Accu-Stats Arena rules, need your opinion.

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poolmaster

Devilish
Silver Member
I'm not a big fan of these rules. I simply think it takes away the excitement
of the game. As a poolplayer and a fan I want to see breaks and runs. Pat's rules take that joy away. I have spoken with a lot of people and
almost everyone agrees with me. Bottom line, I want your input on this
matter.Perhaps it would be good to go back to the standard 10 ball rules.
Please give your two cents on this.

Thank you
 
iusedtoberich

iusedtoberich

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I don't really have an opinion one way or the other as far as Pat's Arena Rules. However, what he is trying to do, I believe, is make the game more enjoyable for the viewers to watch, and hence try to increase viewers and fan numbers. Whether or not that is working, I suppose time will tell. But clearly, the standard games don't seem to be attracting many new fans, with pool rooms closing left and right in the past 10 years.
 
sjm

sjm

Older and Wiser
Silver Member
Personally, I love these rules, but I'd hate to see them in use all of the time. As a novelty, however, this is a form of nine/ten ball that ensures the participation of both players in every rack and brings strategy, defense, and kicking skills into the mainstream of the match.

Most of the time, I'd prefer "Derby City style" nine/ten ball (no call shot and no jump cues and winner breaks), but I commend Accustats for devising this interesting form of nine/ten ball, the only form in which you never hear much complaining about the rack and the break.
 
P

poolmaster

Devilish
Silver Member
iusedtoberich said:
I don't really have an opinion one way or the other as far as Pat's Arena Rules. However, what he is trying to do, I believe, is make the game more enjoyable for the viewers to watch, and hence try to increase viewers and fan numbers. Whether or not that is working, I suppose time will tell. But clearly, the standard games don't seem to be attracting many new fans, with pool rooms closing left and right in the past 10 years.
Click to expand...
I was there in person and I have seen people walk away from the game. The comments
I heard was that it was kind of boring. It's unheard of for people to walk away from
Busty playing pool.
 
P

poolmaster

Devilish
Silver Member
sjm said:
Personally, I love these rules, but I'd hate to see them in use all of the time. As a novelty, however, this is a form of nine/ten ball that ensures the participation of both players in every rack and brings strategy, defense, and kicking skills into the mainstream of the match.

Most of the time, I'd prefer "Derby City style" nine/ten ball (no call shot and no jump cues and winner breaks), but I commend Accustats for devising this interesting form of nine/ten ball, the only form in which you never hear much complaining about the rack and the break.
Click to expand...
I understand what you're saying but sometimes it's good to leave things the way they are. What's next, give a limit of how many balls can a player run in straight pool so the
other player has an equal chance.
 
BluesTele

BluesTele

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
also not a fan of arena rules

it removes one of the most enjoyable aspects -

the break and run out.
 
P

poolmaster

Devilish
Silver Member
To my understanding, these rules were implemented to improve the odds of hill-hill game.
Yes, we all love the drama of hill-hill matches. But why is that, because it happens once
in a while and that's the beauty of it. Imagine if every match went hill-hill, it wouldn't be
that exciting anymore wouldn't it?
 
P

poolmaster

Devilish
Silver Member
One more thing, alternate break is sufficient enough to give both players an equal shot,
there is no reason to go beyond that, just an opinion.
 
alstl

alstl

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like them for the most part. I would adjust the shot clock to a minute and spot the 10 ball if made on the break. The rules generate more kicking and safety play, the players should have a minute to figure out what to do instead of 30 seconds.


I like the format.
 
krupa

krupa

The Dream Operator
Silver Member
Personally, I think the rules are fine. I wouldn't want to see it everywhere, all the time, but I enjoyed watching it. It wasn't called-shot, though, right? If not, it should be.

To illustrate that you can't please everyone ever, I personally don't find break-and-runs very exciting. They're expected to run-out, that's why they're pros. The back-and-forth of safety battles interests me more than a guy running the table.
 
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Playin4Dinner

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Let em play...

