Does this action constitute unsportsmanship?

Raced to 8. Score was 6-6.

In rack 13, 4 balls left and my opponent was solidly hooked behind the 9. The 7- and 9-ball were in extreme close proximity, with the 7-ball frozen to the side rail about half a ball distance from the side pocket. Even with BIH, getting the CB from 6 to 7 wasn't easy.

He missed the kick by some margin, and the CB was on its way to the long rail and was in straight path to kick the 9-ball out, which would allow me a much more margin to play position for the 7. Upon realizing that he missed the kick, he immediately tapped the CB literally 2 seconds before it contacted the 9-ball, and handed me BIH.

I consulted the TD with what happened and asked for a win for the rack, but was only rewarded with BIH. I was lucky enough to play the CB 3-rail up table, and shot the 7-ball pocket speed, and it just caught the point and dropped. Although it didn't matter, I'm wondering what the ruling is for this sort of situation.

Unless it was an accident, people who do stuff like this shouldn't even be allowed to play. They are the ones who are killing the sport of pool. I think more players need to start standing up to these types of lowlifes and take our sport back.
 
Here are the BCAPL rules.

1.40 Deliberate Foul
During a game, it is a deliberate foul if you commit any of the following acts. In addition
OFFICIAL RULES OF THE BCA POOL LEAGUE
to the penalties under the General Rules and specific game rules, you incur additional penalties as indicated.
a. Intentionally strike, move or deflect the cue ball with anything other than your cue tip.
b. Intentionally pick up or contact the cue ball with your hand while it or any other ball is in motion, or in order to end your inning,
c. Intentionally cause any ball in play to move by contacting or moving any part of the table in any way. (AR p. 84)
Penalties: First violation of (a-c): in addition to the foul penalty, you will receive a mandatory warning that second and subsequent violations during a match will result in loss of game. Second and subsequent violations during a match: loss of game.
d. Intentionally stop or deflect any ball that is in motion, or intentionally move any stationary object ball that is in play.
Penalties in addition to the foul penalty for violations involving object balls: First violation of (d): your opponent may have the object ball spotted, pocketed or left in position. It is loss of game if it is the game- winning ball. It is loss of game if a deflected object ball contacts any other ball. Second and subsequent violations involving an object ball or the cue ball during a match: loss of game.
e. Catch any ball that is falling into a pocket.
f. Place your hand into a pocket while any ball in play is in motion near that pocket.
Penalties: in addition to the foul penalty for violations involving object balls: First violation of (e-f): your opponent may have the ball spotted, placed along the lip of the pocket, pocketed, or left in position. It is loss of game if the ball involved is the game winning ball. (8-Ball exception for first violation: if the 8-ball is involved on the break shot, it is a foul only). Second and subsequent violations involving an object ball or the cue ball during a match: loss of game.
 
Most refs and TDs will only enforce the foul-BIH, especially with the PROS. Personnaly I think intentional fouls should be loss of game and a warning of DQ if it happens again in the tournament.

Issuing a warning is like giving them one get-out-of-jail card. The only thing that needs to be addressed is whether or not the shooter knowingly stopped the cueball to prevent it from disrupting a problem. If he did it on purpose, he should lose the match. I don't see how warnings are going to do anyone any good. Everybody knows you can't do that.
 
I feel a lot better now knowing the majority of you guys agree on my assessment.

It is, however, a subjective matter. My side of the story is that he intentionally stopped the CB to avoid breaking up the cluster. His argument was that he wouldn't know if the CB would contact the cluster, because it never happened. We played on the first table, right by the TD booth and spectator area. Couple of the people witnessed what happened and agreed with my judgement, but the TD wasn't paying attention to my particular match, and he preferred to keep the matter between players and himself.

The truth is, we played in the A bracket, and so I was convinced it was a deliberate strategy. Whatever it is, I won the rack and lost the set. The situation didn't physically alter the outcome of the match. Lesson learned, especially now with some members of the forum posted the official rules of misconduct.

Thanks.
 
