In the kitchen and confused

[BillinJersey]

What is my best shot when faced with the following situation:
There are 2 balls left on the table, both of which are in the kitchen. My opponent shoots at one of them, misses, and pockets the cue ball. Both object balls are still in the kitchen. I then have ball in hand in the kitchen, but neither ball can be pocketed easily by first having to go down to the foot rail and back up table because they are near the head rail and away from the corner pockets. (which is my only option since I'm not allowed to shoot at them directly,right?) Btw, is there a rule number in the world rules that addresses this?
Anyway, I think my only 2 options are to either leave the cue down at the foot rail and hope my opponent can't come up with a bank/safe; OR
send the cue ball directly into the side or lower corner pockets, take the minus 1, which would leave my opponent with ball in hand in the kitchen. That would mean he's one foul ahead of me and he would get to 3 fouls first if the intentional fouls continued.
When I first realized I was in the kitchen with no shot, I thought to myself that my opponent is the one who scratched, but I was the one being "penalized". I even thought about doing the same to him the next chance I got, but I guess it isn't a good move to make on your opponent, unless they don't know the rules that well, and they think they must try a long shot off the foot rail at one of the balls. Do I have this about right? Thanks.

 

[Cue Guru]

Given the situation as you described it, I'd take the foul (to be on one to his two).

I did something similar in the 10-ball tourney this past weekend. It was my shot, and I could see the object ball to hit it, but no chance to make it, and since it was in a small cluster, hitting it would leave the cue ball in a position with a shot, and the balls broken up for this strong nine-ball player. So I shot the cue straight into the corner pocket and sat back down for a minute...

Also note that after I evaluated the table I determined that with ball in hand, the opponent would not make the ball either- there was truly no shot. After the opponent shot and broke up the cluster (and made nothing), it was once again my shot with several open balls.:smile:

I prefer 14.1 to 9-ball, and a 9-ball player would have taken the hit, rather than the intentional scratch. I tend to be slower, but sometimes (not always!) have a better sight of the bigger picture...

 

[steev]

take the intentional foul and force him to shoot it, you're up one foul. if he wants to foul three times you can have 15 points. otherwise he's gonna move the balls for you

-s

 

[BillinJersey]

Thanks for the replies. Sorry for the multiple posts. First day with new computer having switched from pc to mac.

 

[eales]

Rule question

From the WPA rules:

1.5 Cue Ball in Hand
When the cue ball is in hand, the shooter may place the cue ball anywhere on the playing surface (see 8.1 Parts of the Table) and may continue to move the cue ball until he executes a shot. (See definition 8.2 Shot.) Players may use any part of the cue stick to move the cue ball, including the tip, but not with a forward stroke motion. In some games and for most break shots, placement of the cue ball may be restricted to the area behind the head string depending on the rules of the game, and then 6.10 Bad Cue Ball Placement and 6.11 Bad Play from Behind the Head String may apply.
When the shooter has the cue ball in hand behind the head string and all the legal object balls are behind the head string, he may request the legal object ball nearest the head string to be spotted. If two or more balls are equal distance from the head string, the shooter may designate which of the equidistant balls is to be spotted. An object ball that rests exactly on the head string is playable.


Jim Eales

 

[Cue Guru]

From the WPA rules:

1.5 Cue Ball in Hand
When the shooter has the cue ball in hand behind the head string and all the legal object balls are behind the head string, he may request the legal object ball nearest the head string to be spotted. If two or more balls are equal distance from the head string, the shooter may designate which of the equidistant balls is to be spotted. An object ball that rests exactly on the head string is playable.


Jim Eales

With this last point, I suspect the string would have to be marked on the cloth to aoid arguments.

 

[3andstop]

Shoot the cue ball into the pocket to take the foul.

 

[Bob Jewett]

Shoot the cue ball into the pocket to take the foul.

That is a possible play, but the opponent, then on the first foul and with ball in hand behind the head string, might say, "Please spot the ball in the kitchen that is closest to the head string." He could then shoot a spot shot. If your opponent rarely makes spot shots, it might be a good move.

 

[mosconiac]

14.1 World Standardized Rules (6.7.7):

When a player has the cue ball in hand behind the head string (as after a scratch) and all the object balls are behind the head string, the object ball nearest the head string may be spotted upon request. If two or more balls are an equal distance from the head string, the player may designate which of the equidistant balls is to be spotted.

 

[alstl]

Myself I would spot up the closest ball to the headstring and take the spot shot and try to get position for a break shot off the other ball.

 

[BillinJersey]

Thanks all. I now realize that if I didn't cheap out and download only the 14.1 section of the WPA version 21.12.2007 standardized rules(instead of buying an actual BCA rule book), I would have seen rule 6.7.7 in the first place. I now also see that the WPA rules have almost the exact wording under General Rules, but it's under section 1.5 which also covers cue ball in hand. Oh well, live and learn.......

 

[8Ball48043]

From the WPA rules:

1.5 Cue Ball in Hand
When the cue ball is in hand, the shooter may place the cue ball anywhere on the playing surface (see 8.1 Parts of the Table) and may continue to move the cue ball until he executes a shot. (See definition 8.2 Shot.) Players may use any part of the cue stick to move the cue ball, including the tip, but not with a forward stroke motion. In some games and for most break shots, placement of the cue ball may be restricted to the area behind the head string depending on the rules of the game, and then 6.10 Bad Cue Ball Placement and 6.11 Bad Play from Behind the Head String may apply.
When the shooter has the cue ball in hand behind the head string and all the legal object balls are behind the head string, he may request the legal object ball nearest the head string to be spotted. If two or more balls are equal distance from the head string, the shooter may designate which of the equidistant balls is to be spotted. An object ball that rests exactly on the head string is playable.


Jim Eales

This is the way that I've always understood this situation to be handled.