rule questions

[Snookclops]

Hi folks,

1. If your opponent fouls and the white is left either touching or v close to colour giving you a free ball, can you hoist your cue in air like a spear and decent until tip brushes ball? (Provided either hits ob, play away from touching ball and no push). You can get a very small contact this way....I'm not convinced it's legal but my opponent swears it's fine.

2. I have an occasional opponent of lesser standard who tries to put me off by hovering around me, putting hand on table over my potting pocket them tries to insinuate I'm being fussy when I ask him to just sit in the chair. This isn't just getting ready to pick up the ball but a deliberate attempt to unsettle me. Do the rules prohibit touching the table or hovering around pocket?

3. What is the best perspective for judging a free ball? I find if you look from shot end, it doesn't look like you can hit both sides, yet if you view the shot from the other side (ob end) it often looks on! This has caused arguments. How is this best decided?

[fredkite]

rule questions

1 - legal.
2 - unsportsmanlike conduct?
3 - I always look from the cue ball.

[jrc750]

On no.1 make sure you do not snooker your opponent behind the free ball, otherwise it's a foul shot !!

[itsnoteasy]

Don't play him he's an eedjit.

[Londonlad147]

Hi folks,

1. If your opponent fouls and the white is left either touching or v close to colour giving you a free ball, can you hoist your cue in air like a spear and decent until tip brushes ball? (Provided either hits ob, play away from touching ball and no push). You can get a very small contact this way....I'm not convinced it's legal but my opponent swears it's fine.

2. I have an occasional opponent of lesser standard who tries to put me off by hovering around me, putting hand on table over my potting pocket them tries to insinuate I'm being fussy when I ask him to just sit in the chair. This isn't just getting ready to pick up the ball but a deliberate attempt to unsettle me. Do the rules prohibit touching the table or hovering around pocket?

3. What is the best perspective for judging a free ball? I find if you look from shot end, it doesn't look like you can hit both sides, yet if you view the shot from the other side (ob end) it often looks on! This has caused arguments. How is this best decided?

1. A shot is legal however it is played, provided the tip of the cue strikes the cue ball and doesn't push it.

2. It is unsportsmalike behaviour which wouldn't be tolderated if there was an official referee. Best firly advise him to stay still and out of your line of sight whilst you;re ona shot.

3. I depends really. I usually find that placing a dead ball next to the obstructing ball not on is best. From either end it often helps to line up the top of the cue ball and dead ballin your sights, and then try to judge whether the object ball is to the keft ir right of that line, and therefore whether it is a free ball or not. That's not always easy to judge though, particularly if there are other balls in the vicinity of the ball on or ball(s) not on. I think that whether it is best viewed from cue ball end or object ball end partly depends on which ball the potentially obstructing ball is nearerst.

[Snookclops]

What? You can't roll up on a free ball? This has rocked my world!

[snookerdad]

You can't snooker behind a free ball unless only pink and black are left.

Bear in mind, though, that if there are two or more snookering balls, the one closest to the cue-ball is deemed to be the effective snookering ball.

And if there are two or more reds snookered by different balls, there is no effective snookering ball.

Tim Dunkley (World Snooker coach)

[barrywhite]

Hi folks,

1. If your opponent fouls and the white is left either touching or v close to colour giving you a free ball, can you hoist your cue in air like a spear and decent until tip brushes ball? (Provided either hits ob, play away from touching ball and no push). You can get a very small contact this way....I'm not convinced it's legal but my opponent swears it's fine.

2. I have an occasional opponent of lesser standard who tries to put me off by hovering around me, putting hand on table over my potting pocket them tries to insinuate I'm being fussy when I ask him to just sit in the chair. This isn't just getting ready to pick up the ball but a deliberate attempt to unsettle me. Do the rules prohibit touching the table or hovering around pocket?

3. What is the best perspective for judging a free ball? I find if you look from shot end, it doesn't look like you can hit both sides, yet if you view the shot from the other side (ob end) it often looks on! This has caused arguments. How is this best decided?

2. Some mate! I got a mate who constantly texts and his phone beeps all the bloody time. He will also attempt to make a lot of noise, it's deliberate. Best thing, just take longer, walk around the table, have a think, get out the bubble and then get back in once dodo has given up.

@dunk, never got down to the pink/black for a FB situation; interesting, cheers.