Playing doubles

[bluenose1940]

An incident occurred at the club today and none of us knew the answer. i hoping that someone may be able to help, as we were a bit confused by the rule book.

Playing doubles, a player comes to the table and pots the Green, Brown and Blue and then plays safe off the Pink. The points are added to the scoreboard but then someone mentions that the player who scored the points had played out of turn. All of us were then totally lost.

Can someone please explain what the position is please. Also, are there any penalties applied when someone plays out of turn, especially when that person doesn't score any points.

I would appreciate any help. Thank you.

[DeanH]

In four-player it is a foul to play out of order and appropriate penalty points apply.
But IF a mistake is not called or queried before the next strike the error is condoned.
Also any break up to the foul stroke is scored. In your scenario the turn had finished and so the break will be scored, played safety off the pink, Foul 6 penalty points and play continues as per correct order.

[bluenose1940]

Thank you once again DeanH. Just a further query on your first sentence. If a player plays out of turn and simply plays safe off a red and back into baulk, the error is then queried and raised by the opponents BEFORE they come table, is that just a four point penalty? What if a player, playing out of turn, pots a red and a black and then plays safe and the opponents then raise the query before taking their turn, what penalty is imposed then? The offending player obviously won't be credited with the points scored but will he also incur a further penalty?

[DeanH]

The penalty will be the value of the ball on or fouled (if greater) involved in the shot the foul was called.
If they have a break, the points before the shot the foul was called will be scored but not any in the foul-called-shot.

As you say, what happens if the player does not pot or plays safe and leaves the table (as per your first scenario) -
Before the next stroke is taken - Foul, penalty points as per the value of ball on in the previous shot (the missed-pot/safety), correct new player comes to the table.
After the next stroke is taken - no foul, mistake condoned, scores applied remain, play continues.

In your original scenario, break of Green to Blue, safety on Pink, no next shot taken. Foul, six points penalty, Next correct player to play.



Sec 3.10 Fouls
(c) If a foul is neither awarded by the referee, nor successfully claimed by the non striker before the next stroke is made, it is condoned.


JUST to confirm: the new player coming on is the player as per the correct order; i.e. the player following the player that SHOULD have played, not the out of turn player