Loss of game. That would be like playing a game of 8ball and you see its going to drop in the wrong pocket so you stop it with your cue. You are changing the layout of the table to your advantage. Loss of game.

This +1

Celtic
 
Unsportmanship? Nahh,You just got flat out cheated! A pro did that to me one time.He's In the top 10 In the US too.I ran to the director screaming about what happened...Yep all I got was ball In hand.He did the same thing..kicked at a ball from where i had him locked up,and missed the ball and It was flying right at this cluster of balls and he grabbed the cball real quick.Real pro I say.JB

If more people outed people who did stuff like this alot less people would do it to begin with. That pro will now simply go on to do it to the next "you" with the feeling that he will remain annonymous.
 
Raced to 8. Score was 6-6.

In rack 13, 4 balls left and my opponent was solidly hooked behind the 9. The 7- and 9-ball were in extreme close proximity, with the 7-ball frozen to the side rail about half a ball distance from the side pocket. Even with BIH, getting the CB from 6 to 7 wasn't easy.

He missed the kick by some margin, and the CB was on its way to the long rail and was in straight path to kick the 9-ball out, which would allow me a much more margin to play position for the 7. Upon realizing that he missed the kick, he immediately tapped the CB literally 2 seconds before it contacted the 9-ball, and handed me BIH.

I consulted the TD with what happened and asked for a win for the rack, but was only rewarded with BIH. I was lucky enough to play the CB 3-rail up table, and shot the 7-ball pocket speed, and it just caught the point and dropped. Although it didn't matter, I'm wondering what the ruling is for this sort of situation.

Don't care to read any of the posts, Flagrant Foul & Unsportsman like conduct immediately come to mind. Loss of game, you win.
 
I have seen this happen in a pro match. SVB vs. Mika, not sure exactly what tournament. Mika missed a shot, and the cueball was heading uptable to break out a cluster (which he played for but since he missed...), Mika brought down his stick and blocked the cueball.

Shane brought over the ref to talk it over and ended up with just BIH like you. He won the game with nice shape on the tied up ball.

These should be game winners though, it's a deliberate ploy to disrupt the game. Pretty much the same as taking the cueball and flinging it randomly at the table after a scratch knocking into balls. If the player is even a C level, they should know better about the rules and conduct expected of them in a match.
I saw that one on video in a former thread.
I agree with you and I called for loss of game in that thread.

Had it happen in a tournament I was running....ruled it loss of game and
next time it would be disqualification.
 
Boy oh boy, this is the same kind of player that would have thrown a temper tantrum if you had done that to him.

I'm glad to see that the Unsportsmanlike penalty options include a loss of rack. If TDs and refs don't enforce it, how are cheaters going to learn that they can't pull off crap like that?
 
You should never have to tolerate that at all, even if it were the first game of the set. Unsportsmanlike conduct is sometimes a subjective call but in this case it seems very clear. I think it should have resulted in loss of game plus a stern warning to your opponent that if he did it again, it would result in loss of match.

Technically, it doesn't matter if the cb was or wasn't about to disturb other balls. He should not have touched a cb in motion. This action is often tolerated when it's clear the cb isn't about to touch another ball, but then it sets a precedent for this kind of thing to occur.


In APA the only time you forfeit the game is .......

A game is forfeited if you alter the course of the 8-ball or the cue ball
in a game losing situation.

Example: You are shooting the 4-ball, miss the pocket, and the 4-ball
hits the 8-ball. The 8-ball is going towards the pocket and you reach out
and stop it and try to claim that it is only a ball-in-hand foul. Wrong, it
is loss of game.

Example: You are shooting at the 8-ball and miss the pocket and the
8-ball is heading towards the wrong pocket or the cue ball is heading
towards a pocket. You reach out and stop the ball and claim that it is
only a ball-in-hand foul. Wrong, it is loss of game.

Every other foul is only BIH..... even if it is unsportsmanship like conduct.

It might call for an accidental head butt!!!

