RULES - What happens if an object ball is hit with the cue rather than the cue ball?

[AuntyDan]

An odd question a friend asked me - When playing 8-ball under the international WPA rules a player manages to stroke their cue but completely misses the cue ball and instead directly hits an object ball.

In this scenario what happens if:

1) An object ball is struck but not made but the cue
2) An object ball is struck and made in a pocket
3) An object ball is struck and made in a pocket and is the 8 ball

It would seem to me in 1) or 2) that it is a standard foul (BIH to the opponent) and the object ball gets either reset or spotted, depending on how much other movement took place.

The biggest argument however is over scenario 3. Is this a loss or does the 8 get reset or spotted? The issue seems to me is determining if this is a standard foul under rule 6.6 or a loss of game foul on pocketing the 8 ball under rule 3.8

Of course it could fall the Unsportsmanlike Conduct rule 6.16b (changing the position of the balls in play other than by a shot) if deemed deliberate, but we'll assume it was accidental.

 

[Drew]

If you're playing all ball fouls, then it's a foul.

If you're playing cue ball fouls only, then it's not a foul unless, due to the disturbance, the cue ball gets hit by an object ball. If the cue ball's position is disturbed, then your opponent gets ball in hand (or whatever the consequence of a foul).

If other balls are disturbed but the cue ball is not, then it is your opponent's option of whether to replace all the balls to their original position or to leave the balls as the lie. Regardless of which option your opponent chooses, it's still your shot.

 

[Cuaba]

Forgot One.....

If you're playing all ball fouls, then it's a foul.

If you're playing cue ball fouls only, then it's not a foul unless, due to the disturbance, the cue ball gets hit by an object ball. If the cue ball's position is disturbed, then your opponent gets ball in hand (or whatever the consequence of a foul).

If other balls are disturbed but the cue ball is not, then it is your opponent's option of whether to replace all the balls to their original position or to leave the balls as the lie. Regardless of which option your opponent chooses, it's still your shot.

If you are playing cue ball fouls only, but a ball is moved that would have been in, or is moved into, the path of the cue ball it is a foul.

 

[Drew]

If you are playing cue ball fouls only, but a ball is moved that would have been in, or is moved into, the path of the cue ball it is a foul.

Yeah I know...but OP said the CB is not in motion.

 

[1hit1der]

The rules also state that no object ball is ever re-spotted and the 8 ball is only re-spotted when driven off the table or pocketed on the break (3.7). So it should be a foul, BIH to opponent, everything stays down. If it's the 8 ball, seems like a loss of game, especially considering that fouling when pocketing the 8 ball is explicitly written as a loss of rack scenario (3.8a).