Free Ball Question

[dmorley85]

https://ibb.co/fxUhHw

This was the scenario last night during someone else's game that they were playing (picture above).

I mentioned that you could take the blue as the free ball, hit the blue onto the brown, the brown stays down, you score 4 points and the blue is over the pocket ready for you to pot next following the brown going down.

There was a lot of people disagreeing that this wan't a legal shot but I'm sure that I was right.

My questions are:

1: Can you nominate the blue as the free ball, hit the blue onto the brown and score 4 points if the brown goes in?

2: if you nominate blue as the free ball, hit the blue onto the brown and then both the blue and the brown end up going in do you score 4 points or 8 points and does the brown stay down and then the blue get re-spotted?

3. Totally different question but if there is just the pink and black remaining on the table can you nominate the black as the free ball and hit the black onto the pink which is over the pocket and score 6 points? Also what happens if both the black and the pink are potted on the same shot?


Your replies would be much appreciated.

[jrc750]

1: Yes you can do this, it's just like planting a red onto a red, blue acts as the brown here, so brown onto brown is ok.
4 points scored.

2: Only 4 points scored, the blue would be respotted.

3: This scenario wouldn't happen as when only the last 2 colours are on the table you are allowed to snooker someone behind the black so a free ball would never be given.

[DeanH]

1: Yes you can do this, it's just like planting a red onto a red, blue acts as the brown here, so brown onto brown is ok.
4 points scored.

2: Only 4 points scored, the blue would be respotted.

3: This scenario wouldn't happen as when only the last 2 colours are on the table you are allowed to snooker someone behind the black so a free ball would never be given.

1 and 2 are correct
3, not quite. If a foul has been committed and the striker is snookered on the pink, a free ball will be given - as an option.
The non-offending player has the usual choices: (1) play themselves from where the cue ball lies, (2) as the opponent to play from where the cue ball lies, (3) use the free ball option.
Correct when pink and black only on the table you can snooker behind the nominated free ball.
Free ball options:
Play the cue ball onto the nominated free ball and snooker the pink.
You can pot the nominated free ball, the black, as a pink; 6 points, black respotted as usual, pink ball on.
You can also use the nominated free ball, the black, to pot the ball on, the pink, 6 points.
If both pink and black are potted; 6 points, pink remains off the table, black respotted, black ball on, and the usual end of game rules apply.

[jrc750]

Damn you Dean with your rules

[DeanH]

Damn you Dean with your rules

not mine, all of ours :biggrin:

[Londonlad147]

Dean was spot on!

[Bigmeek]

Anyone had a free ball with only pink and black left? I have and I messed it up lol. Tried to trickle behind the black and left it short grrrrr.

[DeanH]

Anyone had a free ball with only pink and black left? I have and I messed it up lol. Tried to trickle behind the black and left it short grrrrr.

not personally but I saw a couple on the table near had, and I had to watch; to me I thought he could have gone for the pot of the black but he went for the snooker (I think he may have thought that was all he could do?) and he had a touch of an elephant and the cue ball went 6in beyond the black

[dmorley85]

Thanks for clearing this up Dean, much appreciated!