9-ball rules question. On a scratch...

B

bdorman

Dead money
Silver Member
Some local friends/players have organized an informal 9-ball tournament. I'm new at playing pool so I'm not sure about the rules.

Here's the one rule in this tournament that really puzzles me: if the shooter scratches the cue ball while pocketing a ball, his opponent gets Ball-in-Hand and the pocketed ball is returned to the table on the spot.

I've only been playing for a few months but I've never heard of spotting a pocketed ball in 9-ball. It seems like it almost penalizes the opponent; sure, he gets ball-in-hand but he has to use it to pocket the spotted ball (assuming the spotted ball is the lowest numbered ball on the table, of course).

Is this a common/uncommon 9-ball rule?
 
In most rules, the only time a ball doesn't stay down on a scratch is if it is the 9. But, if it is a local tourney, you play by the house rules.
 
bdorman said:
...
Here's the one rule in this tournament that really puzzles me: if the shooter scratches the cue ball while pocketing a ball, his opponent gets Ball-in-Hand and the pocketed ball is returned to the table on the spot.
...
Is this a common/uncommon 9-ball rule?
Click to expand...
That used to be the absolutely standard way to play except the cue ball was in-hand behind the headstring (in the "kitchen"). In the current rules:
1. Nothing ever spots except a 9 made on a foul.
2. Ball-in-hand means anywhere on the table even for a foul on the break.

The rules are available on-line here: http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/the_rules_of_play -- it may help to read through them once.
 
Also, any ball that flies of the table is considered a foul. That ball does not go back on the table, but gets put in the pocket. Even if the ball that flies of the table is the ball you intended to hit.
 
A tournament rule is a tournament rule. Be happy they shared this silly rule with you before it started. For us, the only time a pocketed ball got spotted in 9 ball was during a ring game. In our ring games the money ball was spotted and the next player got bih in the kitchen. That way the money stayed in play and the racks were always worth the full amount.
 
9-Ball rules vary. Spotting usually occurs in a ring game, and then it's ordinarily the money ball and the ball before.
 
Thanks for the answers and advice. I'm not stressing about it; I just thought it was kind of weird in that it actually penalizes the opponent. I'm new to the game and had never seen that rule used in 9-ball (I love watching tournaments on youtube).

Actually a great example happened this morning: I pocketed a 3-8 combination but scratched. So the eight ball was spotted. My opponent had ball in hand and pocketed the three. Then he scratched on the four ball. The four ball was spotted behind and frozen to the eight ball.

Great -- I've got ball in hand but no angle to the pocket for the four ball because it's frozen to the eight ball. With ball in hand, I had to play safe.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top