Rules Question about taking balls out of pocket
- Thread starter LSU1018
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To be more specific, you can't use ANY ball as a measuring device. If you have BIH and you place the cueball between an object-ball and the rail with zero intention of actually shooting from there, you are liable to be called for unsportsmanlike conduct, specifically illegal use of equipment.
You ARE allowed to measure a space with your hand and that allowance might extend to your cue (though if faced with this situation, you might want to ask the referee first). You can't use chalk and you DEFINITELY cannot use a any ball.
You ARE allowed to measure a space with your hand and that allowance might extend to your cue (though if faced with this situation, you might want to ask the referee first). You can't use chalk and you DEFINITELY cannot use a any ball.
I've seen SVB measure an OB's distance from the rail with his cue when calculating a rail-first kick shot (double-the-distance method). No one at the tournament said anything about it.
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I don't doubt it but if you're in a competition and wish to use your cue, you might want to ask first. Oftentimes, the wording that referees use is, equipment must be used in the manner in which it was intended. Oftentimes, it's stated that a cue may be used as a measuring device so long as it's held. Personally, I never use anything to see if a ball passes. If I can't tell visually, I regard it as too tight. If I were to use something other than my hand, I'd ask a ref if it were okay.
To be clear, these aren't the "BCA Rules". These are the BCA League Rules. I know it sounds silly but there's a difference.
You're right. I changed it in my original post.
Yeah, with something like this, if you plan on using anything to see if a ball passes, you should ask the referee on site. I looked on the WPA site and didn't find anything that would ban it (maybe someone else can find it). It likely falls under the loosely defined "unsportsmanlike conduct" which could be a lot of things.
Re: BCA versus BCA League, the two organizations are entirely different. They used to be the same but now they're completely run and operated by separate folks and the rules occasionally show discrepancies. My understanding is the BCA only recognizes WPA rules but the BCA Leagues have their own rules which are usually consistent with WPA but not always.
Yea I was gambling with someone last night and we weren't playing specific BCA rules but I'm down shooting the 8 ball and he comes up to the table, grabs a ball out of the pocket and puts it in front of the 8 "to see if it would go". I told him he is more than welcome to get someone to watch a hit but that he couldn't take balls out of the pocket as a measuring device, especially when I'm shooting. I was just curious to the rule as I play a lot of one pocket also.
Again with the BCA League rules, under the general rules 1.3-1-f :
"You may use your cue, held in your hand or not, to help align a shot. You
may use your cue and hands to measure angles and distances for bank
shots and kick shots. No other cues, bridges or equipment may be used."
copied from : http://www.playbca.com/portals/0/rules/general.pdf
BTW, the next rule (1.3-1-g) is the one discussed herein .... :
"You may only use your vision to judge whether the cue ball or an object
ball would fit through a gap, or to judge what ball the cue ball would
contact first. You may not use any ball, cue, rack, or any other equipment
or other part of your body as a width-measuring device."
Dave <--- just repeating rule g for those who missed it just above ... you know ... guys like me
Yeah, what he did was really strange. That's not even about wrongful use of equipment anymore. If you two were gambling, these sort of rules are inherently less important. I would handle it as you did and say, "If you think a hit is going to be close, we can get someone to watch." Hopefully that sends the message.
Gambling and he took a ball out the pocket when you're on the money ball? I'd call that a forfeit.