BCAPL: The Official Final Phenolic Tip Ruling

Holly

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Phenolic Tip Rule


Effective June 1, 2009, the Official Rules of the BCA Pool League in “Equipment Specifications” under “Cues,” item d. states:

“The cue tip must be composed of leather, fibrous, or pliable material.
Phenolic cue tips are not permitted.”

The BCA Pool League is amending this rule to state: “THE CUE TIP ON BREAK CUES MUST BE MADE OF LEATHER WITH NO NON-LEATHER MATERIALS ADDED TO THE CONTACTING SURFACE.” There have been questions asked, such as: “What if I break with my jump cue?” and similar questions. It is very simple. Whatever cue you break with must have a leather tip.

The reason for this rule is that the BCA Pool League has witnessed too many examples of damaged cue balls. After consultations with Aramith and Simonis, it has been determined the major contributing factor in cue ball damage is the hardness of the tip on break cues.

For several years the WPA has taken the position that the cue tip may not be of a material that can scratch or damage the cue ball. The BCAPL subscribes to the WPA philosophy.

This policy only applies to break cues. Jump cues are allowed to have a leather or non-leather tip - since it is difficult to stroke with enough force to cause damage.

This rule will be in effect at the BCAPL National 8-Ball Championships and regional tournaments that the BCAPL promotes. Promoters, directors and operators of events such as league play or local tournaments may alter the rules as they see fit.

Signed,
Bill Stock, BCAPL
Director of Referees and
Rules Administrator
 
This policy only applies to break cues. Jump cues are allowed to have a leather or non-leather tip - since it is difficult to stroke with enough force to cause damage.

That is just brutal. I cannot believe that people could get together to decide a rule and be so shortsighted that they cannot see how this is going to be something they are going to be dealing with like crazy for the years to come before they finally do what they should have done today and simply banned all tips that are non-leather from pool.

Rest assured, people using 3/4 length jump cues for longer jump shots pounding the cueball into the table with a powerful break stroke are going to cause as much damage to the cueball on those shots, many jumps require almost vertical cues to jump a ball and basic physics of the cueballs motion being impeded from the table imparts more energy from the jump cue then a break shot where the forward motion of the cue ball is not impeded by the table.

If I ever win the lottery things are going to change in this bloody sport and I will show people how it can be done right.
 
So what should they have done instead? What if Aramith simply can't come up with a harder set of cueballs? Phenolic tips gain their hardness from the fact that they're made up of fibers, normally comprised of carbon, which are set in a resin that again adds to the strength of the final product. What if they can't produce a set of balls at that same level of hardness?
 
The BCA Pool League is amending this rule to state: “THE CUE TIP ON BREAK CUES MUST BE MADE OF LEATHER WITH NO NON-LEATHER MATERIALS ADDED TO THE CONTACTING SURFACE.”

I guess that means laminated tips are out too. . . :rolleyes:
 
and i thought the ruling was for jump cues too..

shoulda put that g10 on my J/B! i am fine to break with a housecue.
 
I for one understand and i'm ok with the new rules.

IMO, if you need a phenolic tip to break balls on a bar box then you have bigger problems the what tip you are using.

cbi
 
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I for one understand am ok with the new rules.

IMO, if you need a phenolic tip to break balls on a bar box then you have bigger problems the what tip you are using.

cbi

Tap Tap Tap. I 100% agree!

I have never used a Phenolic Tip and don't plan to anytime soon! I hope everyone gets on board and stops complaining about it.

It is what it is.....
 
Then Why doesn't the WPA ban phenolic tips as well?

This past week I spent some time inspecting the cueballs in use at the China open on the practice tables as well as on the tournament tables.

None of them had any visible damage on them despite being exposed to some of the hardest and most consistent breakers on the planet Earth.

Why would Simonis have anything to say about this? They are a cloth manufacturer.

As for Aramith it's better to blame the cue than to admit that maybe their balls aren't as good as they used to be. I have ten cue balls to test from a manufacturer who CLAIMS that their balls are better than Aramith. We will see. I know that they feel pretty good when you play with them. Perhaps if they have a formula that can stand up to breaking with phenolic tips then these balls will finally have a chance to come to the market and challenge Aramith.

I don't know.

I agree that the BCAPL is in a perfect position to gather significant amounts of data related to pool playing and equipment interaction.

It just strikes me as funny that just now, after phenolic tipped break cues have been in use for around 12 years, they have "discovered" that these cues are harmful to the cueballs AND how it's only them who have this problem.

Not to say that the APA and VNEA don't also have a similar problem but I figure we would have heard about it by now if they did.

Well, it's their sandbox and the BCAPL can make up whatever rules they see fit. I just don't think that they should lean on the WPA's rules since the WPA does in fact allow phenolic tips on break cues. Perhaps that will change as well now and instead of the WPA's rules driving the sport we will have the tail wagging the dog when leagues in the USA get to make the rules that the rest of the world must follow.

I would also like to know just HOW the BCA intends to be able to enforce this rule?

Will they have a materials testing lab on hand to test each person's tip? What is pliable? Will there be a certain hardness that is allowed (probably the best way to test quickly in the field)? Will each referee be outfitted with a Durometer to test hardness?
 
That is just brutal. I cannot believe that people could get together to decide a rule and be so shortsighted that they cannot see how this is going to be something they are going to be dealing with like crazy for the years to come before they finally do what they should have done today and simply banned all tips that are non-leather from pool.

Rest assured, people using 3/4 length jump cues for longer jump shots pounding the cueball into the table with a powerful break stroke are going to cause as much damage to the cueball on those shots, many jumps require almost vertical cues to jump a ball and basic physics of the cueballs motion being impeded from the table imparts more energy from the jump cue then a break shot where the forward motion of the cue ball is not impeded by the table.

