Any place that prohibits using a pencil to mark the lines isn't a place I want to play.I agree. If a ‘crater’ exists in the footspot sticker (from breaking 8/9 ball), which prevents the head ball from being tight, then likely the rack outline may get drawn a bit higher than spec. If playing somewhere that prohibits drawing on the cloth, then the position of the successively racked balls gets much more arbitrary, and dependent on the spatial conception abilities of the racker.
Not if the rack is set and lines drawn. The rack outline determines the rack placement. I mean you could rack the balls ANYWHERE on the table and put an outline around the rack and use that to get the same position every single time. You could make a rule that the center ball is the missing ball and not the head ball. You could make a rule that the breaker gets to choose what ball is missing so that they can get break shots where one wouldn't otherwise exist.
But the rules as they currently stand are that the rack should be marked and the rack positioned in the same place every time. That's how it's done in every major and minor straight pool competition in Europe.