Bernie33 said:
Since so many old and different customs & house rules exist for dealing with frozen balls, I would like to have a posting, maybe from Mr Jewett, on the official procedures. Then all the differing parties can be referred here and get on the same page. Thanks.
for 3-cushion, balkline, and cushion caroms, the rule is this: if the shooter's cue ball is frozen to either the opponent's cue ball or the red ball, the shooter has the option to:
1) play away from the ball to which his or her cue ball is frozen, or
2) have the two frozen balls spotted.
spotting is as follows:
- the shooters cue ball is spotted on the head spot.
- if the other frozen ball is the red ball, the red ball is spotted on the foot spot.
- if the other frozen ball is the opponent's ball, the opponent's ball is spotted on the center spot.
now, if the ball which is *not* frozen interferes with spotting one of the two frozen balls, then the ball whose spot is occupied is instead spotted on the spot assigned to the non-frozen ball.
for example, if the shooter's cue ball is frozen to the red ball, and the shooter elects to have them spotted, then the shooter's ball is placed on the head spot and the red ball on the foot spot. if the opponent's ball happens to interfere with spotting the red ball, say, then the red ball is instead placed on the center spot.
i don't know if it ever happened, but i must plead ignorance on what to do for the case in which the shooter's cue ball is frozen to both the red ball and the opponent's cue ball. my guess is that they all get spotted, though it may be that the shooter is allowed to choose which of the other two balls gets spotted.
for straight rail, however, the rule is different. the shooter has no choice if his or her cue ball is frozen to either of the other two balls. the shooter is required to shoot the opening shot.
i hope this is helpful.
william