The nominated ball rule

[steve c11]

The one thing I don't understand is if the brown was an easy pot for your opponent why did you not take it on and pot it yourself?

Because my opponent is a much better player than myself and would have been much more likely to hit the brown than I would have been. Had I of attempted to pot the snookered brown and missed the ball, not only would I have given four points away, but he then would have had an easy pot on the brown himself. I am amazed though that I could have nominated the black ball and then potted the brown with that nominated ball. I doubt many people would have known that one.

[The Statman]

Because my opponent is a much better player than myself and would have been much more likely to hit the brown than I would have been. Had I of attempted to pot the snookered brown and missed the ball, not only would I have given four points away, but he then would have had an easy pot on the brown himself. I am amazed though that I could have nominated the black ball and then potted the brown with that nominated ball. I doubt many people would have known that one.

Ah ok. I imagined a situation where the brown was over the pocket but still hittable from where you were, even though you had a free ball.

You are right - a lot of people don't realise that you can play the plant on the ball on.

[timcunnell]

Because my opponent is a much better player than myself and would have been much more likely to hit the brown than I would have been. Had I of attempted to pot the snookered brown and missed the ball, not only would I have given four points away, but he then would have had an easy pot on the brown himself. I am amazed though that I could have nominated the black ball and then potted the brown with that nominated ball. I doubt many people would have known that one.

In reading this thread I've realised I was in pretty much this exact situation last week in a league match. And didn't know that I could've played a plant!
I snookered my opponent on the yellow, but it was right in the jaws of a corner pocket. In trying to escape the snooker my opponent missed, hit the black instead and then left the white a couple of feet or so behind the black, dead in line with the yellow in the jaws. So I had a free ball, but wasn't really sure what the best option was. I was playing a decent player, and if I put him back in I think the swerve was definitely on to pot the yellow. In the end I actually potted the brown which was quite near the yellow pocket, and came round the angles for the yellow. But then I had to screw all the way back up the table for the green, misjudged it a little and left the white tight on the side pocket. All the colours were then pretty much on their spots and if I potted the green I reckon I'd have cleared, but I missed it! Thinking about it now, I think I'd have been more successful playing the plant and screwing up for the green from there - it would've been much easier. So I'm glad you've posted this as I've learnt something!

[steve c11]

Glad to have helped/