Refusing when someone concedes a frame

[bolton-cueman]

Quick odd question

Can you refuse to accept it when your opponent concedes a frame?

Odd situation happened a few months ago where I was last man on, team was 108 (or 118 cant remember) behind on aggregate. A massive ask for me as I'm only a 30-40 man in league matches.

I played tight and ended up 71 up with the Blue on. Pink was perfect for snookers, just low of the left middle pocket and the black was tight on top cushion.

I got one snooker, to make me 76 up - still 30+ behind on the aggregate so it was still mission impossible - other player said 'I'll give you that' shook my hand and walked off.

I know league snooker doesn't generally enforce full WS rules, but what is the accepted thing to do?

[Londonlad147]

First a player can only concede when it is his turn.

Second, the non-striker can always refuse to accept a concession, except when only the black is left on the table.

I've never had any experience of playing in aggregate score matches, so I don't know what the normal accepted rules are.

[markz]

You don't have to accept if your opponent concedes. Especially in the situation you describe, with scores being aggregate you would get the remaining scores of the balls left on the table to your score but that is only another 18 points. You were well within your rights not to accept as you could not win. Bad form from your opponent really.

[OmaMiesta]

Yea pretty sure you cant concede if its not your turn

[lennon11]

in our league any matches decided on an aggregate basis are only completed when all the balls are potted....irrelevant of the individual frame scores.

[timcunnell]

in our league any matches decided on an aggregate basis are only completed when all the balls are potted....irrelevant of the individual frame scores.

Same here. League games can be a little different maybe in this respect. If you're playing a league game where aggregate points are used, you can't concede. At all.

Out of interest - what happened in your case? If someone tried conceding against me in that situation I'd definitely just say no, you've got to play on. Otherwise his concession could potentially be considered a team concession for the whole game!

[SnookerFan]

Yea pretty sure you cant concede if its not your turn

Out of interest, is that an official rule? Loads of times when watching the professional game, a player will leave his opponent's next ball over the pocket, turn round and concede. (In that situation it's entirely obvious that a player would pot it, so it wouldn't be worth even making them try.)

The commentators always make out that it's considered a politeness never to concede when your opponent is at the table, but is there anything in the rules that state you can't? If there is, it's a rule that's broken frequently.

[timcunnell]

Out of interest, is that an official rule? Loads of times when watching the professional game, a player will leave his opponent's next ball over the pocket, turn round and concede. (In that situation it's entirely obvious that a player would pot it, so it wouldn't be worth even making them try.)

The commentators always make out that it's considered a politeness never to concede when your opponent is at the table, but is there anything in the rules that state you can't? If there is, it's a rule that's broken frequently.

My understanding is that is not in the rules, but its very much frowned upon. You often see players concede when its not their turn if they're about to lose the match. But conceding if - for example - you've just left the last red in the middle of the table with all colours on their spots, is bad because you'd be denying your opponent the opportunity to make a nice little clearance and get some confidence/rhythm going into the next frame.

But is it actually in the rules that you can't concede when not your turn? I don't know! Would be interested to know though! Someone on here will have the answer for sure!

[DeanH]

section 4.5 Conceding
(a) A player may only concede when he is the striker. The opponent has the right to accept or refuse the concession, which becomes null and void if the opponent chooses to play on.
...
(c) A player shall not concede a frame in any match unless snookers are required. Any breach of this rule shall be regarded as ungentlemanly conduct or misconduct by the player concerned.

(a) as the wording is "player may" this by definition is that the player can do otherwise, as you say we have seen many times a player concede when NOT the striker and when the concession is accepted it cannt be retracted. (as we saw when Drago miscounted and conceded with plenty of points on the table to win), so the rule (c) be invalidated but the referee cannot retract the concession even though the player acted against the rules.... I have always thought this part is incongruous and maybe the referee should have the right to step in and say "you cant concede at this point in the frame..." if the player wants to continue with the concession they can do so; but at least there is a moment of reconsideration/realisation

[SnookerFan]

Yeah, that seemed odd to me. Players get fined if they concede when there's enough points left on the table, so why doesn't the referee say something?

Maybe it's just deemed not the referee's responsibility. If a player concedes, then marches straight out of the arena, there's nothing the referee can do about it.

They could issue a warning that conceding the frame will lead to a fine though. It seems a bit odd that they don't.

[Londonlad147]

[I]I have always thought this part is incongruous and maybe the referee should have the right to step in and say "you cant concede at this point in the frame..." if the player wants to continue with the concession they can do so; but at least there is a moment of reconsideration/realisation

I totally disagree that the referee should say anything. It's the player's decision to concede, and if he does then he *will* get done for ungentlemanly conduct... usually by WPBSA as an after-match fine.

Remember that a player is the striker is "The person about to play or in play is the striker and remains so until the final stroke, or foul, of his turn is complete and the referee is satisfied that he has finally left the table", so he can legitimately concede after missing a shot before he leaves the table.

What is harder to justify, though, is when the non-striker offers a concession when the striker is at the table. It doesn't happen too often (at professional level) even when say the striker comes to the table and pots the last red, increasing the number of snookers required to 3 or 4. More often than not it happens not with any malicious intent, but because the players want to just get on an d get the next frame started.