If I ever win the lottery things are going to change in this bloody sport and I will show people how it can be done right.

I also wish they had banned all non-leather tips, but I think their compromise is pretty reasonable. They are trying not to go farther than what's necessary to protect the equipment, i.e., to protect the equipment while pissing off the fewest people possible. They believe, and I think they're right, that the force applied with an elevated cue is not enough to hurt the cue ball, at least in the vast majority of jump shots.

A ban on all non-leather tips would have been cleaner, but a lot of people think it's great fun to execute jump shots and they didn't want to take away any fun from the game, especially at a time when pool is struggling, rooms are closing, and there is practically no TV coverage.
 
Then Why doesn't the WPA ban phenolic tips as well?

This past week I spent some time inspecting the cueballs in use at the China open on the practice tables as well as on the tournament tables.

None of them had any visible damage on them despite being exposed to some of the hardest and most consistent breakers on the planet Earth.

Why would Simonis have anything to say about this? They are a cloth manufacturer.

As for Aramith it's better to blame the cue than to admit that maybe their balls aren't as good as they used to be. I have ten cue balls to test from a manufacturer who CLAIMS that their balls are better than Aramith. We will see. I know that they feel pretty good when you play with them. Perhaps if they have a formula that can stand up to breaking with phenolic tips then these balls will finally have a chance to come to the market and challenge Aramith.

I don't know.

I agree that the BCAPL is in a perfect position to gather significant amounts of data related to pool playing and equipment interaction.

It just strikes me as funny that just now, after phenolic tipped break cues have been in use for around 12 years, they have "discovered" that these cues are harmful to the cueballs AND how it's only them who have this problem.

Not to say that the APA and VNEA don't also have a similar problem but I figure we would have heard about it by now if they did.

Well, it's their sandbox and the BCAPL can make up whatever rules they see fit. I just don't think that they should lean on the WPA's rules since the WPA does in fact allow phenolic tips on break cues. Perhaps that will change as well now and instead of the WPA's rules driving the sport we will have the tail wagging the dog when leagues in the USA get to make the rules that the rest of the world must follow.

I would also like to know just HOW the BCA intends to be able to enforce this rule?

Will they have a materials testing lab on hand to test each person's tip? What is pliable? Will there be a certain hardness that is allowed (probably the best way to test quickly in the field)? Will each referee be outfitted with a Durometer to test hardness?


Good post John!
 
I fail to understand the "cry" over the banning of phenolic tips on break cues, as players don't break any harder today than in all the years I've been playing pool. If a player thinks having a phenolic tip on their break cue give them some kind of advantage on winning a game from the break, then ALL players would be running out after the break...and they're NOT! The only difference between a phenolic tip and a leather tip is the mushrooming effect some leather tips have from breaking with them so often....so what! Geez people....play pool, it's the game you REALLY play AFTER the break!

Glen

PS. If I had MY way, I'd ban all jump cues as well, and if you make a jump shot...it would have to be with the cue you shot with LAST!
 
I fail to understand the "cry" over the banning of phenolic tips on break cues, as players don't break any harder today than in all the years I've been playing pool. If a player thinks having a phenolic tip on their break cue give them some kind of advantage on winning a game from the break, then ALL players would be running out after the break...and they're NOT! The only difference between a phenolic tip and a leather tip is the mushrooming effect some leather tips have from breaking with them so often....so what! Geez people....play pool, it's the game you REALLY play AFTER the break!

Glen

PS. If I had MY way, I'd ban all jump cues as well, and if you make a jump shot...it would have to be with the cue you shot with LAST!

You are not really right about that. With the phenolic tip you don't hit the cue ball as hard but still get a strong break. This makes for more good breaks (cue ball hitting the 1 ball square) due to the less effort. You can concentrate on the form of your break and don't have to come out of your shoes just to hit them hard.
 
Regardless of whether we like the new ruling or not, I would like to thank Bill Stock and Holly Ryan for their consideration in posting the official ruling on this forum. There has been a lot of speculation and a lot of uncertainty, both of which have been addressed. Now that I know what the official rules are, I also know what I need to do to be in compliance. Do I have to change tips on my break shaft? Yup. But if I want to play in a BCAPL sanctioned event, that's the way it goes. Thanks again.
 
You are not really right about that. With the phenolic tip you don't hit the cue ball as hard but still get a strong break. This makes for more good breaks (cue ball hitting the 1 ball square) due to the less effort. You can concentrate on the form of your break and don't have to come out of your shoes just to hit them hard.

You're also not really right about your post either. I remember reading the speed testing results from Shane Sinnott at Platinum Billiards back when he did testing over multiple brands. The phenolic tipped cues were all faster - by a whopping 2% over the leather tipped cues. So I'm guessing that the extra 0.4-0.6 MPH you gained with the phenolic tip made a huge difference with that softer, smoother stroke? BOLLOX. You can break just as well with leather as phenolic. The last two US Open champs are SVB and John Schmidt. Both break with leather tips - it didn't hurt them too much.
 
I agree with Predator5k4 100%.

Sure I have some thoughts about the banning especially since it cost a "few extra dollars" out of my pocket to comply but I want to play BCAPL events. Though I subjectively and personally believe I had a slight advantage added to "my game" using phenolic, (yes it could be all psychological :) ), with everyone's comments and suggestions on this site, I will improvise with new leather tips (hopefully either samsara or water buffalo - on order as I type) and continue to enjoy and improve my overall game.

In addition, Bill and Holly have been very professional with presenting the information. They came directly to our forum to give us the information. Wow I feel that was a very nice privelege granted to us.

Thank you Bill, Holly and all on here that are assisting me in suggesting what we all can do to improvise in our game.

Steve
 
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