A question came up the other night in a game of 10 ball (NAPA rules) about the push out. Player A broke dry, Player B then wanted to know if he could hit another ball besides the one ball, and have it still be a legal push. Much discussion followed.
Here is the rule as per the current NAPA rules:
The shooter who shoots the shot immediately after a legal break, may play a push out in an attempt to move the cue ball into a better position for the option that follows. On a push out, the cue ball is not required to contact any object ball nor any cushion, however, all other foul rules still apply. The shooter must announce his intention of playing a push out before the shot, or the shot is considered to be a normal shot. Any ball pocketed on a push out does not count and remains pocketed except for the 10-ball. Following a legal push out, the incoming shooter is permitted to shoot from that position or return the shot to the shooter that pushed out. A push out is not considered to be a foul as long as no other rule is violated. An illegal push out is penalized according to the type of foul committed. After a shooter scratches on the break shot, the incoming shooter cannot play a push out.
So the question was if Player B can have the cue tap another ball, not the one ball, and call that a legal push out? One side says it is good, but the argument against that was that the rule says "all other foul rules still apply", so contacting the wrong ball first would still be a foul.
Here is the rule as per the current NAPA rules:
The shooter who shoots the shot immediately after a legal break, may play a push out in an attempt to move the cue ball into a better position for the option that follows. On a push out, the cue ball is not required to contact any object ball nor any cushion, however, all other foul rules still apply. The shooter must announce his intention of playing a push out before the shot, or the shot is considered to be a normal shot. Any ball pocketed on a push out does not count and remains pocketed except for the 10-ball. Following a legal push out, the incoming shooter is permitted to shoot from that position or return the shot to the shooter that pushed out. A push out is not considered to be a foul as long as no other rule is violated. An illegal push out is penalized according to the type of foul committed. After a shooter scratches on the break shot, the incoming shooter cannot play a push out.
So the question was if Player B can have the cue tap another ball, not the one ball, and call that a legal push out? One side says it is good, but the argument against that was that the rule says "all other foul rules still apply", so contacting the wrong ball first would still be a foul.