Rule Question

Lynch

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I had an interesting scenario happen to me the other day in league. Player A is breaking and fails to drive 2 balls to a rail(fouls), so I have him break again. He repeats the same mistake another 4 times. This player had a stroke a while back and I finally chose to just shoot after the 5th time instead of making him break again. This was the start of our game too I may add. So does he start out at -10? Apparently on the break it's just minus 2 no matter how many fouls there are in a row?
 

BigDeal52

Don Pearce
Silver Member
I had an interesting scenario happen to me the other day in league. Player A is breaking and fails to drive 2 balls to a rail(fouls), so I have him break again. He repeats the same mistake another 4 times. This player had a stroke a while back and I finally chose to just shoot after the 5th time instead of making him break again. This was the start of our game too I may add. So does he start out at -10? Apparently on the break it's just minus 2 no matter how many fouls there are in a row?

Thanks for the post I learned something. I would have assumed it would get the three foul rule but it is only -10 like you said.

I checked the rules on the World pool-billiard association website. Here is what I found.

4.11 Serious Fouls
For Rule 6.14 Three Consecutive Fouls, only standard fouls are counted, so a breaking foul does not count as one of the three fouls. A point is subtracted for the third foul as usual, and then the additional fifteen-point penalty is subtracted and the offending player’s consecutive foul count is reset to zero. All fifteen balls are re-racked and the offending player is required to shoot under the requirements of the opening break.
For 6.16 Unsportsmanlike Conduct, the referee will choose a penalty depending on the nature of the offense.
 

Lynch

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Yeah, it was news to me too. I supposed this scenario doesn't come up alot...
 

BigDeal52

Don Pearce
Silver Member
Yeah, it was news to me too. I supposed this scenario doesn't come up alot...

It seems like if he is hitting them that soft you would have a shot on the corner ball going towards the rail. Or was he thinning the rack so well he was hardly moving anything?
 

Lynch

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Sometimes he hit it really thin and once or twice he missed the corner ball completely......It's a handicapped league and at one time I guess this guy was really good but he had a stroke a couple years ago and can only run a few balls now
 

JE54

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Cb ends up in the rack after completing the 14 balls, where does the cb get placed ?
On the 3 foul question. If the 1st player fouls and it goes back and forth. So now it's the 1st person shot again and he fouls for the 3rd time. What is the total amount of points that he gets penalized. Also he puts the cb where the 2nd player would foul for the 3rd time. Does the cb get moved to behind the headstring or anywhere ? Or does the 2nd player have to play it where it is ? If the cb doesn't get moved and the 2nd player fouls, does he also lose the amount for 3 fouling ? Or because the 1st player fouled 3 times do the foul's start over after the 1st player 3 fouls ?
 

SulcoPete

Registered
Cb ends up in the rack after completing the 14 balls, where does the cb get placed ?
On the 3 foul question. If the 1st player fouls and it goes back and forth. So now it's the 1st person shot again and he fouls for the 3rd time. What is the total amount of points that he gets penalized. Also he puts the cb where the 2nd player would foul for the 3rd time. Does the cb get moved to behind the headstring or anywhere ? Or does the 2nd player have to play it where it is ? If the cb doesn't get moved and the 2nd player fouls, does he also lose the amount for 3 fouling ? Or because the 1st player fouled 3 times do the foul's start over after the 1st player 3 fouls ?
Wow dude this is a big question. Lemme try to answer. If the cue ball is in the rack, where it goes depends on where the 15th ball lies. If the 15th ball is also in the rack, the cue ball goes in the kitchen (behind head string) and the 15th ball is racked on the foot spot with the rest of the 14. Same thing if the 15 ball is pocketed. If the 15 ball is in the kitchen, the cue ball must be head spotted. If the 15 ball is interfering with the head spot, then the cue ball is center spotted! If the 15th ball is neither in the rack or behind the head string, then the cue ball can be placed anywhere in the kitchen. Note: if the 15th ball is on the head string, that is not considered in the kitchen and the cue ball can still be placed anywhere in the kitchen.
Concerning the 3 foul question, if you're talking about the opening break, it does not go "back and forth" The same player continues to re-break and accumulate foul points until he gets it right. Sometimes they deduct only one point for a scratch only when two object balls still touched a rail. If two object balls don't hit the rail it's minus 2.
Now if you're talking about regular play (not the break) where the fouls go back and forth and someone scratches for the third time, he loses 1 point plus 15 points. This is assuming that for the first two fouls, he deducted two points in the previous two turns. The total penalty over the three shots would be 18 points. In this circumstance the cue ball always is played where it is left, unless it is pocketed and then it goes behind the head string. After the first player commits his third foul, the incoming player does remain on two fouls so the first player would do well to keep that in mind and let the player know he is still on two before he shoots. After giving up so many points - it's a chance to get even.
 
