To Tell or Not To Tell? This is the question.

jmurphy

jmurphy

SWEET
Silver Member
Playing a 9Ball match and you local Bar Tourney.
Your opponent is clearly shooting the wrong ball such as being lined up
ready to shoot the 5ball with the 4ball still on the table.

Do you let him shoot the 5, call foul and take ball in hand on the 4?

.........................................OR...............................................

Do you stop him and say, hey buddy you might want to hit the 4 first?



As for me, I will stop him and let him know he is shooting the wrong ball.
I have done a few times on bar tourneys and I even did it in one of my
matches this year at the ACS.
 
I would also stop him and let him know he is shooting the wrong ball... It just feels like the proper thing to do and I have always done it.
 
In a local tournament or friendly game...Id speak up as well. higher caliber or larger tournament, his own fault and my ball in hand. :D

It would also depend on who I was playing, it shouldn't, however if I am in a local tournament, like it sounds like you were, and the guy I am playing is an asshole, rude, poor etiquette, etc. I wouldn't tell him. Most of the time thats not the case and I would speak up.

Circumstantial Is my answer.
 
as soon as you see that may happen, that's when you start shaping your tip or drop something on the floor... you keep looking away until after you hear a shot being hit, then you casually look up and in your best surprised voice you say "Whoa, wait a minute man...did you just shoot the 5... the 4 is still on the table. I would have told ya, but I wasn't looking at the table."

That scenerio is for the ones that would not tell him... better to do that then just sit and stare at him make the foul and then say "Neener, Neener, Neener.. you shot the wrong ball.... I get ball in hand"

Personally.. I usually tell the guy in friendly gambling. In a big tournament, I probably wouldn't say anything. But in gambling.... things could get ugly if you don't fess up. There's 2 kinds of reactions you might get if you don't say anything... One type of guy will say "Yep, your right.. ball in hand" and not be pissed at all. The other guy is going to think you just did the most unthinkable crime in the world. And he's going to hold it against you the rest of the set.

It might then end in a fight, a argument in order to get out of the set, or you might not get paid.

So if you do it, and you pick the wrong type of guy to do it too... it's really not worth it in the long run.
 
Pretty much like everyone else so far.... Local bar tournament I always tell them. Were I ever to get into a big(ger) tournament, I probably wouldn't.
 
Local tournaments usually means you know the people you're playing . So that also means it depends. There are a couple of players I would let shoot the wrong ball and take ball in hand . Depends on who's shooting it.
 
I pretty much think you did the right thing here jm. I've done it a couple of times myself. Once I waited a couple of days and sent the guy an email, and another time I sent a post card. :wink:
 
There was a HUGE thread about this last month, but I can't remember what it was called, so the search did me no good. There were several pages of discussion and debate about this exact situation. I think NewStroke started it, but I'm not 100% sure on that. If anyone else remembers that thread, or can find it, maybe they can post the link here. It was a goodie.
 
Depends on the player and the situation.

Regular league night or low $ tourney, below average player, "Before you shoot that 5, you might wanna check out that 4 ball"...

Flip it around... if the winner of that game takes the team to Las Vegas...

Playoffs or large tourney, regardless of average or demeanor, they are in that situation for a reason. At that point they should know how to count.
 
If earl was shooting, I would wait until he made the shot then inform him he fouled..so I could watch him go off..any body else, I 'd say something..
 
I would tell them. But... I told a competitor I didn't know that he was shooting the wrong ball, while playing in a Reno tourney some years ago, he got indignant with me and said "I know" (he didn't) and never thanked me. If I could ever remember who that was and was playing him again, I would not tell him.

So to revise my statement, I would tell them most of the time ;).

Dave
 
i say let him keep shooting even after the foul, if he starts to shoot the 6, let him go (then call foul, or if he pockets it, let him go to the 7).... if he moves his attention to the 4, stand up and say you shot the 5 just now. this is the move.

jmurphy said:
Playing a 9Ball match and you local Bar Tourney.
Your opponent is clearly shooting the wrong ball such as being lined up
ready to shoot the 5ball with the 4ball still on the table.

Do you let him shoot the 5, call foul and take ball in hand on the 4?

.........................................OR...............................................

