Why Concede the Last Ball

T

TheBook

Ret Professional Goof Off
Silver Member
Was watching the Florida State Championship. During a few of the games the player missed the last ball. One time both missed in the same game 2 times in a row. Some weren't that hard. The next game the one player conceded the last two balls.

Another was the final match and it was the game ball for the whole tournament, straight in about 2 ft away and the player missed. The other player won the next 4 games but still lost and avoided a shut out.

I don't understand why they just give them the game. I know sometimes it is respect but strange things do happen.

🎱
 
I don't get it either. In one aspect I can see it as a sign of respect but then again I've had players concede and give me the frame, then the next frame I've had a slightly tougher pot but still one me or my opponent would make 10/10 and they've made me shoot it... I see that as a sign of disrespect for my game. I'm of the view that you should always make the opponent shoot the last ball or always concede it.
 
At a certain level, the probability that the shooter of the final ball will miss a routine shot is virtually zero.

Bet on the shooter every time and you will be rich.
 
Grady once told me he witnessed a guy miss the final ball for $5,000. It was 6" from the side pocket, between the two side pockets, straight in and the cue ball was back about a foot.
 
In a gambling match if you have the better of it you might concede the last ball or two to make sure the fish doesn't get down on himself by missing and quit.

JC
 
I'd rather shoot the balls to be honest, it helps get me in stroke and keep me there. But I also prefer to let my opponent shoot simply because you just never know. I've seen great players miss all types of shots, so the rest of us are vulnerable too.
 
Chuck Fields said:
It can be respect, it can be a shark. Depends on whos doing it. ;)
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This.

This is one of those 'etiquette' questions that is based solely on some locally varying, arbitrary, decisions made long ago for unknown reasons, that gets people upset if not considered to be written in stone from the dawn of time.

Letting them shoot can be respect as well. Would you keep Mosconi from showing you another shot? If conceding was all about respecting their ability, I would have to concede to Mosconi before the game even started, but where's the fun in that.

Thank you kindly.
 
Weaker player concedes the last ball to a better player hoping the better player will return the favor. Weaker player gains an advantage.
 
alstl said:
Weaker player concedes the last ball to a better player hoping the better player will return the favor. Weaker player gains an advantage.
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never thought of that
great observation
:thumbup:
 
I tell opponents at the beginning of a session that I will not concede anything
 
If the guy ran all the balls (or most of them) and has the last one that's easy, then I concede because I don't want that win if he "miscues" or "strange things happen"..... Yes, a win is a win, I get that... But I want a rack that I worked on, not one that fell into my lap....

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
 
Woofresh said:
If the guy ran all the balls (or most of them) and has the last one that's easy, then I concede because I don't want that win if he "miscues" or "strange things happen"..... Yes, a win is a win, I get that... But I want a rack that I worked on, not one that fell into my lap....

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk
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If I am gambling I will take all of the games that fall into my lap every time. You know it can go both ways and my opponent will take them. Your opponent"s misses can cause him to shark himself. You're kidding right?
 
In tournaments around here a conceded nine ball also concedes the following game. That tends to cut back on concessions except for the final nine of the match.
 
I see it as a shark move most of the time. A player concedes case shots to his opponent then when the opponent has a shot that means more - like to win the set - he suddenly doesn't concede it. Sort of like icing a kicker in football. The theory is that the shooter will have a little doubt because:
a) He hasn't shot a case shot in a while and
b) He might think that the other player sees something that he doesn't in the difficulty of the shot and
c) might start to think the other player doesn't respect his game after all.

I don't usually concede shots because of the above reasons. I don't want to play those games.

The exception is if a player has played well and they get good position on the 9-ball to beat me I may concede the final ball as a show of respect. Like throwing out the figurative white flag.
 
Bob Jewett said:
In tournaments around here a conceded nine ball also concedes the following game. That tends to cut back on concessions except for the final nine of the match.
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I like that rule and argued in favor of adopting it.

I hadn't been around for a while and played a tournament and, quite out of character, conceded an easy 9-ball to an opponent. Unfortunately they had adopted the rule while I was away and I didn't think to check the rules since I thought I knew them...so I lost two games.

Oh the irony.
 
bbb said:
never thought of that
great observation
:thumbup:
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I've seen people concede the final ball a couple times on easy shots and then when they get on the final ball rake it without asking.
 
us820 said:
Anybody can miss.I saw Buddy Hall miss a pretty easy combo on ESPN once.
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Yeah about that...

I concede to people all the time...they may not return the favor. It doesn't matter either way. Gambling with friends or playing a weekly event I'd rather keep it moving...
 
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