APA Rule question.

jojopiff

jojopiff

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
I was playing league the other night & our opponent did this a couple times. Now, I'm not a letter of the law guy, and quite frankly could care less on a league night but am curious for Nationals upcoming. Used a bridge like this. I asked a guy who is a league rep last night and he said it was legal. I asked our APA LO this morning and he was unsure.

Thoughts

Well, I guess I'm too stupid to get the picture resized and get it attached. So, I'll try and explain. They took the bridge and laid the head on one rail and the butt on the other rail and then placed their hand on stick and used that as their bridge.
 
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Saw 'APA' in the thread title and clicked the X on my browser.

Came back to write this comment.
 
I seem to recall that there was a thread about this a while back. I think it was Corey Duell doing this in a big tournament. I might be wrong.
 
I don't know anything about APA
However if you are using the proper WPA rules, it is a foul.
 
You know, The APA isn't real specific about rules regarding equipment. I think all it really says is that it must be made for billiards use or something like that, like although he did that with a bridge, he couldn't do the same with a broom stick or a section of copper pipe.
but could with another cue or a break cue. So in the APA, if I'm called (as a referee) and asked if this is permissible I'd say it is.
WPA rules I understand are different, where the bridge would have to be used as intended and this type of use is not as intended
 
Celophanewrap said:
You know, The APA isn't real specific about rules regarding equipment. I think all it really says is that it must be made for billiards use or something like that, like although he did that with a bridge, he couldn't do the same with a broom stick or a section of copper pipe.
but could with another cue or a break cue. So in the APA, if I'm called (as a referee) and asked if this is permissible I'd say it is.
WPA rules I understand are different, where the bridge would have to be used as intended and this type of use is not as intended
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This was my thoughts exactly. I run a BCA league and the APA LO out of curiosity asked me what the BCA rule would be and I said I think it'd be a foul cause it's not being used as intended. I, personally, really don't care one way or another as I'm 6'1" and have long arms so on a barbox I can reach almost everything but for the lower level people who don't use bridges well this could be useful for them.
 
I can't recall the answer to this one, tho I seem to recall it being discussed here before.

I am pretty sure that it is legal to set one bridge on top of another, to get a higher angle.
 
justadub said:
I can't recall the answer to this one, tho I seem to recall it being discussed here before.

I am pretty sure that it is legal to set one bridge on top of another, to get a higher angle.
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That is true about using 2 bridges, but I am pretty sure you can't use anything to aide your bridge hand.

I am looking it up now.

Correction: I can't find anything specific in the APA rules for 2 bridges or using it to aide your bridge hand. I searched both manuals using keywords: support, bridge, hand and came up with nothing related to these things. We must both be thinking of rules from another league or something. I recall one specifically stating you can't use it to aide your bridge hand and gave the example of a jump shot.

You could say it is using the equipment for something other than intended based on how they define it below.
BRIDGE: ..... Also refers to a cue-like stick with a specially shaped plate mounted on the end or other such device that serves as a "support for the cue" when the shooter cannot reach the spot where he would normally place his bridge hand.

Otherwise who is to say you can't carry around a mini bridge and use it all the time as it would be more consistent and remove one other possible skill needed. That skill - making a bridge for your cue and keeping it steady and where you need it the entire stroke.
 
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Skippy27 said:
That is true about using 2 bridges, but I am pretty sure you can't use anything to aide your bridge hand.

I am looking it up now.

Correction: I can't find anything specific in the APA rules for 2 bridges or using it to aide your bridge hand. I searched both manuals using keywords: support, bridge, hand and came up with nothing related to these things. We must both be thinking of rules from another league or something. I recall one specifically stating you can't use it to aide your bridge hand and gave the example of a jump shot.

You could say it is using the equipment for something other than intended based on how they define it below.
BRIDGE: ..... Also refers to a cue-like stick with a specially shaped plate mounted on the end or other such device that serves as a "support for the cue" when the shooter cannot reach the spot where he would normally place his bridge hand.
Click to expand...

As an aside, remember when we were all kiddies and if the cue ball was right behind another ball we would grab the ball that was in the way and use it to make a higher bridge? Did you know that in the APA you can actually do that, just so long as you don't touch the cue ball.
Personally I used to love the "Spacies" rule - where if the cue ball was frozen (or close) to the cushion you could insert the back of you cue between the cue ball and the rail and move the cue ball away from the rail, but you had to call "spacies" first
No "Spacies" in the APA though..... maybe in the WPA?
 
