Rules Question

Oldwestside

Oldwestside

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I have arthritic hands which makes bridging over balls extremely hard. I'm wondering it is legal to just hold a bridge head in my hand as an artificial aid in shooting over balls? I use an Ajusta-Bridge and when I tried it last night it worked pretty well.

Thank you.
 
If I were playing you, I wouldn't have a problem with you doing that.

As far as the rules go, I don't think you should have any problem doing it. If someone starts jawing, ask them to show you in the rulebook where it says you can't do that. I think they're gonna be hard pressed to find it.

That's sorta like calling a foot foul on a guy in a wheelchair. Bad karma.
 
Technically I would say NO based on the first paragraph below in bold from the current BCAPL rules.

1.3 Use of Equipment
The BCAPL reserves the right to prohibit any equipment it deems untested or inappropriate, or that has not been evaluated by the BCAPL National Office.

1. You are responsible for all equipment and accessory items you bring to the table. You may not use, or attempt to use, equipment or accessory items in a manner other than their intended use:

a. You may use only your cue stick, held in your hand or not,to help align a shot.

b. You may use either a built-in or an add-on cue extender.

c. You may use your own chalk provided the color is compatible with the cloth.

d. You may not use more than two mechanical bridges at any one time. A bridge may only be used to support the cue stick or another bridge.

e. You may not use any item to prop up your bridge hand. You may hold chalk in your bridge hand while bridging, but the chalk may not be used to elevate your hand off the table.

f. You may not use any ball, your cue stick, the rack, or any other equipment or width-measuring device to determine if the cue ball or any object ball would fit through a gap or to judge what ball the cue ball would contact first.

Now I guess if you actually have the justabridge attached to a six inch shaft it would be OK.......:cool::cool::cool: You are actually using the bridge as a short bridge and not holding it in the hand.
 
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Official BCAPL response

Legal. The fact that the bridge head is not attached to a handle is irrelevant.

BCAPL definition of "Mechanical Bridge": A grooved device, usually mounted on a handle, which provides support for the shaft of the cue stick. (emphasis added)

Additionally, there is no basis in any rule for disallowing the use of a bridge based on cue ball position in relation to any other factor.

:)

Buddy Eick
BCAPL National Head Referee (WOW!! very humbled to be promoted :grin: )
BCAPL Director of Referee Training
Technical Editor, BCAPL Rule Book
bcapl_referee@cox.net

Find the Official Rules of the BCA Pool League here:

http://www.playbca.com/Downloads/Rul...2/Default.aspx

* The contents of this post refer to BCA Pool League (BCAPL) Rules only. The BCAPL National Office has authorized me to act in an official capacity regarding questions about BCAPL Rules matters in public forums.
* Neither I nor any BCAPL referee make any policy decisions regarding BCAPL Rules. Any and all decisions, interpretations, or Applied Rulings are made by the BCAPL National Office and are solely their responsibility. BCAPL referees are enforcers of rules, not legislators. BCAPL Rules 9.4.3 and 9.4.4 apply.
* No reference to, inference concerning, or comment on any other set of rules (WPA, APA, VNEA, TAP, or any other set of rules, public or private) is intended or should be derived from this post unless specifically stated.
* There is no such thing as "BCA Rules" other than in the sense that the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) publishes various rules, including the World Pool-Billiard Association's "World Standardized Rules". The BCA does not edit nor is responsible for the content of the World Standardized Rules. The Official Rules of the BCAPL is a separate and independent set of rules and, to avoid confusion, should not be referred to as "BCA Rules".
* Since 2004, there is no such thing as a "BCA Referee". The BCA no longer has any program to train, certify or sanction billiards referees or officials.
* The BCAPL has no association with the Billiard Congress of America other than in their capacity as a member of the BCA.
* The BCAPL has not addressed every imaginable rules issue, nor will it ever likely be able to, as evidenced by the seemingly endless situations that people dream up or that (more frequently) actually happen. If I do not have the answer to a question I will tell you so, then I will get a ruling from the BCAPL National Office and get back to you as soon as I can. If deemed necessary, the BCAPL will then add the ruling to the "Applied Rulings" section of The Official Rules of the BCA Pool League.
 
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Lets get real. It is called a bridge and that is what he is using it for but without the handle. If you turn the bridge on its side you can use it to help shoot over a ball. There are rules as to how much a cue stick can weigh but its length can be anything as long as it doesn't go over the weight limit. So whats the big deal with a bridge.
Ron
 
Many handicap/wheel chair players HAVE to use bridge aids......Just keep the golf cart at the links. They probably wouldn't let you use a Rodney Dangerfield/Caddy Shack putter tho.:thumbup:
 
tatcat2000 said:
Legal. The fact that the bridge head is not attached to a handle is irrelevant.

BCAPL definition of "Mechanical Bridge": A grooved device, usually mounted on a handle, which provides support for the shaft of the cue stick. (emphasis added)

Additionally, there is no basis in any rule for disallowing the use of a bridge based on cue ball position in relation to any other factor.

