Cue ball fouls only, or All ball fouls?

I grew up playing all ball fouls and really that is the way the game should be played since it is the way the game is played at the professional level when the match is refereed. But I do understand that when the game is not ref'd, especially in money matches, playing cue ball fouls only probably eliminates a lot of heated arguments and probably has its place.

Personally I hate to see games or matches decided by technicality. Often times when someone fouls a ball, it doesn't even move.

Either cue ball fouls only, or an amended version of all ball fouls.

the420trooper said:

I agree, but what about when your opponent is jacked up over a ball, and spears in the shot, but moves the other object ball 6 feet?

That looks like a foul to me.

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Then the opponent has the option to have the ball replaced, or to leave it as it is.

But that kind of scenario doesn't bother me so much as when someone shirt or hair fouls a ball.

All ball fouls eliminates the arguments of if the ball was in the path of play, where it was when it was moved etc. Personally I wish everything would go back to all ball fouls.

All balls foul!
You can't get any better if there is no strict discipline.

All ball fouls, except I really don't think it will work for local tournaments/leagues. People quarrell over anything, and if its all ball fouls people are going to start calling a foul even when one never happened. I am almost sure of this. It also depends on the game too. If you are playing straight pool, then you have to play with all ball fouls. A foul isn't as bad as in 9 ball though, since you don't get ball in hand.

I'm with Cameron. A lot of times this is just nitpicking and it isn't going to screw up the outcome of the game. I know that all ball fouls prevents a lot of arguing, and that CB fouls only has room for abuse. Despite all that, I am thinking of the 5,000 friendly games I play each year, not the handful of tournament games where someone might weasel out a win by accidentally or intentionally moving an important ball.

This is the rule I like:

The seated player has the option of leaving it where it lies (if it helped him) or putting it back. And it's up to the seated guy to put it back. If you think he's putting it back in a way that favors him... like intentionally repositioning it to get some advantage... too bad. You shoulda been more careful At least he's not getting ball in hand and you're still shooting.

'ALL BALL FOULS' would require a Referee be present for each stroke. It would be a great way to 'legitimize' pocket billiards.

Good Referees bring a guarantee of 'fairness' to the opponents.

Over the last 40+ years, most players I've seen play don't know more than 50% of the rules let alone how to call close hits.

Educating refs would be a monumental task. Educating the players to be able to call 'all ball fouls' would also IMO be a monumental task.

the420trooper said:

"Shirt fouls" and someone's hair touching a ball aren't affecting the way the game is being played. If you bellyflop a ball across the table, though, I think you should be punished for it.

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You just brought back a memory of "Kid Delicious" when he won the Reno Open a few years back ...

He was about to make a shot with the CB about center table, and he had to lean way over the end rail to reach it ...
As he leaned over, his belly contacted about 5-6 balls (clustered near the end rail) and they all rolled out several inches while he was making his shot ...
His opponent, still in the chair, witnessed none of this (due to Danny's size) and Danny ran out the rest of the rack ...

He went on to win the Tournament ...

In 1 of the 2 leagues that I run we play all ball fouls and all fouls are ball in hand - we have no problems at all with it