2015 World 9-Ball, Doha, Qatar

Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

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I'm looking at the entry document for the World 9-Ball, which is in Doha again (and will be through 2017). Some items....
Rules are WSR with alternating break shot with the "three point" rule.
Most of the spots are by ranking (24) or allocation to the continental confederations, but 12 (of 128) are from a qualification tournament just before the main event. Anyone can enter the qualification but must pay by July 10th. Entry is only through your federation.

"There are no deductions from prize money for sanction or taxation."

$200,000 total prizes. Groups of 8 into 64-man single elimination. Rooms $105 single or $115 double all taxes and fees and breakfast included. All players must attend the players' meeting. Magic rack (or equivalent). One 5-minute break after the 9th rack. No breaks in the qualification tournament.
 
Thanks for the notes
This is the number 1 and most prestigious event in pool together with W10B and W8B except that W10B and W8B are not held every year
Always look forward to this and free high quality stream by Kozoom on all tables is the best. It is a sin for any pool fan to miss this
 
Bob Jewett said:
I'm looking at the entry document for the World 9-Ball, which is in Doha again (and will be through 2017). Some items....
Rules are WSR with alternating break shot with the "three point" rule.
.
Click to expand...

How is there a WPA World 9 Ball championship held that doesn't use WPA WSR rules? The "3 point" promoter's rule is one of the dumbest, kneejerk, gaffe rules I've ever seen. :boring2:

Wish Qatar would hold this around the same time as the MotoGP or WorldSBK races at Losail, then I would attend. :thumbup:
 
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Joe_Jaguar said:
How is there a WPA World 9 Ball championship held that doesn't use WPA WSR rules? The "3 point" promoter's rule is one of the dumbest, kneejerk, gaffe rules I've ever seen. :boring2:

Wish Qatar would hold this around the same time as the MotoGP or WorldSBK races at Losail, then I would attend. :thumbup:
Click to expand...
With a tight rack, the 3-point rule helps to avoid soft breaks. The possibility of using the 3-point rule is in fact permitted by the WSR. In particular, Regulation 17 is:


17. Open Break Requirements
The tournament management may set additional requirements on the break shot on games that require an “open” break such as nine ball. For example, it may be required to drive three balls above the head string or pocket them.​
If I were king, I'd prefer "breaker must push out after the break shot", but there are other good options as well. I think eventually the result will be a complete transition to 10 ball.
 
Bob Jewett said:
With a tight rack, the 3-point rule helps to avoid soft breaks. The possibility of using the 3-point rule is in fact permitted by the WSR. In particular, Regulation 17 is:


17. Open Break Requirements
The tournament management may set additional requirements on the break shot on games that require an “open” break such as nine ball. For example, it may be required to drive three balls above the head string or pocket them.​
If I were king, I'd prefer "breaker must push out after the break shot", but there are other good options as well. I think eventually the result will be a complete transition to 10 ball.
Click to expand...

How long has Regulation 17 been around to allow "tournament management" to set their own rules? Sort of undermines having a standard set of WSR.
 
Would love to watch it, but am boycotting anything related to Qatar due to their "slave labor" practices and 4000 expected deaths of workers related to building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup. Just pure evil, what they are doing to host a World Cup.
 
Joe_Jaguar said:
How long has Regulation 17 been around to allow "tournament management" to set their own rules? Sort of undermines having a standard set of WSR.
Click to expand...
WSR are divided into rules and regulations. This structure allows modifications in the regulations section. The rules section is always unchanged and applies to all sanctioned tournaments. For instance, at 2015 European Champs, the 9-ball wheelchair division had a three point rule, but the line was the imaginary line between the center line and the kitchen line.
 
drv4 said:
Would love to watch it, but am boycotting anything related to Qatar due to their "slave labor" practices and 4000 expected deaths of workers related to building stadiums for the 2022 World Cup. Just pure evil, what they are doing to host a World Cup.
Click to expand...

It's not looking good for Qatar, especially after the Fifa corruption scandal involving the World Cups 2018 and 2022.
 
Joe_Jaguar said:
How is there a WPA World 9 Ball championship held that doesn't use WPA WSR rules? The "3 point" promoter's rule is one of the dumbest, kneejerk, gaffe rules I've ever seen. :boring2: ...
Click to expand...

They used the "three point" rule in last year's WPA World 9-Ball as well. In the 15 streamed matches I watched (255 games), the breaker made at least one ball and did not foul, but broke illegally, 7 times (2.7%).
 
The coverage of this event is supeb. I love the dark ambience with just the tables glowing. Top-notch production.
 
I love their free streaming... if you can't decide on which match to watch, you can watch them all at once!
 
Players are not too happy because there is hardly any audience creating the world championships atmosphere. In a way the good ol' Matchroom WPC's were the best atmosphere and sports event wise. The streaming is excellent and the money is pretty good concerning the current economic situation.
 
This is, quite simply, the most important event of the pool year, and offers the toughest field of the year. It's the very hardest title to win.
 
AtLarge said:
They used the "three point" rule in last year's WPA World 9-Ball as well. In the 15 streamed matches I watched (255 games), the breaker made at least one ball and did not foul, but broke illegally, 7 times (2.7%).
Click to expand...

7 of 255 may not be much, but at the top level, being 2.7% worse than another player may be knocked out of the event or the winner.

I hate the balls past the string rules, 2 balls, OK, past the center pockets, OK, but 3 made or past the string, too many chances for a bad roll to screw someone.
 
Joe_Jaguar said:
How long has Regulation 17 been around to allow "tournament management" to set their own rules? Sort of undermines having a standard set of WSR.
Click to expand...
I think it just makes what had been happening before official. The break at nine ball is broken as anyone who watched any of the last several US Opens could confirm. Different TDs have tried different remedies. Regulation 17 has been in place officially since January, 2008.
 
Bob Jewett said:
I think it just makes what had been happening before official. The break at nine ball is broken as anyone who watched any of the last several US Opens could confirm. Different TDs have tried different remedies. Regulation 17 has been in place officially since January, 2008.
Click to expand...

Thanks .
 
AtLarge said:
I agree...
Click to expand...
I agree that there are problems with it, for example when you make two balls and somehow with collisions with the cue ball and/or side pocket points nothing gets over the head string. It's hard for the audience to understand why the player doesn't continue. Well, it's hard for the player, too.

Do you have any statistics on the percentage wins (breaker/non-breaker) from such "stolen" breaks?
 
Bob Jewett said:
I agree that there are problems with it, for example when you make two balls and somehow with collisions with the cue ball and/or side pocket points nothing gets over the head string. It's hard for the audience to understand why the player doesn't continue. Well, it's hard for the player, too.

Do you have any statistics on the percentage wins (breaker/non-breaker) from such "stolen" breaks?
Click to expand...

Following those 7 illegal breaks I mentioned from last year's WPA event, the breaker lost 5 of the games. [Not exactly big numbers.]
 
I agree that the streaming is spectacular for the matches in Doha. Conditions great ( other than no spectators) and good money, but why are these held in Qatar?
 
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