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JE54

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Thanks for taking the time to give such an in depth reply.
 
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dmgwalsh

Straight Pool Fanatic
Silver Member
Wow dude this is a big question. Lemme try to answer. If the cue ball is in the rack, where it goes depends on where the 15th ball lies. If the 15th ball is also in the rack, the cue ball goes in the kitchen (behind head string) and the 15th ball is racked on the foot spot with the rest of the 14. Same thing if the 15 ball is pocketed. If the 15 ball is in the kitchen, the cue ball must be head spotted. If the 15 ball is interfering with the head spot, then the cue ball is center spotted! If the 15th ball is neither in the rack or behind the head string, then the cue ball can be placed anywhere in the kitchen. Note: if the 15th ball is on the head string, that is not considered in the kitchen and the cue ball can still be placed anywhere in the kitchen.
Concerning the 3 foul question, if you're talking about the opening break, it does not go "back and forth" The same player continues to re-break and accumulate foul points until he gets it right. Sometimes they deduct only one point for a scratch only when two object balls still touched a rail. If two object balls don't hit the rail it's minus 2.
Now if you're talking about regular play (not the break) where the fouls go back and forth and someone scratches for the third time, he loses 1 point plus 15 points. This is assuming that for the first two fouls, he deducted two points in the previous two turns. The total penalty over the three shots would be 18 points. In this circumstance the cue ball always is played where it is left, unless it is pocketed and then it goes behind the head string. After the first player commits his third foul, the incoming player does remain on two fouls so the first player would do well to keep that in mind and let the player know he is still on two before he shoots. After giving up so many points - it's a chance to get even.


Very thorough answer. I am not sure that I am reading the question and answer correctly, though. After the third foul, the cue ball is not placed where it is left. After the third foul, the balls are re-racked and the player who just got the third foul has to do an opening break, two balls to the rail plus the cue ball. Then his opponent would get to the table and would be on two fouls.

If I misunderstood the question and answer, I am sorry for butting in. :eek:
 

SulcoPete

Registered
Very thorough answer. I am not sure that I am reading the question and answer correctly, though. After the third foul, the cue ball is not placed where it is left. After the third foul, the balls are re-racked and the player who just got the third foul has to do an opening break, two balls to the rail plus the cue ball. Then his opponent would get to the table and would be on two fouls.

If I misunderstood the question and answer, I am sorry for butting in. :eek:
Yes of course you're right...I was talking about the difference between fouls in regular play and fouls on the break. After the third foul it's an opening break like you say...which means ball in hand in the kitchen. Thanks for pointing that out because the way I wrote it, it came out wrong.
 
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SulcoPete

Registered
Cb ends up in the rack after completing the 14 balls, where does the cb get placed ?
On the 3 foul question. If the 1st player fouls and it goes back and forth. So now it's the 1st person shot again and he fouls for the 3rd time. What is the total amount of points that he gets penalized. Also he puts the cb where the 2nd player would foul for the 3rd time. Does the cb get moved to behind the headstring or anywhere ? Or does the 2nd player have to play it where it is ? If the cb doesn't get moved and the 2nd player fouls, does he also lose the amount for 3 fouling ? Or because the 1st player fouled 3 times do the foul's start over after the 1st player 3 fouls ?
Just out of curiosity, what did you mean when you said that the 1st player fouled for the 3rd time and left the cue ball where the 2nd player would foul for the third time? It doesn't matter anyway, because as already mentioned it's a re-brake for the 1st player and ball in hand behind the head string. I mention it only because there is a little-known rule - according to BCA rules if you scratch, and all the remaining balls are behind the head string (very rare but it can happen) the incoming player is allowed to foot spot the ball closest to the head string, so making a legal shot won't be so difficult (he won't have to kick off the bottom rail, come all the way back up table, make contact with an object ball and touch a rail). Is this the situation you were referring to? I can't imagine a situation where a player would not be able to make a legal shot.
 
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dmgwalsh

Straight Pool Fanatic
Silver Member
I didn't know that after the person who 3 fouled had to rebreak.

http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/the_rules_of_play#4.11

A point is subtracted for the third foul as usual, and then the additional fifteen-point penalty is subtracted and the offending player’s consecutive foul count is reset to zero. All fifteen balls are re-racked and the offending player is required to shoot under the requirements of the opening break.

It used to be that the other player had the choice of taking the table as it was or making the offending player re-break, but that option was removed in 2008, I believe and the re-break is mandatory.
 
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