Hats Off To Jay Helfert

I call them..

I think all pro tournament's should be all ball fouls. I play in Anchorage a couple of times a year as they are the only real tournaments in the state that are played on 9' Diamond's. It is cue ball foul only and a few times I have seen shooters bump balls and I was sure it was on purpose. The opponent has the option of leaving it or putting it back as close as possible to where it was and if 2 object balls are moved then it's ball in hand like a cue ball foul.

I will always call a foul on myself. If I reach a point in my life where I'm not up to doing that then I need to examine myself and remember why I play pool. The world is full of competitors willing to cheat and take unfair advantage. I'm not that guy and those that are disgust me and are not welcome at my table.
 
I play at Super Billiards Expo open tournament this year. My opponent is shooting and the 5 ball is near end rail. He leans over table to reach cueball. He shoots in his object ball. The 5 is buried in his belly. He gets up and 5 moves about 3 inches. He confirmed he was laying on it and it moved.

As his opponent I don't want to tell him to stop and shark him. He admits to laying on it to shoot and it's moving. I get ref who says cue ball fouls only. This is a shooting foul.

If you can't reach a shot without laying on a ball get a bridge. If a ball was in behind the cueball and you were jacked up, why not just move the ball out of the way with the side of your shaft? No difference.

Horrible ruling which cost me the final set that ended up going hill hill.
 
Belly Foul?

I'm blessed with a rather massive girth, so sometimes I find it hard to stretch out for a shot without causing some contact between my belly and the balls positioned between my waist and my bridge hand. I am always very careful to lower myself very gently without any lateral movement, and to raise straight up after the shot so as not to move the balls. Kind of like a chicken on a clutch of eggs...

Anyway, during a recent low-dollar weekly tournament I found myself in this laid out position when my opponent said he believed I was fouling a ball or two under me. I had on a loose fitting shirt that kind of draped down from each side so you couldn't really see my belly or the balls in question. Without raising up from the shot I told him I didn't think I was touching any balls, but if he wanted to reach under and check he was more than welcome. He decided there probably wasn't a foul after all... :D
 
ChrisSjoblom said:
I'm blessed with a rather massive girth, so sometimes I find it hard to stretch out for a shot without causing some contact between my belly and the balls positioned between my waist and my bridge hand. I am always very careful to lower myself very gently without any lateral movement, and to raise straight up after the shot so as not to move the balls. Kind of like a chicken on a clutch of eggs...

Anyway, during a recent low-dollar weekly tournament I found myself in this laid out position when my opponent said he believed I was fouling a ball or two under me. I had on a loose fitting shirt that kind of draped down from each side so you couldn't really see my belly or the balls in question. Without raising up from the shot I told him I didn't think I was touching any balls, but if he wanted to reach under and check he was more than welcome. He decided there probably wasn't a foul after all... :D
Click to expand...

...and some people call pool a sport.
 
ChrisSjoblom said:
I'm blessed with a rather massive girth, so sometimes I find it hard to stretch out for a shot without causing some contact between my belly and the balls positioned between my waist and my bridge hand. I am always very careful to lower myself very gently without any lateral movement, and to raise straight up after the shot so as not to move the balls. Kind of like a chicken on a clutch of eggs...

Anyway, during a recent low-dollar weekly tournament I found myself in this laid out position when my opponent said he believed I was fouling a ball or two under me. I had on a loose fitting shirt that kind of draped down from each side so you couldn't really see my belly or the balls in question. Without raising up from the shot I told him I didn't think I was touching any balls, but if he wanted to reach under and check he was more than welcome. He decided there probably wasn't a foul after all... :D
Click to expand...

IMO, This is the spoof of the year on AZ. Absolutely hysterical!
 
Pool needs to get off its cheap ass and put a ref on each table like just about all other countries do. Johnnyt
 
ChrisSjoblom said:
I'm blessed with a rather massive girth, so sometimes I find it hard to stretch out for a shot without causing some contact between my belly and the balls positioned between my waist and my bridge hand. I am always very careful to lower myself very gently without any lateral movement, and to raise straight up after the shot so as not to move the balls. Kind of like a chicken on a clutch of eggs...

