Jumping Stilts legal or not?

supergreenman

truly addicted
Silver Member
Should have asked a ref when I had a chance.....

I was watching this lady put this thing together yesterday out of curiosity. It was basically a ball with 3 metal legs. Turns out it's a gadget you use to give yourself extra height and a stable base for bridging over the cueball when you're jumping.

This device allowed the lady make jumps look easy. Even though the idea is very creative, I would throw a fit if someone pulled that out in a match with me.

If it's legal, I guess I'll have to live with it, but perhaps there should be a section in the different rule sets that prohibits bringing equipment other than cues, bridges and chalk to the table.

This isn't about jump cues. I'm neither for nor against using jump cues. I use one, but could live without it.
 
I've seen those things before...

Should have asked a ref when I had a chance.....

I was watching this lady put this thing together yesterday out of curiosity. It was basically a ball with 3 metal legs. Turns out it's a gadget you use to give yourself extra height and a stable base for bridging over the cueball when you're jumping.

This device allowed the lady make jumps look easy. Even though the idea is very creative, I would throw a fit if someone pulled that out in a match with me.

If it's legal, I guess I'll have to live with it, but perhaps there should be a section in the different rule sets that prohibits bringing equipment other than cues, bridges and chalk to the table.

This isn't about jump cues. I'm neither for nor against using jump cues. I use one, but could live without it.

... but I always thought it was to be used as a training aid, and not in competition.

I would have asked her to wait on her shot until I could verify the use of it in the tournament.
 
Yeah i think if your part of your hand is not on the table than it is an illegal shot.

Unless you're playing jacked up pool that is :p
 
There is no rule requirement that your bridge hand has to be on the table. That said, the device being discussed may not be used in the BCAPL Nationals. I don't know about other leagues.

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com

Yeah i think if your part of your hand is not on the table than it is an illegal shot.

Unless you're playing jacked up pool that is :p
 
... but I always thought it was to be used as a training aid, and not in competition.

I would have asked her to wait on her shot until I could verify the use of it in the tournament.

I wasn't playing against her, if she had pulled that out during a match, I would have called a ref.
 
Yeah i think if your part of your hand is not on the table than it is an illegal shot.

Unless you're playing jacked up pool that is :p

That would kill off any extreme masse shots you do realize, right?

Also I posted alot on these ridiculous 8-ball jump bridges when they first came out. Another gimmick that has no part in this sport IMO. Any tournament that allows them has absolutely zero respect for the game or their own event.

And they are certainly not a training tool. Using one of these crutches while training jump shot and THEN having to shoot a real jump shot without one in competition would be completely counterproductive, you would have no clue how to make the shot without your tripod raised bridge you use in practice. The devices were invented with competition (and making money) in mind with absolutely no regard for the purity or respect of the sport.
 
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Official BCAPL response

Illegal in BCAPL play.

BCAPL Rule 1.3.1(f): "you may not shoot while using any item to support or elevate your bridge hand. You may hold chalk in your hand while bridging, but the chalk may not be used to elevate your hand off the table."

There is no such specific prohibition in WSR. The closest thing is the second sentence of WSR 1.3, concerning "novel equipment", which is vague ("...generally not permitted...") and weakly worded at best. (Unless it is the WPA's intent to have varied and different rulings on the same equipment wherever you go - in that case it is worded perfectly.) Bottome line - in WSR it will be a judgment call by tournament officials.

Note - it has been determined by the BCAPL National Office that supporting your bridge hand on your leg for a masse shot while partially sitting on the table does not constitute using an "item", and is legal. That info will appear in a new Applied Ruling shortly.

:smile:
Buddy Eick
BCAPL National Head Referee
BCAPL Director of Referee Training
Technical Editor, BCAPL Rule Book
bcapl_referee@cox.net

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Kinda reminds me of the bridge on wheels that attaches to your cue. A lady in my old APA league used one of those. I personally don't care. I think these gimmicky things are funny to see in use. If I need that much help jumping, I'll probably kick instead.
 
The rest, the bone, finger extensions

All help the vertically challenged make the same shots as taller players.
Simply equalizers.
 
Over 20 years ago I invented what I called the Jump/Masse bridge. It was a ball on a telescoping rod that came up out of a base. It gave you the support to bridge off of for jumping and masse shots. I built a few of them and dropped the idea when I got the price for injection molds to mass produce them. I asked the BCA at the time for an opinion on it being legal or not and the intial answer was that they did not see a problem with it, but if I got serious with producing it they would make a offical ruling on it. I made several out of wood, but that would not have worked out for making them inexpensively enough to mass produce them. So I found other things that were easier to market and dropped the idea.
 
couldnt a regular bridge provide the height required to jump? whats the rule about the use of a regular bridge, provided by the hall or tournament, to provide height for a jump shot? A regular bridge can be used legally for various reasons, why not for a jump shot?
 
couldnt a regular bridge provide the height required to jump? whats the rule about the use of a regular bridge, provided by the hall or tournament, to provide height for a jump shot? A regular bridge can be used legally for various reasons, why not for a jump shot?

I have no problem with someone using a bridge. As I said in my original post, my problem is with people introducing devices other than chalk, cues and bridges to the game.
 
Yes..... Yes it would...



That would kill off any extreme masse shots you do realize, right?
Also I posted alot on these ridiculous 8-ball jump bridges when they first came out. Another gimmick that has no part in this sport IMO. Any tournament that allows them has absolutely zero respect for the game or their own event.

And they are certainly not a training tool. Using one of these crutches while training jump shot and THEN having to shoot a real jump shot without one in competition would be completely counterproductive, you would have no clue how to make the shot without your tripod raised bridge you use in practice. The devices were invented with competition (and making money) in mind with absolutely no regard for the purity or respect of the sport.
 
thats the problem with the pool world, the rules are set in a way that makes it so people keep producing ways to make the game easier. Its bullshit. Do I have to go and buy every contraption that out this month so that I am not at a disadvantage play some inspector gadget, pool playing magiver. uggh.
 
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