APA rules question.

B

BogeyFree

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
While in a match is it permitted to take a ball that is out of play from the return tray and use it to measure whether or not a ball will fit between other balls, a ball and a rail, etc.?
 
BogeyFree said:
While in a match is it permitted to take a ball that is out of play from the return tray and use it to measure whether or not a ball will fit between other balls, a ball and a rail, etc.?
Click to expand...

You can't use anything to measure. <--- It seems in the APA, you can legally do that. Although every other league I know of prohibits that, as do the standard world rules. I had to edit the post since I assumed APA would use at least SOME of the standard pool rules and measuring devices are not allowed in every other rule set. I guess aside from having round objects on a rectangular object with 6 pockets, anything goes for the APA.

Fouls/BIH
Situations
An opposing player took a ball out
of the pocket and used it to
measure the space between the
balls on the table before taking a
shot. Is that legal?

There is nothing that says that this cannot be done. The only caution I would give to a player is to be sure not to foul or move any object balls in the
process, as it could be a sportsmanship violation.

I ran across a few interesting "official" rullings here http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...gxxU9fKgw4Sdn9wBw&sig2=qYQjfGA5FFzepjjaQaINvQ

One more ruling that I found interesting. If you are on the 8 and forget to use the cueball and just shoot the 8 in with your cue, it's NOT a foul LOL. How silly can you get with not calling fouls like that?
 
Last edited:
Hang-the-9 is correct in that there is no rule against it at the national level. There may be some local by-laws that reference it though so you will need to check with your LO.

As far as Hang the nines reference to the shot on the 8 ball without using the cue ball, in BCA, would moving just one ball with your cue be a foul?
 
Although this is not a foul in the APA, the non-shooting player gets to re-spot the 8-ball, so such a move would be rather dumb to perform.
 
Billiardsfan said:
Hang-the-9 is correct in that there is no rule against it at the national level. There may be some local by-laws that reference it though so you will need to check with your LO.

As far as Hang the nines reference to the shot on the 8 ball without using the cue ball, in BCA, would moving just one ball with your cue be a foul?
Click to expand...

Duplicate.............
 
Last edited:
Billiardsfan said:
Hang-the-9 is correct in that there is no rule against it at the national level. There may be some local by-laws that reference it though so you will need to check with your LO.

As far as Hang the nines reference to the shot on the 8 ball without using the cue ball, in BCA, would moving just one ball with your cue be a foul?
Click to expand...

It should be a foul unless it was accidental as part of executing a shot while striking the cueball first. I had someone use the 9 ball as the cueball by accident even though both me and his team-mate tried to stop him, was ball in hand for me. It's cueball fouls only on incidental contact. You are actually hitting the shot with your cue, not touching the ball in the process of another legal shot. If you can hit any ball as long as it was one ball, you can just hit a ball in a cluser to free it up to maybe get a better shot when it's placed back. If you don't like that placement, just hit another ball with your cue to move it. Would be silly to say that moving a ball on purpose (and when I say on purpose I don't mean that's what you want to do, just it not being part of an accidental contact after a shot) is not a foul. Brain fart does not equal an accidental hit.
 
I don't disagree with your opinion at all. The rules though as I read them in the BCA would be to simply place the eight ball back to it's original position, in the example that you gave originally.
 
Billiardsfan said:
I don't disagree with your opinion at all. The rules though as I read them in the BCA would be to simply place the eight ball back to it's original position, in the example that you gave originally.
Click to expand...
I don't think so. It's true that accidentally touched balls aren't fouls in the course of an otherwise legal shot. But if you hit the 8-ball with a legal hit, i.e., with the tip of your cue in a forward motion, then I believe that be a foul. In fact, it would be loss of game if you made it.
 
It ok to "measure" to see if the cue ball will pass with the cue ball in a ball in hand situation....as long as you don't touch an object ball with it. Never seen anyone try to use a already pocketed ball to do this. I suggest bringing it up with the league operator for a ruling.
 
Would it matter if it was a player or captain who used a pocketed ball. I remember many years ago the other team called a foul on our captain for doing this.
 
It's ok with cue ball when ball in hand because maybe that's where I want to put the cue ball.

A foul by the Captain is considered a foul by the player. So if during a timeout your captain is positioning the CB and it contacts another ball, it's a foul.
 
Billiardsfan said:
BRussell, I am looking it up, but I would love to see the documentation of your opinion.
Click to expand...
I'm looking at these rules.

It's not quite on point, but there's been debate about whether you can move the cue ball with your stick when you have ball in hand, and the rule is on p. 35:
1. When you have ball in hand, you may use your hand or any part of your cue, including the tip, to position the cue ball. If you use your cue to place the cue ball, any action that would be a legal stroke will be considered a shot, and must meet the requirements of a legal shot or it is a foul.
Click to expand...

So basically, if you hit the cue ball with your tip, it's your shot, and you have to hit a legal ball, drive a ball to a rail, etc.

It's interesting that it never says in the rules that you have to hit the cue ball first - maybe it's too obvious. But it is addressed in an applied ruling section, on p. 87:
1-19 Legal Shot
(also see 1-49, Balls Settling or Moving)
1. Situation: Player A mistakes an object ball for the cue ball and shoots with the object ball unintentionally acting as the cue ball.
Ruling: Foul. Player B accepts the object balls in position.
Click to expand...

To the original poster: sorry for the digression.
 
Quote:
1-19 Legal Shot
(also see 1-49, Balls Settling or Moving)
1. Situation: Player A mistakes an object ball for the cue ball and shoots with the object ball unintentionally acting as the cue ball.
Ruling: Foul. Player B accepts the object balls in position.

I went to this page and am unable to see where it says this quote "1. Situation: Player A mistakes an object ball for the cue ball and shoots with the object ball unintentionally acting as the cue ball.
Ruling: Foul. Player B accepts the object balls in position." Am I totally missing it or is this something you put in? 1-49 is not discussing anything but balls that "settle" not accidentally moved balls.

I did however find this in there that does address it:
c. Object balls: It is a deliberate foul if you intentionally stop or deflect any
object ball that is in motion, or intentionally move any stationary object
ball that is in play, by any method other than a legal shot, including by
intentionally contacting or moving any part of the table in any way. (AR
p. 91)
The key word here being the definition of "intentionally".
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top