Kim
 
I feel a lot better now

... The situation didn't physically alter the outcome of the match.
Thanks.

But we don't really know that. The score would suggest it, I agree...but one could argue both sides with ease and no significant sense of certainty either way.


Off with his head! Luxury knows what I am talkin 'bout.

Put me down for Loss of life.
 
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:grin:
I have seen this happen in a pro match. SVB vs. Mika, not sure exactly what tournament. Mika missed a shot, and the cueball was heading uptable to break out a cluster (which he played for but since he missed...), Mika brought down his stick and blocked the cueball.

Shane brought over the ref to talk it over and ended up with just BIH like you. He won the game with nice shape on the tied up ball.

These should be game winners though, it's a deliberate ploy to disrupt the game. Pretty much the same as taking the cueball and flinging it randomly at the table after a scratch knocking into balls. If the player is even a C level, they should know better about the rules and conduct expected of them in a match.

I also was watching that match! I just remember shane dogging a couple shots, then Mika grabbed the cueball just before breaking out the cluster. It only gave bih for shane, but it was like wakeing a demon! He was very !upset and focused after that.
 
:grin:

I also was watching that match! I just remember shane dogging a couple shots, then Mika grabbed the cueball just before breaking out the cluster. It only gave bih for shane, but it was like wakeing a demon! He was very !upset and focused after that.


Coz SVB knows Mika tried to pull a move...thought his name was Slick-a!
Tee-hehehehee
 
Lowlifes & Pool

Unless it was an accident, people who do stuff like this shouldn't even be allowed to play. They are the ones who are killing the sport of pool. I think more players need to start standing up to these types of lowlifes and take our sport back.

!!!!!!:thumbup:!!!!!!!!!
 
But we don't really know that. The score would suggest it, I agree...but one could argue both sides with ease and no significant sense of certainty either way.

It doesn't matter. The ability to finish that particular rack despite the unfair ruling was the take home message for me. I have a few more rounds of qualifications to play, and I'm quite confident I'll be playing in the championship round.
 
ill take this a step further. outgoing players not only should never touch a missed hit cb still moving..... i dont think outgoing players should have the right to touch any ball, even if it has stopped or it is in the pocket. why do they need to touch balls??? their inning is over. this solves a lot of little problems too.

but yeah, this should definitely be loss of game. loss of match is too severe in my opinion.
 
I think is unsportsmanlike conduct under WPA rules. See below. I think falls under item b) "changing position of balls in play other than by a shot."


6.16 Unsportsmanlike Conduct
The normal penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct is the same as for a serious foul, but the referee may impose a penalty depending on his judgment of the conduct. Among other penalties possible are a warning; a standard-foul penalty, which will count as part of a three-foul sequence if applicable; a serious-foul penalty; loss of a rack, set or match; ejection from the competition possibly with forfeiture of all prizes, trophies and standings points.
Unsportsmanlike conduct is any intentional behavior that brings disrepute to the sport or which disrupts or changes the game to the extent that it cannot be played fairly. It includes
(a) distracting the opponent;
(b) changing the position of the balls in play other than by a shot;
(c) playing a shot by intentionally miscuing;
(d) continuing to play after a foul has been called or play has been suspended;
(e) practicing during a match;
(f) marking the table;
(g) delay of the game; and
(h) using equipment inappropriately.
 
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I have seen this happen in a pro match. SVB vs. Mika, not sure exactly what tournament. Mika missed a shot, and the cueball was heading uptable to break out a cluster (which he played for but since he missed...), Mika brought down his stick and blocked the cueball.

Shane brought over the ref to talk it over and ended up with just BIH like you. He won the game with nice shape on the tied up ball.

These should be game winners though, it's a deliberate ploy to disrupt the game. Pretty much the same as taking the cueball and flinging it randomly at the table after a scratch knocking into balls. If the player is even a C level, they should know better about the rules and conduct expected of them in a match.

http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/9133941

Here is the match i also didnt like this call seemed like Mika purposely did it too JMHO
 
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