Calling a Safety Shot

L

latinobori4u

New member
I'm currently working in Afghanistan and we are having Pool tournaments here, following BCA rules. Now in terms of calling a Safety everything is clear but one thing and is the following:

- (BCA - 8 Ball) When you call a safety and hit your group of ball (either a stripe or a solid) after you make contact does anything has to hit rail after contact or as long as you hit the object ball after calling a safety will do?

- The reason why I'm asking is because after guys here call a safety they are saying that after contact the any ball after contact must hit a rail...if so why? cause it defeats the purpose of calling a safety...is just like a Push on 9 Ball...

The faster the better we have a Tournament today in 6 1/2 hours.

Thanks in Advance
 
In my knowledge, every shot you make in 8-ball, something has to go in or something has to hit the rail after contact.

Why? Because it would make playing safety shots too easy by rolling up to a ball, like in snooker.

If you call safe and pocket one of your own balls, then your opponent must shoot.
 
According to the BCA 8 ball rules, either a numbered ball or the cue ball must hit a cushion after contact. Here's a quote from the rule book:

12. LEGAL SHOT. Defined. On all shots except on the break and when the table is open, the shooter must hit one of his group of balls first and 1, pocket a numbered ball, or 2, cause the cue ball or any numbered ball to contact a rail.
 
One can argue there is no reason to call a safety if a ball isn't going to go in, other than as a courtesy. A missed shot that results in a hit rail after contact is just a missed shot regardless if you call "safety" or not.

And yes, you must hit a rail.
 
Also, a push in 9ball is usually just off the break and you don't have to hit anything, and your opponent has the option of shooting or letting you continue. A safety can be played at any time in 8 or 9 ball and your opponent has to shoot it.
 
Calling a Sefety

Thanks Everyone for the input, I know all those rules just wanna make sure so we can enforce it on our tournaments here following BCA rules which I print...today we had our 8 Ball tournament here in Afghanistan and our turn out was 55 players, with 8 Players making it to the Finals on Tuesday, I'm very lucky to be one of the 8 Players....

Again thanks and GOD Bless You All...

From Farah, Afghanistan
 
spatlese44 said:
One can argue there is no reason to call a safety if a ball isn't going to go in, other than as a courtesy. A missed shot that results in a hit rail after contact is just a missed shot regardless if you call "safety" or not.a

And yes, you must hit a rail.
Click to expand...

1. Yes. must get a rail or make a ball after contact.

2. The most useful time to call safety under BCAPL rules is when you want to make one of your balls but not shoot again. You call "safe", make the ball, but the shot passes to your opponent because when you played "safe" you did not call a ball and pocket. This only works in called pocket games.
 
A) generally you "call" a safety when you intend to pocket a ball and play safe at the same time. Thus advancing your position and hurting the opponents chances at the same time. Otherwise there is no reason to "call" a safety, excepting curtesy.

B) if the OB is frozen to a rail, in BCA, you have to have a ball hit a different rail after legal contact.
 
steev said:
no...that rail is not allowed for the OB when it was frozen.

plus, what kind of crooked tables are you playing on?

-s
Click to expand...

Not true. That rail is legal as long as the ball first leaves that rail. You can hit the frozen ball off that rail, carom it into another ball, and then back to that rail and it's a legal shot.

From the WPA rules:

6.3 No Rail after Contact
If no ball is pocketed on a shot, the cue ball must contact an object ball, and after that contact at least one ball (cue ball or any object ball) must be driven to a rail, or the shot is a foul. (See 8.4 Driven to a Rail.)
Click to expand...

8.4 Driven to a Rail
A ball is said to be driven to a rail if it is not touching that rail and then touches that rail. A ball touching at the start of a shot (said to be “frozen” to the rail) is not considered driven to that rail unless it leaves the rail and returns. A ball that is pocketed or driven off the table is also considered to have been driven to a rail. A ball is assumed not to be frozen to any rail unless it is declared frozen by the referee, the shooter, or the opponent.
Click to expand...
 
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