US rules

[Chris_Lynch]

Being that the US seems to be the only country that allows players to move balls without it being a foul I would like to suggest that we change this rule. Forget the CB fouls only. You move a ball you get punished.

The Turning Stone event has the "if you move a ball while shooting" foul and I didn't see one foul or moved ball the entire time I was there. I think the US is holding people back by letting them be lazy. Can we tighten up here?

What do you all think?

I know it may be hard to implement at first but we really shouldn't be moving balls.

 

[Jason Koopman]

I agree, should be a foul especially at the pro level.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

Being that the US seems to be the only country that allows players to move balls without it being a foul I would like to suggest that we change this rule. Forget the CB fouls only. You move a ball you get punished.

The Turning Stone event has the "if you move a ball while shooting" foul and I didn't see one foul or moved ball the entire time I was there. I think the US is holding people back by letting them be lazy. Can we tighten up here?

What do you all think?

I know it may be hard to implement at first but we really shouldn't be moving balls.

I actually have mixed feelings about this. Personally, I think it's a great rule in many ways. It professionalizes a tournament. Moving balls is terribly amateur and frankly, if it's not a concern, it makes the circumstances less difficult. When you know moving a ball is a foul, you're forced to take extra precaution.

On the otherhand, with events like the 14.1 Championship, dress-codes can also come into play. My match against Shaun Wilkie was evidence of this. He missed at least 3 shots because he was worried his vest would brush a ball. One might say that his lesson is now learned but I personally would hope that if we do move to an all-ball-foul rule, careful instruction on how to fulfill the dress-code are provided. It was obvious Shaun really went out of his way to fulfill the dress-code and I thought it was unfortunate that his enthusiasm would hinder his play.

I like the idea. I just hope that with that, we remind players that clothing should be form-fitting so that it doesn't interfere with normal play.

 

[Rich R.]

I actually have mixed feelings about this. Personally, I think it's a great rule in many ways. It professionalizes a tournament. Moving balls is terribly amateur and frankly, if it's not a concern, it makes the circumstances less difficult. When you know moving a ball is a foul, you're forced to take extra precaution.

On the otherhand, with events like the 14.1 Championship, dress-codes can also come into play. My match against Shaun Wilkie was evidence of this. He missed at least 3 shots because he was worried his vest would brush a ball. One might say that his lesson is now learned but I personally would hope that if we do move to an all-ball-foul rule, careful instruction on how to fulfill the dress-code are provided. It was obvious Shaun really went out of his way to fulfill the dress-code and I thought it was unfortunate that his enthusiasm would hinder his play.

I like the idea. I just hope that with that, we remind players that clothing should be form-fitting so that it doesn't interfere with normal play.

On the Pro level, especially for World Championships, I'm all for fouls on all balls. As far as playing with a dress code, let me remind you that "back in the day", the great players wore tuxedos to play and it didn't bother them.

The only problem I see with fouls on all balls is that you really should have a referee for each match if that is they way you are going to play. Without a referee, I think there would be too many arguments about whether a piece of clothing touched a ball or not.

 

[Jude Rosenstock]

On the Pro level, especially for World Championships, I'm all for fouls on all balls. As far as playing with a dress code, let me remind you that "back in the day", the great players wore tuxedos to play and it didn't bother them.

The only problem I see with fouls on all balls is that you really should have a referee for each match if that is they way you are going to play. Without a referee, I think there would be too many arguments about whether a piece of clothing touched a ball or not.

Actually, I never witnessed a single argument during the three day I was at the World Championships. In fact, not one of my opponents (nor I) committed a foul by touching a ball. Also, I know tuxedos were once worn but the reason I brought it up simply had to do with the difficulty in such a transition. Back then, formal wear was so commonly worn, players would purchase their outfits mindful about how easily they would be able to move in them. My point was simply, if you are to make it all-ball-fouls, you'll need to instruct players on how carefully they should select their outfits.

 

[JAM]

Actually, I never witnessed a single argument during the three day I was at the World Championships. In fact, not one of my opponents (nor I) committed a foul by touching a ball. Also, I know tuxedos were once worn but the reason I brought it up simply had to do with the difficulty in such a transition. Back then, formal wear was so commonly worn, players would purchase their outfits mindful about how easily they would be able to move in them. My point was simply, if you are to make it all-ball-fouls, you'll need to instruct players on how carefully they should select their outfits.

Back in the "day," so to speak, when tuxedos were worn, most men did wear suits quite a bit. My father, as one example, always wore a suit out in public, and you would NEVER see him bare-chested or wearing a T-shirt. My, times have changed.

I will say, though, that the long-sleeved shirts for some players, depending on how they stroke the ball, can thwart one's capabilities to execute certain shots. I saw it happen at the IPT where long-sleeved shirts was the dress code.

I think all-ball fouls, like Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour, is the way to go, having seen tournaments utilizing a variety of rules in the past. That way, it does seem to help eliminate arguments.

Now, if we could only do something about the racking dilemma. I know, I know, that's the topic for another thread. :grin:

 

[Realizm]

Being that the US seems to be the only country that allows players to move balls without it being a foul I would like to suggest that we change this rule. Forget the CB fouls only. You move a ball you get punished.

The Turning Stone event has the "if you move a ball while shooting" foul and I didn't see one foul or moved ball the entire time I was there. I think the US is holding people back by letting them be lazy. Can we tighten up here?

What do you all think?

I know it may be hard to implement at first but we really shouldn't be moving balls.

I agree, we have become lazy.