rules

[pearce]

if a snooker player leaves his chalk on the table when it is his opponents shot ,is this a foul or does he have to be warned once.

[Kyra]

I see nothing wrong in leaving the chalk on the table. Do you mean the table itself or the rail ? You see that quite often that players leave the chalk on the rail. Most just forget to take it away. Or they leave it for their oponent if there is only one piece of chalk for both players
The only section in the rulebook that could be applied here would be, if anything is used to place a marking on the table, the striker shall be awarded a 7 piont foul. But in your case, the player just left the chalk. So here is no advantage he could gain. Nno foul and no need for a warning Usually the ref or the other player removes the "marking" (if there was any) or the chalk and play commences.

[Watford]

This is sometimes played as a rule in UK pool but not always.
Not sure about snooker either!

[snooker warrior]

if my opponent does that when we play in the league i pick it up and hand it too him,if he does it a third time i pick it up and throw it up onto the table light,and then they tend not too do it again !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nightman26]

its a harmless pain in the arse tho, my mate leaves his chalk on the rail and it ****es me off cos after a few shots he is looking around for it and ends up walking round the table for the chalk then back to take his shot, also i hate keep having to move it when its my shot! so i keep accedently knocking it on the floor..... accedently of course

[DawRef]

It is not a foul. However, as a referee, I will ask a player to remove his chalk when he has finished his turn (usually only in county or national matches).

This may bring out some discussion with other referees on this forum, but if the opponent were to knock the chalk onto the table and disturb a ball, I would just replace it (Ball moved other than by striker, Section 3, Rule 15) and give the chalk back to it's owner. However if it were the striker's chalk and he (she) knocked it onto the table and it disturbed a ball, then it would be a foul (Section 3, Rule 18(a)).

Rarely, I have seen a player looking to get out of a snooker and placing his chalk where he thinks the cue ball should strike the cushion. I have then walked round and picked up the chalk off of the table and then warned the player that if he done the same again, he would be penalised 7 points (Section 3, Rule 12(d)(ii)).

[APK]

On a couple of official refereeing occasions where I know that a certain player has a habit of deliberately leaving his / her chalk on the cushion to put off or annoy the opponent, I have, as a referee, made a point of telling the players in my opening speech to them that I would consider repeated action to be unsporting.

As I am 6ft 2ins and around 20 stone I haven't heard any complaints yet.

DawRef's comments are taken on board but I would add a subjective note to the player knocking the opponents chalk onto the table. The Rules are clear that if the head of a rest found at the table comes off and hits a ball, then it is not foul but if the player drops the whole rest onto a ball then it is a foul. The point being that the player can reasonably be expected to avoid one situation but has no control over the over. The fact that a piece of chalk is on the cushion shoul be fairly obvious and so (again depending on circumstances) I would argue that the striker can be fouled for knocking the chalk into a ball on the table.

The term 'depending on circumstances' allows me as the referee to take into account Rule 5 (can't remember the sub-section) which states 'for any situation not adequately covered by rule, the referee shall make a desicion in the interest of fair play.'

Hmm. I shall contemplate this some more.

[john1964]

he have to be warned once.

he have to be warned once.

[APK]

Who do you warn. The striker who has just committed a foul? Are you going to award points? Or do you warn the player who left the chalk there. He cannot be called for foul as he is not the striker. Lets assume you are going to warn the player who left the chalk on the table. What is your suggested next step? You can't award any points so what now? Forfeit the frame? possibly even the match? at worst the tournament? That seems a bit harsh for leaving your chalk on the table! If he is using it to consistently measure strike points, distances or angles then this is covered by Rule but you should be able, as referee, to make it clear enough to any player that the behaviour is becoming unacceptable to the opponent (possibly unsportsmanlike) and a reasonable person would find somewhere else to leave their chalk.
I must add that in my decade plus of refereeing at many levels, I have never had this situation even remotely rear its head. I have found that the discipline of snooker instills a sense of etiquette. Maybe I have just been lucky.

[DawRef]

I would suggest that when the striker has finished his turn, the referee should ask him (or her) to remove their chalk. Often, you will see a player take the chalk from his pocket when playing an awkward stroke, and place it on the table. But he will invariably pick it up, after the stroke is completed.

