I've seen you mention this before but I don't think I've seen you talk about exactly how it's implemented. It's different from the typical (e.g., Mosconi Cup) shot clock, which is familiar to most of us. The idea of saving up time when you have an easy shot for the harder shots really does make a lot of sense, but I'm not sure what happens when you run out of time.
How much time per game (8-ball, 9-ball)?
What happens if you run out of time - foul and then the clock resets? So you can only get one time foul per game?
Are there any extensions like in other pool shot clock matches?
For those who have never seen chess clocks in action....
Each player has a count-down clock that runs while it is his turn to play. Each gets some total amount of time for a game (or match) such as 20 minutes for a game of one pocket. When you finish your turn at the table, you go over to the clocks and hit a button that turns off your clock and starts your opponent's clock. If either clock runs out of time the game (or match) is over.
Clocks optionally have a "grace period" at the start of each turn such as 20 or 30 seconds. This takes care of long safety battles as long as the players shoot within the grace period. If you play a real good safe that your opponent has to puzzle over for a few minutes, he loses time on his clock. If you shoot your return safe within 15 seconds and hit the clock, you lose no time at all.
What happens if you run out of time depends on how you set it up. I've used this system at straight pool and the penalty is not loss of game but loss of some number of points depending on how much time the opponent still has on his clock. For example, if you figure 30 seconds per ball, and the opponent has 10 minutes left from his original time, he gets two balls per minute left or 20 points added to his score. Add those and look at the totals to see who won.
Alternatively, you can play that you lose the single game of nine ball or eight ball if you run out of time and each new game starts with reset clocks.
You could also play nine ball or eight ball with a total time for the match and a penalty of so many games per minute left, just like for straight pool. How many minutes each game should take is a good question. I remember local nine ball tournaments that were race to 6 and matches took 45 minutes on average. If each player started with 30 minutes, that should be enough, so I would say a penalty would be applied at one game for each five minutes left.
If a player wants to take three minutes on a really tough shot, that's up to him, but he'll have to play briskly the rest of the match. If a player wants to spend five minutes on a bathroom break, that's fine -- he has to do it on his turn and he's on the clock.
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