Slop!

TwinkleToes

TwinkleToes

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Pardon my ignorance but if you'll indulge me! Why...oh why did the people who make the rules of pool, decide that slops are allowed? ...and then, what are the odds that the powers that be, in the decades following the establishment of the rules, have decided that allowing slops is somehow beneficial to the integrity of the game?

I'll listen while whoever in this forum can give me some reason that makes at least a little sense because I am completely baffled as to why they would take a game that has so much potential to be great...and allow slops.
 
MahnaMahna said:
This is a solution but not a reason.

The reason why slop is allowed is to add a little more of the luck factor, which draws the entry level player, which you want to have more of.
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What he said, and there are sometimes I think slop is fine, like when a player is seriously hooked in 9ball and they make an amazing double rail bank and hit their OB dead on the nose and send it flying and it finds a pocket, it's times like that I'm ok with it, because in those cases you have to play well enough to get lucky. But if you don't like it, stick with 8 or 10 ball
 
TwinkleToes said:
Pardon my ignorance but if you'll indulge me! Why...oh why did the people who make the rules of pool, decide that slops are allowed? ...and then, what are the odds that the powers that be, in the decades following the establishment of the rules, have decided that allowing slops is somehow beneficial to the integrity of the game?

I'll listen while whoever in this forum can give me some reason that makes at least a little sense because I am completely baffled as to why they would take a game that has so much potential to be great...and allow slops.
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How much money did you lose?
Chuck
 
Isn't there a certain amount of slop inherent in most ball sports? Call it "nature of the beast".

Ken



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
It gives dead money the idea it can compete which is a blessing as far as I'm concerned


Why am I the Colonel? Because I always get the chicken
 
DAVE_M said:
:eek: LOL!

I've always understood that slop was allowed in 9-ball when Texas Express rules were introduced. CJ would be better at explaining it than myself. Slop is good and bad, IMO.
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Long, long before that. I've only heard of one instance in tournament play that was call shot.
 
Probably has more to do with bar tables and not being able to get the ball back without dropping more quarters
 
you are correct sir

JBB2388 said:
Probably has more to do with bar tables and not being able to get the ball back without dropping more quarters
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You are correct sir. Back in the old days you would have to spot a slopped ball. Pretty hard to do on a coin op.
 
TwinkleToes said:
Pardon my ignorance but if you'll indulge me! Why...oh why did the people who make the rules of pool, decide that slops are allowed? ...and then, what are the odds that the powers that be, in the decades following the establishment of the rules, have decided that allowing slops is somehow beneficial to the integrity of the game?

I'll listen while whoever in this forum can give me some reason that makes at least a little sense because I am completely baffled as to why they would take a game that has so much potential to be great...and allow slops.
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You can ask this question about practically any other sport. That in itself should be your answer.
 
Last edited:
Two types of slop

If you think about it there are two types of slop, the question is which hurts more.

The first is the slop of a ball in a pocket, as discussed. The second, and even worse type of slop is when someone makes there ball and the cueball goes around the table, glances off a few balls and lands perfectly on the next ball. I would say there is more slop with the cue ball than object balls. Until you are at a higher level you are always slopping the cue ball around.
 
poolguppy said:
... there are sometimes I think slop is fine, like when a player is seriously hooked in 9ball and they make an amazing double rail bank and hit their OB dead on the nose and send it flying and it finds a pocket, it's times like that I'm ok with it, because in those cases you have to play well enough to get lucky.
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I think this is the best pro-slop argument. There are those situations in 9-ball where a good commentator might point out "he should kick 2 rails behind this ball and hit it it full; a lot of good things can happen if he hits it that way."

That "a lot of good things can happen" insight is actually a way of allowing experience and knowledge to help tilt the odds in your favor when you're in a tough situation, and it doesn't come into play as much in call-shot.

-Andrew
 
TwinkleToes said:
Pardon my ignorance but if you'll indulge me! Why...oh why did the people who make the rules of pool, decide that slops are allowed? ...and then, what are the odds that the powers that be, in the decades following the establishment of the rules, have decided that allowing slops is somehow beneficial to the integrity of the game?

I'll listen while whoever in this forum can give me some reason that makes at least a little sense because I am completely baffled as to why they would take a game that has so much potential to be great...and allow slops.
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By "pool" you mean 9-ball. Just about every other game is called shot. Even with 9-ball, many places and leagues have gone to call shot 9-ball.
 
jamesjr1963 said:
How's that working out?
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Actually, in my neck of the woods, the biggest slop league in the world -The APA- seems to be doing quite well. Say what you will, but the league operators are making some money, the players are enjoying themselves, and participation seems to be growing steadily.

On the other hand, the call safety/call shot/ 3 1/2 " pocket game that the pros play seems to be suffering a bit.
 
robsnotes4u said:
If you think about it there are two types of slop, the question is which hurts more.

The first is the slop of a ball in a pocket, as discussed. The second, and even worse type of slop is when someone makes there ball and the cueball goes around the table, glances off a few balls and lands perfectly on the next ball. I would say there is more slop with the cue ball than object balls. Until you are at a higher level you are always slopping the cue ball around.
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This is a very good point. Why is getting lucky on pocketing a ball considered so wrong, but getting lucky on shape is ok?

It seems to me if you really want to get rid of slop, you need to identify and call every single shot before you even shoot your first ball.
 
Getting lucky on a ball going in hasn't ever bothered me that much. Neither has a person getting lucky on shape. What seems to annoy me the most is a person missing a ball so bad that it goes safe and I end up snookered.

I'm waiting for the day a rule is introduced that if your opponent misses and you end up full ball snookered then you get ball in hand. Then I might actually enjoy playing more :)
 
Pidge said:
...What seems to annoy me the most is a person missing a ball so bad that it goes safe and I end up snookered.
...
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Yeah I'll agree with this. Regular slop isn't a huge factor, it's getting accidentally hooked so bad Efren Reyes couldn't kick his way out of it that bugs me. This always happens to me on league night, and usually ends with my opponent strutting back to his teams table to high fives and 'way to go bro' like it was a perfectly played intentional safe.
 
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