Hypothetical Question - What would you do?

C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Looking for honest answers to the following question - Your opponent is mistakenly getting ready to shoot at the wrong ball in a rotational game. If you see it happening in time to stop him, do you tell him before he shoots?

Does it matter if it's a weekly local tourney, a bigger tourney, a money session with a regular, a money session with a stranger, or a crucial shot very late in a close set in any of those situations, where telling them or not telling them is likely going to cause you to win or lose the set?

I don't have a problem with a player that doesn't inform me, and is honest enough to tell me it is not his responsibility to inform me, if I'm the one shooting at the wrong ball. After all, it is my mistake.

What irritates me is the player who lets you know you fouled as soon as you shoot it, but then tries to claim he didn't notice what you were doing in time to stop you, but that he would have stopped you if he'd realized it in time, as he takes the ball-in-hand. Particularly if this has happened in numerous instances versus the same player.

For myself, I'd like to think I'd normally let my opponent know, unless there was a history of issues / problems with that same player, which could affect my decision to cut him a break. I know that when someone is honest enough to tell me before I shoot, it is much appreciated, I thank them for their honesty, and I make a note to make sure to return the favor to that player in the future.

Bottom line is, until we are faced with the situation, and depending on any number of circumstances at the time, can any of us say with absolute certainty what we would do?
 
G

garczar

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ChrisinNC said:
Looking for honest answers to the following question - Your opponent is mistakenly getting ready to shoot at the wrong ball in a rotational game. If you see it happening in time to stop him, do you tell him before he shoots?

Does it matter if it's a weekly local tourney, a bigger tourney, a money session with a regular, a money session with a stranger, or a crucial shot very late in a close set in any of those situations, where telling them or not telling them is likely going to cause you to win or lose the set?

I don't have a problem with a player that doesn't inform me, and is honest enough to tell me it is not his responsibility to inform me, if I'm the one shooting at the wrong ball. After all, it is my mistake.

What irritates me is the player who lets you know you fouled as soon as you shoot it, but then tries to claim he didn't notice what you were doing in time to stop you, but that he would have stopped you if he'd realized it in time, as he takes the ball-in-hand. Particularly if this has happened in numerous instances versus the same player.

For myself, I'd like to think I'd normally let my opponent know, unless there was a history of issues / problems with that same player, which could affect my decision to cut him a break. I know that when someone is honest enough to tell me before I shoot, it is much appreciated, I thank them for their honesty, and I make a note to make sure to return the favor to that player in the future.

Bottom line is, until we are faced with the situation, and depending on any number of circumstances at the time, can any of us say with absolute certainty what we would do?
Click to expand...
Dude, you're playing pool, not in church. Get over it. Don't tell or expect to be told.
 
Last edited:
S

Scherf

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
If I notice in time, I most definitely will always let them know. Unless it's to go to Nationals....lol
 
KRJ

KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
Never tell them. EVER. Why does pool have to now be diff than other sports.

Oh, baserunner, you didn't touch second base when you went to third, you should go back and touch it or we will appeal and you'll be out. It's not my job to coach my opponent, never has been and never will be.

If you ever played baseball, and a guy was stealing second base but the batter hit a foul ball many SS or 2b will hold up his hands to let the runner know it's a foul ball, so he can stop running. I never told the runner what was happening, ever.

No way. He wants to get tired, let him run to the base. It's his job to take one quick look into the plate area to see what happened, not my job. If chooses not to, then he gets to run the full 90 feet, and then walk back the 90 feet, and possibly hes a tick slower on the next pitch and my catcher throws him out. If you want "nice" i'll buy you a beer after the game ;)
 
M

mia

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ChrisinNC said:
Looking for honest answers to the following question - Your opponent is mistakenly getting ready to shoot at the wrong ball in a rotational game. If you see it happening in time to stop him, do you tell him before he shoots?

Does it matter if it's a weekly local tourney, a bigger tourney, a money session with a regular, a money session with a stranger, or a crucial shot very late in a close set in any of those situations, where telling them or not telling them is likely going to cause you to win or lose the set?

I don't have a problem with a player that doesn't inform me, and is honest enough to tell me it is not his responsibility to inform me, if I'm the one shooting at the wrong ball. After all, it is my mistake.

What irritates me is the player who lets you know you fouled as soon as you shoot it, but then tries to claim he didn't notice what you were doing in time to stop you, but that he would have stopped you if he'd realized it in time, as he takes the ball-in-hand. Particularly if this has happened in numerous instances versus the same player.

For myself, I'd like to think I'd normally let my opponent know, unless there was a history of issues / problems with that same player, which could affect my decision to cut him a break. I know that when someone is honest enough to tell me before I shoot, it is much appreciated, I thank them for their honesty, and I make a note to make sure to return the favor to that player in the future.

Bottom line is, until we are faced with the situation, and depending on any number of circumstances at the time, can any of us say with absolute certainty what we would do?
Click to expand...