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Doesn't the APA allows those bridges with wheels to be used? I recall a vendor selling them at the APA in Vegas and stressing they were legal. If those are allowed I can see them allowing the situation described above.
 
Toxictom said:
Doesn't the APA allows those bridges with wheels to be used? I recall a vendor selling them at the APA in Vegas and stressing they were legal. If those are allowed I can see them allowing the situation described above.
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They do - "any piece of equipment specifically made for billiards"
I have one, works like a charm
 
I mean for argument's sake I don't see why this couldn't be ruled legal for APA. We had some women under 5' tall in the league and with those tiny hands they really have trouble making their bridge tall enough to reach over a ball, even if they can actually reach far enough out on the table and elevate their stick above their head in the first place. I'd have no problem with them using the bridge like this rather than having to stack two bridges for a shot where anybody with bigger hands could just easily reach over the ball.


"Any piece of equipment designed for billiards." Hell, you could make a mechanical bridge head with teflon rollers that you can take off the stick and wear on your hand to shoot jacked up over a ball...

I'm kidding, I'll be very upset if somebody is selling these at an expo next year.
 
Skippy27 said:
You could say it is using the equipment for something other than intended based on how they define it below.
BRIDGE: ..... Also refers to a cue-like stick with a specially shaped plate mounted on the end or other such device that serves as a "support for the cue" when the shooter cannot reach the spot where he would normally place his bridge hand.

Otherwise who is to say you can't carry around a mini bridge and use it all the time as it would be more consistent and remove one other possible skill needed. That skill - making a bridge for your cue and keeping it steady and where you need it the entire stroke.
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I dont think the use of a bridge is only allowed if you cant reach a shot. Cory Deuel was breaking with a bridge for awhile, I think it was 10 ball. Im pretty sure you could use a bridge every shot if you really wanted to.
 
jojopiff said:
I was playing league the other night & our opponent did this a couple times. Now, I'm not a letter of the law guy, and quite frankly could care less on a league night but am curious for Nationals upcoming. Used a bridge like this. I asked a guy who is a league rep last night and he said it was legal. I asked our APA LO this morning and he was unsure.

Thoughts

Well, I guess I'm too stupid to get the picture resized and get it attached. So, I'll try and explain. They took the bridge and laid the head on one rail and the butt on the other rail and then placed their hand on stick and used that as their bridge.
Click to expand...

I just read the APA rules and nowhere is it mentioned how to properly use the bridge. There are a bunch of quirky rules but I could not find "proper use of bridge" anywhere.
 
This is from the BCAPL....

OFFICIAL RULES OF CUESPORTS INTERNATIONAL
24
Penalty for (c): first offense – warning. Second and subsequent offenses – foul.
d. You may not shoot while using more than two mechanical bridges at any one time. A bridge may only be used to support the cue or another bridge. If two bridges are used, the upper bridge must rest on the head of the lower bridge. (AR p. 73).
e. You may not shoot while using any item to support or elevate your bridge hand. You may hold chalk in your bridge hand while bridging, but the chalk may not be used to elevate your hand off the table.
Penalty for (d-e): foul upon execution of the shot. If no shot is executed then there is no foul.
 
tucson9ball said:
This is from the BCAPL....

OFFICIAL RULES OF CUESPORTS INTERNATIONAL
24
Penalty for (c): first offense – warning. Second and subsequent offenses – foul.
d. You may not shoot while using more than two mechanical bridges at any one time. A bridge may only be used to support the cue or another bridge. If two bridges are used, the upper bridge must rest on the head of the lower bridge. (AR p. 73).
e. You may not shoot while using any item to support or elevate your bridge hand. You may hold chalk in your bridge hand while bridging, but the chalk may not be used to elevate your hand off the table.
Penalty for (d-e): foul upon execution of the shot. If no shot is executed then there is no foul.
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What about when jumping and someone sits on the edge of the table and rests their bridge hand on their thigh instead of on the table to get more bridge hand elevation? That seems like it would be a foul according to the rule above.
 
fastone371 said:
What about when jumping and someone sits on the edge of the table and rests their bridge hand on their thigh instead of on the table to get more bridge hand elevation? That seems like it would be a foul according to the rule above.
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I'm guessing a thigh is not an item for this purpose. A thigh is an absolutely standard masse bridge support.
 
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