free ball is a ball which the striker nominates as the ball on when snookered after a foul (see Section 3 Rule 12).

The nominated ball is the ball you must hit first with the cue ball. This means that it would be a foul to play a red first and play a plant onto the free ball to pocket it.

As has been said, if you have a free ball awarded, only your chosen colour becomes a red for that shot, but you must still hit it first, before any other ball. This is unlike World Rules pool when a nominated free ball just becomes one of your colours for that shot.

[Rankrotten]

Thxs snkrref.
It's all quite simple really eh? Lol

[DawRef]

Just to add to the answer (though not directly to the original question). If after being requested by the referee to nominate your intended ball, you fail to do so, whether you pot the ball or not, it is a foul with a penalty of 7 points! (Section 3, 12(d)(v))

[Londonlad147]

Just to add to the answer (though not directly to the original question). If after being requested by the referee to nominate your intended ball, you fail to do so, whether you pot the ball or not, it is a foul with a penalty of 7 points! (Section 3, 12(d)(v))

Good to see you still posting DawRef! However, just to clarify your point, the ref would ask you to (verbally) DECLARE your ball. All choices of colour have to be nominated, but usually by indication (direction of cueing or pointing).