It has happened to me before in tournaments AND money situations. And when it did, I let my opponent know every time. I know some may disagree and that's fine. I don't expect everyone to react like this. But in my mind, if I'm going to win (or even fight for the chance to come back/win), I want it to be because I made no mistakes. Not because my opponent made a silly one.
 
GoldCrown

GoldCrown

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
Do we give up the ball if we step on the foul line. I'm not....unless it's an informal game.
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
"I don't make the rules, I just follow them". You all know who said that. The rules of most leagues and tournaments say you are under no obligation to inform the opponent of any potential foul.

That being said, during a regular night, or small tournament, I will.... And have.... informed the opponent he was about to fock up. It just sportsmanship. During a larger regional or national event, I might not be so forgiving.
 
jsp

jsp

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
This just happened to me in the last 9-ball tournament I played. I was playing a very strong player in the first round and the match went hill-hill. He broke the balls and was lining up a 3-9 combination. The problem was the 2 ball was still on the table. As he was going down on the shot, I notified him of the 2 ball. He was very much appreciative. He ended up banking the 2 ball and getting perfect position for the 3-9 to win. I believe he also ended up winning the tournament.

Afterwards, he told me that I didn't "have" to notify him. I know, but I did it anyway. In my case, it was just a thoughtless reaction to the situation presented in front of me. There was no angel/demon sitting on my shoulders convincing me what to do...or at least I couldn't hear any of them. But again, this was only the first round. If this were the finals or very deep in the tournament, then maybe the 'demon' on my shoulder would be more audible.
 
easy-e

easy-e

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
One time I saw my opponent lining up the 3 in the side pocket. I jumped up and said “don’t forget the 2 ball.” He looked at me and said “no shit, just looking at where I want my cue ball”. At that point in my “pool career” the idea of looking ahead was still relatively new to me. Now I got by the aforementioned “jack off meter”.
 
KRJ

KRJ

Support UKRAINE
Silver Member
buckshotshoey said:
"I don't make the rules, I just follow them". You all know who said that. The rules of most leagues and tournaments say you are under no obligation to inform the opponent of any potential foul.

That being said, during a regular night, or small tournament, I will.... And have.... informed the opponent he was about to fock up. It just sportsmanship. During a larger regional or national event, I might not be so forgiving.
Click to expand...

You are kind of contradicting yourself. It's sportsmanship, unless it's a larger event or nationals?

Sportsmanship is fine and dandy, but it must rest alone. You can't pick and chose when you can show sportsmanship. Telling him he's shooting the wrong ball, either you do it all the time because those are your values, or you do it none of the time because you believe in following the rules. Either way is fine. I will never complain if someone tells me, but I will not return the favor, ever.
When my opponent is shooting I'm as quiet as a church mouse, I don't want to break his concentration ;)
 
pt109

pt109

WO double hemlock
Silver Member
A referee is not allowed to instruct any player.
I don’t want my opponent helping me either....taints the win.
 
buckshotshoey

buckshotshoey

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
ChicagoRJ said:
You are kind of contradicting yourself. It's sportsmanship, unless it's a larger event or nationals?

Sportsmanship is fine and dandy, but it must rest alone. You can't pick and chose when you can show sportsmanship. Telling him he's shooting the wrong ball, either you do it all the time because those are your values, or you do it none of the time because you believe in following the rules. Either way is fine. I will never complain if someone tells me, but I will not return the favor, ever.
When my opponent is shooting I'm as quiet as a church mouse, I don't want to break his concentration ;)
Click to expand...

Yea. It was a little. But it hasn't come up for me yet in a regional or national level. Read my post again. I said I might not do it in a higher level tournament. I would like to think I would be a sportsman in any situation. But when it happens, we will see.
 
easy-e

easy-e

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
pt109 said:
A referee is not allowed to instruct any player.
I don’t want my opponent helping me either....taints the win.
Click to expand...

This brings up an interesting thing that happened to me before! I played a safety, and my opponent was going to try kicking behind the blocking ball to make a good hit. He asked the tournament director/referee to watch it for him. The ref takes one look and says “there’s no way you can legally hit it going that way” and he was right. My opponent said “oh, ok”, then kicks a different way and made a good hit! I thought the ref should have kept his mouth shut, but whatever.
 
  • Like
Reactions: KRJ
beetle

beetle

Do I bug you?
Silver Member
If I see it in time, yes...but like Easy said, sometimes you don't know if they're just lining up for a position making it look like they're going for the wrong ball.

This brings up a weird situation here on the border in Arizona. I was subbing for a league and had to make a semi-Masse shot. Immediately after the shot, the opposing team said that's not legal! I had no idea that the rules didn't allow it (I had only subbed about 4 times before and that never came up).

As you all know, you don't just instantly get in position and shoot a masse! It takes a little set up to get into good position. I think everyone would know what I was about to do. So, I was surprised that he didn't say anything to stop me but was quick on the trigger as soon as I made the shot.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top