Imo, the fatboy challenge (10 ball winner breaks race 15) is by far the best format out there... Moving to 10 ball alone and to lengthen the race is usually enough to take out the whole "break contest" stuff that ev1 complains of...


Every once in awhile the players do manage to put a pack together (busty 7 vs raffy, dechaine 7 vs archer, svb 7 vs alex) But isn't that what we all long to see??? A champion hit his true gear and play perfect pool....


Why take the break out of the game after these guys spent countless hours to perfect it???
 
B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
Rather than require push-outs, I'd eliminate them entirely. It's one of the few rules in pool that the general public just can't get their head around. If you don't have a shot at a pocket, shoot a safety or it's ball-in-hand just like the rest of the game. The rules need to be as simple as possible if the game is to get more general viewers.

Alternating breaks bring each player to the table often enough. If his/her skill and luck can't keep him there...well, so be it. We don't need a "must push" just to bring each player to the table for every rack.

The 30 second shot clock was okay but I wonder if we won't see a degradation of the game's strategy over time. Maybe allow three, one-minute timeouts per rack...once you've used those up you're on the 30-second clock.

But in any case even with Arena Rules, pool is not TV-friendly: network programmers have no idea how long a match is going to take; players don't want to stop for commercial breaks; and it's much too sportsmanlike to suit the public's tastes. Where's the trash-talking, endzone dancing and taunting?
 
krupa

krupa

The Dream Operator
Silver Member
bdorman said:
But in any case even with Arena Rules, pool is not TV-friendly: network programmers have no idea how long a match is going to take; players don't want to stop for commercial breaks; and it's much too sportsmanlike to suit the public's tastes. Where's the trash-talking, endzone dancing and taunting?
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No professional sport takes a predictable amount of time. The difference is that people want to watch those other things. The masses do not play pool and do not want to watch pool. Plain and simple. If enough people played it, the money and TV coverage would follow.
 
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gordml

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I like that the breaker has the option of letting his opponent push out.
Alex had a terrible roll against Busty in the 10 ball semis
He broke down 7-8 going to 9 and made a couple of balls but the one was hanging in the jaws and buried behind the three and nine so he couldnt see it
The two was hanging in the other corner.

Alex had no chance - if he pushes out making no contact he gets 3 fouled.
So he calls push out and knocked the one in by hitting the three first.

But since the two was hanging it was an easy run out for Busty, which put him in the finals

If Alex had the option of letting Busty push out the score would have been 8 -8
 
M

Murdoch7627

Frank Reid aka "Fly Man"
Silver Member
I think the arena rules are great. I believe the break has become too important in 9 ball especially but also in 10 ball. And knowing that some of the players know how to mess with the rack makes it even worse. I want to see players making balls one at a time and not having the break determine who wins.

I might change it to called shots, no 10 ball on the break (total luck), and 2 time extensions per rack.

Thanks Mr. Fleming for your efforts to grow the sport. Some people will always want "things to stay the same". These are the people who are really going to hate Bonus Ball which is the other new concept that will be showcased this fall.
 
G

gordml

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Murdoch7627 said:
I think the arena rules are great. I believe the break has become too important in 9 ball especially but also in 10 ball. And knowing that some of the players know how to mess with the rack makes it even worse. I want to see players making balls one at a time and not having the break determine who wins.

I might change it to called shots, no 10 ball on the break (total luck), and 2 time extensions per rack.

Thanks Mr. Fleming for your efforts to grow the sport. Some people will always want "things to stay the same". These are the people who are really going to hate Bonus Ball which is the other new concept that will be showcased this fall.
Click to expand...

I agree.
I would rather see a safety duel than a break and run out.

there is just too much luck with any game that requires a hard break so you try to get lucky by "making" a ball.
A player can get "over amped" and put too much on the break and scratch, or they could break perfect but a ball knocks the cue ball in the side pocket - how many times have we seen that?

With straight pool and 1 pocket the break is defensive and that works.

also there is something fundamentally wrong with any game where a player can lose without ever getting a chance to play.
 
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