:)

Buddy Eick
BCAPL National Head Referee (WOW!! very humbled to be promoted :grin: )
BCAPL Director of Referee Training
Technical Editor, BCAPL Rule Book
bcapl_referee@cox.net

Find the Official Rules of the BCA Pool League here:

http://www.playbca.com/Downloads/Rul...2/Default.aspx

* The contents of this post refer to BCA Pool League (BCAPL) Rules only. The BCAPL National Office has authorized me to act in an official capacity regarding questions about BCAPL Rules matters in public forums.
* Neither I nor any BCAPL referee make any policy decisions regarding BCAPL Rules. Any and all decisions, interpretations, or Applied Rulings are made by the BCAPL National Office and are solely their responsibility. BCAPL referees are enforcers of rules, not legislators. BCAPL Rules 9.4.3 and 9.4.4 apply.
* No reference to, inference concerning, or comment on any other set of rules (WPA, APA, VNEA, TAP, or any other set of rules, public or private) is intended or should be derived from this post unless specifically stated.
* There is no such thing as "BCA Rules" other than in the sense that the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) publishes various rules, including the World Pool-Billiard Association's "World Standardized Rules". The BCA does not edit nor is responsible for the content of the World Standardized Rules. The Official Rules of the BCAPL is a separate and independent set of rules and, to avoid confusion, should not be referred to as "BCA Rules".
* Since 2004, there is no such thing as a "BCA Referee". The BCA no longer has any program to train, certify or sanction billiards referees or officials.
* The BCAPL has no association with the Billiard Congress of America other than in their capacity as a member of the BCA.
* The BCAPL has not addressed every imaginable rules issue, nor will it ever likely be able to, as evidenced by the seemingly endless situations that people dream up or that (more frequently) actually happen. If I do not have the answer to a question I will tell you so, then I will get a ruling from the BCAPL National Office and get back to you as soon as I can. If deemed necessary, the BCAPL will then add the ruling to the "Applied Rulings" section of The Official Rules of the BCA Pool League.
Click to expand...

Good call ref! I like you and the BCAPL a lot more now.
 
mreightball said:
Lets get real. It is called a bridge and that is what he is using it for but without the handle. If you turn the bridge on its side you can use it to help shoot over a ball. There are rules as to how much a cue stick can weigh but its length can be anything as long as it doesn't go over the weight limit. So whats the big deal with a bridge.
Ron
Click to expand...

This is a little off topic but actually there are restrictions on a cue's length. The minimum length is 40". I think this was instituted to keep players from jumping balls with their shaft only. I'm not sure this bears on the current discussion though.

Under the WPA rules (from the BCA website) under equipment specs it does say this:

18. Mechanical Bridge
The mechanical bridge, also called rake, crutch or rest, is an accessory of the billiard sports table and consists of a stick with a bridge head mounted at its end to support the shaft of the cue stick replacing the hand bridge during shots difficult to reach. The stick or handle of the mechanical bridge is very similar in shape to the cue stick. The bridge head has notches or grooves, usually at various heights, in which the cue shaft can rest. The contour of the bridge head should be smooth in order not to mar the cue shaft or rip the threads of the table-cloth when being used.

Given the above I suppose it could be interpreted that the intended use of a mechanical bridge is for "difficult to reach" shots, and therefore it's use otherwise would be a violation of the rule that says you cannot use a device for other than its intended use.

Tell you what though. Whatever the call is, if your playing me and fighting arthritis, go ahead and use it whenever you need to :thumbup:.


Every time there is a rules question it drives me nuts that there is not ONE final authoritative set of rules. When in doubt I'm not sure what to go by, but I've always assumed if it is not league play of some kind then the rules would be those as referenced on the Billiard Congress of America website: the World Pool-Billiard Assoc. rules.
 
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He IS using for a difficult to reach shot. He has arthritis so any shot that requires him to bridge over a ball is a shot that is difficult to reach.
 
Anyone who wants to call you on this is being an ass... I'd say you're within the letter and the spirit of the law. If someone wanted to use the bridge (or just a bridge head) on EVERY shot I wouldn't call them on it. It doesn't seem like it'd provide any kind of unfair advantage.
 
I think some people may be a bit confused here. He's talking about using the bridge to support his hand, not his cue, right? So it seems like the first person who posted the rules has the right answer, that he is NOT allowed to use the bridge that way (at least according to that particular rulebook) because the bridge may only be used to support a cue or another bridge. This situation kind of reminds me of that golfer who couldn't walk the course because of a heart condition; I think they ended up not allowing him use of a cart, so he couldn't play.

To the thread originator, I'm very sorry to hear of your condition. I hope your opponents do let you use the bridge that way despite the rules.
 
Thanks

I'm actually using the bridge head to support the cue, not my hand; but I hold the bridge head in my hand. I never ask any quarter from anyone and don't expect to get any relief due to arthritis. But if I can find a way to help my game and it's within the rules, that's great.

From what I've read here, it is legal and I'll start using it.

Best regards to everyone who replied.
 
Several years in a row, at the VNEA Natl's in Vegas, I saw a gentleman with one arm & a bad leg use a home made "free bridge" of sorts. He used crutches and, when he shot, he'd lean one of the crutches out of the way against the table & shoot with the cue butt under his arm, guiding/stroking with his hand, using the device as his bridge. It was all perfectly legal, he didn't take a lot of time doing it, and when you played against him - you didn't waste much time thinking thru the validity of it all. He shot lights out & would kick your ass if you didn't keep your head where it belonged (or maybe even if you did). His wife said he played for a living before going to war, where he was injured. He left a very positive impression.
 
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Oldwestside said:
I'm actually using the bridge head to support the cue, not my hand; but I hold the bridge head in my hand. I never ask any quarter from anyone and don't expect to get any relief due to arthritis. But if I can find a way to help my game and it's within the rules, that's great.

From what I've read here, it is legal and I'll start using it.

Best regards to everyone who replied.
Click to expand...

Ahh, I see now. All I could picture when I read that you held it in your was that it was supporting your hand. That's great, then...no rules issues :)
 
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