Section 5, Rule 1(a)(ii) states "The Referee shall be free to make a decision in the interests of fair play for any situation not covered adequately by Rule"

[speacial147]

Well I am not very clued up with ALL of the rules, but all i can say is that when a player leaves there chalk on the table, it can be very annoying for the opponent! Sometimes you have to lean over the chalk and it digs in your side, or puts chalk dust on your vest.... lol

When you have to move the opponents chalk every couple of shots it can be very destracting, spesh if your on a big break! A guy i practise with leaves his chalk on the table after every shot, i have said to him its unsportsman like and very very annoying. Just yesterday i was on about a 35 break, reds sitting everwear and black on its spot and perfect oppotunity to make a big break, and i was in the zone, i could feel it, and all of a suddon i had to move his chalk, and then i stupidly missed a easy black. This dissrupted my break, and put me out of the 'zone'.

Surley if your opponent leaves his chalk on the table after he has stepped away he surley deserves a warning from the Reff, but if done again a foul should be called and his opponent awarded 4 points.

As i have said above, it can get very annoying, surley this would come under a unsportsman act?

Cheers,
Alex

[Kyra]

Well I am not very clued up with ALL of the rules, but all i can say is that when a player leaves there chalk on the table, it can be very annoying for the opponent! Sometimes you have to lean over the chalk and it digs in your side, or puts chalk dust on your vest.... lol

When you have to move the opponents chalk every couple of shots it can be very destracting, spesh if your on a big break! A guy i practise with leaves his chalk on the table after every shot, i have said to him its unsportsman like and very very annoying. Just yesterday i was on about a 35 break, reds sitting everwear and black on its spot and perfect oppotunity to make a big break, and i was in the zone, i could feel it, and all of a suddon i had to move his chalk, and then i stupidly missed a easy black. This dissrupted my break, and put me out of the 'zone'.

Surley if your opponent leaves his chalk on the table after he has stepped away he surley deserves a warning from the Reff, but if done again a foul should be called and his opponent awarded 4 points.

As i have said above, it can get very annoying, surley this would come under a unsportsman act?

Cheers,
Alex

I agree that this can be very distracting and annoying for the striker. But I'm afraid that this case is not covered by the rules. IMO a warning or even penalty points are a bit harsh. If a player does this purposely to distrtact you, well that could be considered by the ref as unsportsman acting. But the problem would be to prove it. I'd say, if you play this guy again and he still leaves his chalk on the table, just give the chalk to him before you start your break. Or put it in your own pocket You might be surprised how good this workes. Especially when he runs out of chalk

[APK]

The problem is that you cannot award points to the opponent as you can only award points after a foul has been committed and you can only foul if you are the striker (unless discussing ball positions after a miss has been called).
Putting the chalk in your own pocket sounds like a good incentive to the opposition not to leave their chalk on the table but it might result in your break being disrupted worse than if you just gave it back to him or maybe you could 'accidentally' knock it on the floor.

[speacial147]

I agree that this can be very distracting and annoying for the striker. But I'm afraid that this case is not covered by the rules. IMO a warning or even penalty points are a bit harsh. If a player does this purposely to distrtact you, well that could be considered by the ref as unsportsman acting. But the problem would be to prove it. I'd say, if you play this guy again and he still leaves his chalk on the table, just give the chalk to him before you start your break. Or put it in your own pocket You might be surprised how good this workes. Especially when he runs out of chalk

Haha, yes thats right.
One of the old snooker players said, if its that annoying there is an easy way around it. Keep kicking the chalk under the table, or if that doesn't work, gently push it off the table, take your shot, and step on the chalk with your feet, and it just some how happens to get steped on and crushed.... :P haha
Who would be the unsportsman like person then tho?

[Kyra]

The problem is that you cannot award points to the opponent as you can only award points after a foul has been committed and you can only foul if you are the striker (unless discussing ball positions after a miss has been called).
Putting the chalk in your own pocket sounds like a good incentive to the opposition not to leave their chalk on the table but it might result in your break being disrupted worse than if you just gave it back to him or maybe you could 'accidentally' knock it on the floor.

There are situations where the referee can award penalty points to the non-striker. Most refs will call "foul" which is not quite true in this situation. But this is to get the attention of the non-striker and to make clear that points will be awarded to the oponent.
Why do you think that keeping the chalk (for the moment) might disrupt the break even worse ? If the oponent is not at the table he won't need his chalk. You could give it back after your break is finished. I think

Haha, yes thats right.
One of the old snooker players said, if its that annoying there is an easy way around it. Keep kicking the chalk under the table, or if that doesn't work, gently push it off the table, take your shot, and step on the chalk with your feet, and it just some how happens to get steped on and crushed.... :P haha
Who would be the unsportsman like person then tho?

Nice idea But I think to step on the chalk might ruin your shoes Woudn't it be much nicer to watch your oponent crawln under the table to get his chalk back