My take on scorekeeping for 14.1.
Growing up playing on Brunswick equipment, the Gold Crowns always sported two counters on both sides of the foot rail. I would like to think Brunswick had the Straight Pool shooters in mind when they had that feature. One counter could be used for the rack score and the other for the running total. Simple enough, easy to understand. Although, with this method of scorekeeping, the shooters should always be on their toes as to whether the rack scores and totals are correct because they are not visible unless one is physically checking to be sure the numbers are accurate. It is known that trusting your opponent to validate the scoring could be a mistake. My advice when using this method is to check the score often, particularly at the end of each rack if you are still the shooter. Don’t rely on your opponent to make your score correct. At different times throughout my playing career, whole racks have mysteriously disappeared from scorekeeping, because I had relied on my opponents’ honesty or integrity to get the score right. I can say that I like to announce the rack score and the total if I am racking the balls, therefore my opponent knows I am being square. Plus, if my opponent is on a run, I like to clarify the length of said run before he shoots at the break shot.
Then there is the use of the beads on the wire. This is the best and most fun method, in my opinion, since the score is visible to both shooters and any sweaters interested in the game. But, there is a certain simple way in which the beads should be handled in order to assure accuracy for both participating shooters. The most important thing in using the beads is keeping the rack score accurate. If this is done properly, the total will always be correct. Players should slide the number of beads equivalent to balls pocketed at the end of each inning during each rack. Often, there may be several innings to clear the balls off the table in any particular rack. Such as 7-7, 9-5, 12-2, etc. As an example, player A pockets the first 4 balls of the rack and slides 4 beads to the center of the wire. Player B shoots off 5 balls and before moving any beads, player B will look over to see how many beads had been moved by player A and check the number of balls still on the table, in which the remaining balance will determine the number of balls pocketed and the number of beads to be moved for his inning. Player A, then clears off the remaining balls on the table and has set up for a reasonable break shot. Very simply then, player A should be able to see that player B has pocketed 5 balls and he has pocketed 5 more balls to complete the rack. So, player A will now have 9 beads displayed and player B will have 5 beads displayed for moving over to the running total group.
But, wait! To be fair, since player A is still at the table, he should not be the one who slides his beads into the running total. This should be done by player B, who is the racker. Reason is that player B has not actually had a chance to examine the number of beads to be moved. An unwritten protocol dictates that player B is the one who will slide both sets of beads into the running totals for both players. This helps to avoid the old cliché of an opponent “playing the wire” or moving too many beads.
This all may seem annul, but this procedure in handling the beads will help avoid any arguments or disagreements regarding the score.
The reason I bring this up is that I had a match with a very accomplished player recently and had jumped out to a big lead in a game to 125 points. Since I was the one who was finishing off most of the racks, I was moving my beads into the center of the wire for my opponents approval, hence he could then slide them over to the running total. But, he was taking exception to me not moving my beads over myself, which didn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t you know it, but the subsequent rack after he started fussing, I pocketed the break shot and opened up a few balls. I then lost focus for a second and missed a makeable ball. He cleared off the remaining 13 balls, then counted out 13 beads and just slid them all the way over onto the running total, without me being able to validate how many he moved. This happened one more time, then I explained to him that I wanted to have the option to check his beads before they were moved to the total.
This ruffled his feathers and he responded with that he was honest and would never cheat on the score. I, of course, explained that it had nothing to do with his honesty and that I reserve the right to see if he has the right amount of beads, whether I actually count them or not. He still does not necessarily agree with my take on “bead protocol”, but we are still friends and fellow competitors.
Growing up playing on Brunswick equipment, the Gold Crowns always sported two counters on both sides of the foot rail. I would like to think Brunswick had the Straight Pool shooters in mind when they had that feature. One counter could be used for the rack score and the other for the running total. Simple enough, easy to understand. Although, with this method of scorekeeping, the shooters should always be on their toes as to whether the rack scores and totals are correct because they are not visible unless one is physically checking to be sure the numbers are accurate. It is known that trusting your opponent to validate the scoring could be a mistake. My advice when using this method is to check the score often, particularly at the end of each rack if you are still the shooter. Don’t rely on your opponent to make your score correct. At different times throughout my playing career, whole racks have mysteriously disappeared from scorekeeping, because I had relied on my opponents’ honesty or integrity to get the score right. I can say that I like to announce the rack score and the total if I am racking the balls, therefore my opponent knows I am being square. Plus, if my opponent is on a run, I like to clarify the length of said run before he shoots at the break shot.
Then there is the use of the beads on the wire. This is the best and most fun method, in my opinion, since the score is visible to both shooters and any sweaters interested in the game. But, there is a certain simple way in which the beads should be handled in order to assure accuracy for both participating shooters. The most important thing in using the beads is keeping the rack score accurate. If this is done properly, the total will always be correct. Players should slide the number of beads equivalent to balls pocketed at the end of each inning during each rack. Often, there may be several innings to clear the balls off the table in any particular rack. Such as 7-7, 9-5, 12-2, etc. As an example, player A pockets the first 4 balls of the rack and slides 4 beads to the center of the wire. Player B shoots off 5 balls and before moving any beads, player B will look over to see how many beads had been moved by player A and check the number of balls still on the table, in which the remaining balance will determine the number of balls pocketed and the number of beads to be moved for his inning. Player A, then clears off the remaining balls on the table and has set up for a reasonable break shot. Very simply then, player A should be able to see that player B has pocketed 5 balls and he has pocketed 5 more balls to complete the rack. So, player A will now have 9 beads displayed and player B will have 5 beads displayed for moving over to the running total group.
But, wait! To be fair, since player A is still at the table, he should not be the one who slides his beads into the running total. This should be done by player B, who is the racker. Reason is that player B has not actually had a chance to examine the number of beads to be moved. An unwritten protocol dictates that player B is the one who will slide both sets of beads into the running totals for both players. This helps to avoid the old cliché of an opponent “playing the wire” or moving too many beads.
This all may seem annul, but this procedure in handling the beads will help avoid any arguments or disagreements regarding the score.
The reason I bring this up is that I had a match with a very accomplished player recently and had jumped out to a big lead in a game to 125 points. Since I was the one who was finishing off most of the racks, I was moving my beads into the center of the wire for my opponents approval, hence he could then slide them over to the running total. But, he was taking exception to me not moving my beads over myself, which didn’t make sense to me. Wouldn’t you know it, but the subsequent rack after he started fussing, I pocketed the break shot and opened up a few balls. I then lost focus for a second and missed a makeable ball. He cleared off the remaining 13 balls, then counted out 13 beads and just slid them all the way over onto the running total, without me being able to validate how many he moved. This happened one more time, then I explained to him that I wanted to have the option to check his beads before they were moved to the total.
This ruffled his feathers and he responded with that he was honest and would never cheat on the score. I, of course, explained that it had nothing to do with his honesty and that I reserve the right to see if he has the right amount of beads, whether I actually count them or not. He still does not necessarily agree with my take on “bead protocol”, but we are still friends and fellow competitors.