Intentional Fouls - Illegal, Good Strategy, or Poor Sportsmanship?
- Thread starter HawaiianEye
- Start date
make the rule you get ball in hand before every shot...
that should cut out alot of whining
It would be too punitive for 8 ball since you are shooting at different object balls than your opponent. Three foul in 8 ball would really only benefit people who are way behind their opponent, and even then it might waste more time trying to play multiple safeties in a row instead of running out.
It’s a simple ball in hand foul on any league or tournament I’ve ever played. I’ve seen it many many many times. It’s not that unusual
Then they need to plan better. Its that exact situation that irks me and then the opponent starts knocking your balls in.
Well that triggers my 3 foul story. Shirley I have told it here previously. It is how I won my first $5 eight ball tournament via the 3 foul rule.
Rhinestone Ray was the top gun in the Tacoma tavern. The tournament director confirmed BCA rules at start. Ray was facing a simple kick after the first 2 fouls and verbal warning. He was surprised at the rule but scoffed at the attempt to hide him again. He brashly offered a hundred dollar bet that he would hit it this time. After I declined the offer he proceeded to hit the one rail kick to the 8 ball but went in off with whitey.
Musta' been a little Karma. 
You posed 3 questions so here’s my take……..rather sweet and simple…….but not all of us think alike nowadays.
It is legal……a potentially winning strategy…….sportsmanship is about one’s behavior, not their strategy to try winning.
If you don’t always try your very best, you neither have the heart, drive nor passion to become and remain a champion.
So, you would have no problem with an opponent using that tactic on you?
The game has already succumbed to jump sticks and as a result, the kicking component will become progressively weaker.
I personally don't want the defensive game to weaken. I believe the APA rules (for one) don't even allow for a "3-foul rule."
Our game seems to be tilting back toward rotation games like 9-ball (a la the WNT) and is becoming more of a "shooter's game." We're seeing new players coming up who can shoot laser-straight, but are not learning the nuances.
I refuse to allow our game to lose it's most strategic tool: playing defense regardless of the context.
Personally, I wish there were more one-pocket and straight pool tournaments.
So sure, it may seem like "dirty" pool but defense is part and parcel of our ever-evolving game.
Correct, among other differences from BCA/etc. 9-ball there is no 3-foul rule in the APA.
He lost the game, but technically would have won the bet since he hit the ball.Well that triggers my 3 foul story. Shirley I have told it here previously. It is how I won my first $5 eight ball tournament via the 3 foul rule.
Rhinestone Ray was the top gun in the Tacoma tavern. The tournament director confirmed BCA rules at start. Ray was facing a simple kick after the first 2 fouls and verbal warning. He was surprised at the rule but scoffed at the attempt to hide him again. He brashly offered a hundred dollar bet that he would hit it this time. After I declined the offer he proceeded to hit the one rail kick to the 8 ball but went in off with whitey.
That's the game that Efren mastered first. Then 3 cushion billiards THEN 9 ball.
The money game in the Philippines was rotation. He dominated and couldn't get played so took to billiards to get action. When he brought those skills to the US 9 ball tournament......well in Reno the only bet available was how many games his opponent could get in the race to 9.
I had the pleasure of watching his first year in the USA at the Reno Sands 9 ball. His immaculate control of the cueball was The best on the 9 ball circuit. In the finals he opened by running 4 racks then put Earl in handcuffs. With ball in hand he added 3 more and put Earl back in jail again! His second trip to the table and hooked well buried Again. GOING TO 9 and down 7-0 Kinda got some Vintage Earl whiney utterances. The gallery responce of "break it! Break Your Cue". became the chant.
He had broke and run to the 8 ball narrowly missed the 8 but left it close to the corner (that he later scratched in). I had 7 balls with 3 messed up and needed to be relocated. I took care of 2 and hooked him on my first shot. An obvious safety. SOOOO,he just picks up and hands me the cue ball with a sneer. My second shot based on that response was to move a ball to adjacent another in case he handed it to me again. He did.
I called the tournament director to confirm the rules and then notified him that he was on 2 and 3 is loss of game. The blockade I created was good but not great. There was a multiple rail path which he and I knew. He wasn't new. I was new but had been to school.
Nope……I’d do it to him……in a friendly game for shits n’ giggles, I wouldn’t do that. No reason or incentive to do it.
Yet when the game matters, absolutely, I play to win, not to get compliments from my opponent it was a good game.
If you weren’t allowed to use that shot when it was critically needed, the rules would prohibit doing it but not the case.
But…….like Ralph Greenleaf supposedly replied to Willie Moscini over dinner one night about having the killer instinct,
when you shove a knife in your opponent’s heart, be sure you twist the blade. When the win matters, only the outcome
counts. There’s no sportsmanship points awarded for losing the gold medal or rationalizing that you really won the silver.
Good answer.
Bank the 8 or last pocket 8 ball were played at The Senior Center. Oh yeah and golf on the Snooker table.