did a quick search and found no topic about it, but what is the general opinion of tournaments(mainly international ones from what I've seen so far) having an instituted shot clock?
If you play slow at our poolroom, you'll have a tough time finding a game. People will make up all kinds of excuses to not play you. It's funny, the people that play slow, don't think they play slow at all. They think folks avoid playing them because they're extremely skilled. No, they avoid playing them because a race to 7 in 9 ball shouldn't take an hour and 15 minutes, especially with nothing bet on the game. One rack of One Pocket should not take over an hour.
They walk slow.
They think slow.
They play slow.
They don't get a game.
What about a "racking clock?"
If you use a chess clock you don't need an official at the table.I think it's a good idea, but difficult to put into practice when you need a referee per table to enforce it properly.
If you use a chess clock you don't need an official at the table.
I favor using chess clocks because they don't require trained personnel. I think a search on "chess clock" will find some previous discussions.
Chess clocks might not work in a well-played safety struggle. In that case we really need an individual shot clock.