Touching Ball Query

[hazza1980]

Hi guys, could anyone help me out??? Been having a debate about a touching ball rule with a friend!

For example, Just say I pot a red ball......then roll up behind the brown leaving my friend snookered on all reds. The white is touching the brown.

Obviously he has to now play away...but does he HAVE to hit a red? My friend reckons he can literally touch the white ball, moving it jus a little, leaving me snookered??? Im sure he has to hit a red?????

Any response would be gratefull!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :snooker:

[RGCirencester]

Of course he has to hit a red, if he plays away without hitting anything the only ball he could have deemed to hit would be the brown, thus being a foul and leaving you a free ball. It clearly states this in the rules, if it is a ball on (ie. red if your playing reds) then you are deemed to have hit it and can play any shot you want, if it is another ball then you must play away and hit the current ball. Either way if the ball you are touching moves even a fraction then it would be deemed a foul.

[hazza1980]

Ok, thanks for that info.

[DawRef]

And to add, if he just played away from the brown, it would most probably be called a 'foul and a miss'.
Before the 1995(?) re-write, in the amateur game at least, it was possible for the strikerto just play away from the brown (in your example) and that would have been a fair stroke. Not now. The rules clearly state that the striker must make a fair attempt to hit the ball on, in your example, a red. (Section 3, Rule 14).