Do you stop him and say, hey buddy you might want to hit the 4 first?



As for me, I will stop him and let him know he is shooting the wrong ball.
I have done a few times on bar tourneys and I even did it in one of my
matches this year at the ACS.
Click to expand...
 
Last night

I was playing for the bubble last night in a small $5 tournament, and double hit the cue ball and gave my oppenent BIH. No one else realized it, and several people asked what happened. Different situation, I know, but I have always told if they were going to hit the wrong ball.
 
I'd definitely want to stop him and tell him he's shooting the wrong ball. This reminds me of a happening in my last ACS league session. We're starting the last game of the match and I've got a great shot at getting high scratch score for the week with a strong first game and two BnRs. I break dry, scratch, and my opponent lines up for a shot with the cueball outside of the kitchen. I'm in my seat, yelling towards him, "Bill. HEY BILL! BILL!" He fires off his first (illegal) shot and makes it. I'm so miffed because I thought he ignored me and I'm complaining to my teammates so much that I don't see him shoot his second shot, so I can't call the foul anymore. I still won the fourth game, and the match, but I could've had 5 or 6 more points than I got.
 
I did hear a story but let me stress this is hearsay so I can't verify it.

Singles Mens Open 8Ball (National or Regional tournament not sure)

Player A:
Breaks the balls but he had accidentally place the cue ball
outside the Kitchen when breaking.

Player B:
Noticed this issue before the break took place but sat
smiling in his chair and lets player A break from outside the kitchen,
and then yells foul.

Player A:
Calls the Ref. over to talk about it.

Ref:
Asks Player B to describe what happened.

Player B:
Tells Ref that Player A placed the ball outside the kitchen and then
broke the balls.

Ref:
Asks Player B if he noticed this before the break happened.

Player B:
Says YES

Ref:
Asks Player B if he notified Player A

Player B:
Says NO I waited until after Player A broke to call a foul.

Ref:
Calls un-sportsmen like conduct on Player B &
forfeits the match to Player A.
 
jmurphy said:
I did hear a story but let me stress this is hearsay so I can't verify it.

Singles Mens Open 8Ball (National or Regional tournament not sure)

Player A:
Breaks the balls but he had accidentally place the cue ball
outside the Kitchen when breaking.

Player B:
Noticed this issue before the break took place but sat
smiling in his chair and lets player A break from outside the kitchen,
and then yells foul.

Player A:
Calls the Ref. over to talk about it.

Ref:
Asks Player B to describe what happened.

Player B:
Tells Ref that Player A placed the ball outside the kitchen and then
broke the balls.

Ref:
Asks Player B if he noticed this before the break happened.

Player B:
Says YES

Ref:
Asks Player B if he notified Player A

Player B:
Says NO I waited until after Player A broke to call a foul.

Ref:
Calls un-sportsmen like conduct on Player B &
forfeits the match to Player A.
Click to expand...

Sounds unlikely. No offense, just seems like that's a little far-fetched.
 
I think that you are doing him a better long range favor by letting him shoot.

You snooze-You looze....SPF=randyg
 
to tell or not to tell

jmurphy said:
Playing a 9Ball match and you local Bar Tourney.
Your opponent is clearly shooting the wrong ball such as being lined up
ready to shoot the 5ball with the 4ball still on the table.

Do you let him shoot the 5, call foul and take ball in hand on the 4?

.........................................OR...............................................

Do you stop him and say, hey buddy you might want to hit the 4 first?



As for me, I will stop him and let him know he is shooting the wrong ball.
I have done a few times on bar tourneys and I even did it in one of my
matches this year at the ACS.
Click to expand...



I agree with most of the posts on here that if you are playing with a buddy or small local tournament you probably won't care and will mention that they are on the wrong ball. However, it still isn't your responsiblilty
to shoot someone else's game for them. at what point do you tell the guy. You see him shooting the 5 with the 4 left. do you say, hey man
be sure to put a little extra english on that to get it back on the four. or maybe the shot before that when he was hitting it easy to get on the 5 and you think he might be hooked. Come on, it is not your job nor is it unsportsmanlike to let them shoot their game and you shoot yours.

We have all shot the wrong ball at times and it was no one's fault but our own and we shouldn't blame someone else when we don't pay attention.
 
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