is it allowed to play the ball with the butt end of your cue?

[matthias]

Hi Guys,

I played a shot with the butt-end last night & got awarded a foul, I thought it was allowed

what's the rule about this?

thx
matt

[Londonlad147]

No, you need to play by contacting the cue ball with the tip of the cue.

[DeanH]

To me it is a foul because:
Sec 1.6 Stroke
(a) A stroke is made when the striker strikes the cue ball with the tip of the cue, ...
(c) A stroke is legal when no infringement of these Rules is made.

so, not hitting cue ball with the tip is not a stroke, so an infringement of the rules, so using anything other than the tip is a foul


darn it, beaten to the post by LondonLad!

[matthias]

oke thanks for your replies,

i thought it was allowed because that is what the flat on the butt was originally designed for ...

will not do it again

[DeanH]

when they were called Maces, the flat was used yes, but no longer

[147Jim]

Looking for more of a challenge?

[vmax]

oke thanks for your replies,

i thought it was allowed because that is what the flat on the butt was originally designed for ...

That's when they used to play a form of croquet indoors on a table complete with hoops and the balls were pushed along with the thick end of the mace with the flat keeping it level. When billiards developed push shots were outlawed and playing shots with the butt end of the cue was considered a push shot so was banned.


Caban

[DeanH]

I love that old picture

[matthias]

Looking for more of a challenge?

no just a very bad positional shot after a red lol
could no reach with the rest after, so used the butt

[vmax]

I love that old picture

I wonder if those fashions will ever return

[DeanH]

I wonder if those fashions will ever return

are you bi-corn or tri-corn?

[snooker_bhoy]

So if you glued your tip to the butt would it be legal then?

[DeanH]

"tip" is not just the bit of leather but also the narrow end of the cue

[snooker_bhoy]

Right! Thanks Dean!

[Shockerz]

"tip" is not just the bit of leather but also the narrow end of the cue

Didn't know that Dean, is that definition in the rules?

There certainly are lots of little intricacies in the rules that we don't take notice of but crop up every now and again.