Anyway, during a recent low-dollar weekly tournament I found myself in this laid out position when my opponent said he believed I was fouling a ball or two under me. I had on a loose fitting shirt that kind of draped down from each side so you couldn't really see my belly or the balls in question. Without raising up from the shot I told him I didn't think I was touching any balls, but if he wanted to reach under and check he was more than welcome. He decided there probably wasn't a foul after all... :D
Click to expand...

Billiard-Balls-Cue-Stick-Bridge-317202.jpg


Your problem has a solution.

Jeff Livingston
 
Question for the world wide AZers: For casual-play, league-play, and small-tournament -play, is "Cue Ball Only Fouls" played in China?, England? Japan? France? and other parts of the world?
 
Johnnyt said:
Pool needs to get off its cheap ass and put a ref on each table like just about all other countries do. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

Pool tournaments already live hand to mouth, They would need to hire, train and pay ref's for this to happen. I played in tournaments years ago when ref's were common. The problem was they were usually volunteers who were doing it for a free ticket to the tournament.

They would rack the balls poorly, miss calls, forget to mark the score, didn't know the rules. They were more trouble then they were worth. I actually like players doing their own racking and managing their own match.

If there is need for a close call, or rule question you only need one guy there who can step in and make the call or what ever. Pool is better played like this even tournament pool.
 
macguy said:
Pool tournaments already live hand to mouth, They would need to hire, train and pay ref's for this to happen. I played in tournaments years ago when ref's were common. The problem was they were usually volunteers who were doing it for a free ticket to the tournament.

They would rack the balls poorly, miss calls, forget to mark the score, didn't know the rules. They were more trouble then they were worth. I actually like players doing their own racking and managing their own match.

If there is need for a close call, or rule question you only need one guy there who can step in and make the call or what ever. Pool is better played like this even tournament pool.
Click to expand...

Funny how most every other country finds away to afford them. Johnnyt
 
:yes:



I know of lots of APA players that would gladly rack the balls

and call fouls as long as they get free drinks.


As a matter of fact...I used to know of a few professionals that would do the same.:grin:
 
When i first started reading this site i was incredulous you could be a clumsy oaf and be allowed to continue playing.

I remain completely incredulous.
 
Paul Schofield said:
Question for the world wide AZers: For casual-play, league-play, and small-tournament -play, is "Cue Ball Only Fouls" played in China?, England? Japan? France? and other parts of the world?
Click to expand...

Those who don't call their own fouls in the uk will find themselves pretty friendless pretty quickly.
 
Johnnyt said:
Funny how most every other country finds away to afford them. Johnnyt
Click to expand...

There is no problem getting ref's. The problem is do they bring anything of value. Unless they are a professional I don't want some "Doofus" racking the balls or having anything to do with my game when I am playing and I am afraid that is what you wiil get.
 
macguy said:
There is no problem getting ref's. The problem is do they bring anything of value. Unless they are a professional I don't want some "Doofus" racking the balls or having anything to do with my game when I am playing and I am afraid that is what you wiil get.
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Lol. You do come up wih some rubbish. Tens of thousands of league teams meet every night here in the uk, all successfully ref'd by "doofi".

Maybe if you lot had at least a bash at professionalising yourselves you could produce players who cared enough to become decent refs, too.
 
Ron Swanson said:
Lol. You do come up wih some rubbish. Tens of thousands of league teams meet every night here in the uk, all successfully ref'd by "doofi".

Maybe if you lot had at least a bash at professionalising yourselves you could produce players who cared enough to become decent refs, too.
Click to expand...

My response was valid, I don't want some volunteer reffing my match. Where do you get all those ref's? Do they attend a ref school and learn to be ref's?

You say "players who cared enough to become decent refs," What is the "become" part, how do they learn this? Just being a player does not make you a decent ref.

There is more to being a ref then just making a close call. I had a bad ref who didn't know the rules cost me and the guy I had in the calcutta like $3000.00. Because he didn't really know the rules he didn't know where he was supposed to be watching and got the call wrong. I don't have time but I will tell the story a little later.
 
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Come-on.....why don't you two just stop it. We are having a civilized conversation here. Can I get my question answered please?

Japan?
Philippines?
China?
Other parts of the world?
 
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