Calling for a break during a match

poohatur

poohatur

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
It's totally my fault for letting this get to me, but at the same time I'd like to hear other opinions on the matter. I was playing a race to 7 last night and I was getting grilled from the start. I'm down 4-0 and was able to take the next rack. The opponent gets out of his seat calls "restroom" and takes off. Ok. In my head, I'm thinking, you shouldn't call that unless it's your turn on the table. Secondly, I'm wondering if he's doing it on purpose to cool me down as I potentially started to shift the momentum. Anyways, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was somewhat of an unsportsmanlike move. Is it just me?
 
poohatur said:
It's totally my fault for letting this get to me, but at the same time I'd like to hear other opinions on the matter. I was playing a race to 7 last night and I was getting grilled from the start. I'm down 4-0 and was able to take the next rack. The opponent gets out of his seat calls "restroom" and takes off. Ok. In my head, I'm thinking, you shouldn't call that unless it's your turn on the table. Secondly, I'm wondering if he's doing it on purpose to cool me down as I potentially started to shift the momentum. Anyways, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was somewhat of an unsportsmanlike move. Is it just me?
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Yea, he was trying to slow you down and get in your head, which he obviously did. How did the match end?
 
Really bad. I lost 2-7. Honestly though, he was shooting great, so he kept me iced most of the time. Every time I got up, it was just to see a safety.
 
poohatur said:
Really bad. I lost 2-7. Honestly though, he was shooting great, so he kept me iced most of the time. Every time I got up, it was just to see a safety.
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Unsportsman like? Yup, Shitty move? Yup. Illegal? Nope. Sucks when it happens, but you just gotta learn to not let it bother you. Take that time to go to the bathroom also, or get some fresh air, or another drink. ;)
 
To me.. There's the physical part of the game (pocketing balls and safeties) and then the mental (your own self and opponent side tricks)

Its just another part of the game... I don't do it... But I also don't get upset if its done to me... Let them play their game and then beat them at it... It only makes you a stronger player if "you've seen it all"
 
What's the rule on breaks?

Called by shooter only?

If so, you should have called him on it. In the grand scheme of things pool doesn't have a lot of rules; that's usually a sign that the existing rules are there for a good reason.
 
1-11 Time-Out
If time-outs are allowed by event regulations, you may only take a time-out during your inning, or when it is your turn to break. Each player is allowed one time-out per match. Time-outs are limited to five minutes. If you exceed your allotted five minutes, or leave the playing area when not authorized to do so, you will forfeit one game for every twominute period you fail to return to the match. The two-minute period begins once a referee has determined you are not present when you should be. Time-outs are not allowed in team play during BCAPL sanctioned tournaments.

I usually make a point of clarifying we are playing by BCA rules...which as you see covers this


R
 
I would have said go if you want but I'm gonna shoot. You call break during your shot not someone else's.
 
The tournaments I play in only allow breaks on your inning. If I know the person I'm playing I let it slide.

I've only had to enforce this rule once. I was down 4-1 in a race to 7. I clawed back to make it 4-4 (winner breaks) when my opponent says he's going to take a smoke break. "No, you're not," I say. I had to get the TD involved. My opponent was apoplectic, but I won the match. I was glad that I could take a shark move and turn it back around on him.
 
I wasn't all there mentally last night so I couldn't even focus after that. I need to use that time to take a break too or recompose myself. Maybe stare at the floor like Ralph Souquet and call in my inner beast.
 
bdorman said:
What's the rule on breaks?

Called by shooter only?

If so, you should have called him on it. In the grand scheme of things pool doesn't have a lot of rules; that's usually a sign that the existing rules are there for a good reason.
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If you're playing heads up, there are none. He didn't say it was tournament/league, just race to 7.
 
Ironic that you should post this questions. Same thing came up last week at SBE, Hatch vs. Sergio Rivas (13 year old).

3rd set. I think the score was 6-5 Rivas in a race to 8. Hatch breaks and looks up. The kid is gone. Hatch is looking all around, obviously annoyed/amused that he's not able to continue, even asking spectators where the kid went. About 6 or 7 mins later, the kid returns. Hatch wins to make it 6-6.

Kid breaks next. Has a 4 ball runout to even up the set, but misses under pressure and loses. Score is 7-6, Hatch.

Before the break on the last rack, Hatch walks away from the table. You could see the grin on his face as he's leaving the arena. 10 mins later - just enough time for the poor kid to sweat the runout he dogged in the last rack - Hatch returns from the break... and wins the set and match, 8-6.

Great little lesson in gamesmanship for the aspiring kid.
 
It wasn't a tournament, just a serious heads up match. Interesting story about the Hatch match.
 
Dont let it happn again!

Cant do it with me..., if you do whenyou come back you have to trust what you find..., I ran out, Your in a trap or I missed and its your turn, but I aint going to allow you to move on me and I aint going to move on you.

He might not know whats right or he might, but if you tell him in a nice way "het man, let me finish this run so you dont have to guess what happened when you come back" his response will let you know who your dealing with.

The game is tuff enough without the added BS, so cut it out as soon as it comes up.., respect is always do!
 
"OK cool, well I'm gonna keep shooting, but enjoy your break man!"

ten minutes later he comes back and sees the cueball cornerhooked, needing minimum of 2 rails to make a good hit...

"hey I missed, go ahead bro"
 
I can't believe nobody's giving this guy the benefit of the doubt. He's shooting lights out and has a big lead, and we think he's trying to cool his opponent off with a time out? I doubt it; he was only risking cooling himself off. I bet he just really had to go.

-Andrew
 
Man you guys take this stuff to seriously. I go to the BR a lot during matches. I also like when my opponent goes. I usually do some stretches on the floor when he does.

<===== Not joking
 
Ok, Ok, you have a point

I'm in action all the time so my view might be a lottle squided..., maybe the guy needed to go???
 
poohatur said:
It's totally my fault for letting this get to me, but at the same time I'd like to hear other opinions on the matter. I was playing a race to 7 last night and I was getting grilled from the start. I'm down 4-0 and was able to take the next rack. The opponent gets out of his seat calls "restroom" and takes off. Ok. In my head, I'm thinking, you shouldn't call that unless it's your turn on the table. Secondly, I'm wondering if he's doing it on purpose to cool me down as I potentially started to shift the momentum. Anyways, I couldn't shake the feeling that it was somewhat of an unsportsmanlike move. Is it just me?
Click to expand...

Maybe my story will make you feel better. I was playing a race to 9 for the hot seat at the ACUI collegiate national championship. I started off slowly and couldn't get the speed of the table down, and found myself down 5-1. Then I caught a gear and won four straight racks to tie it at 5. I look up, and my opponent is nowhere to be found.

I go to the tournament director, who says he didn't see my opponent leave the room or else he would have said something. About ten minutes later my opponent--a very experienced player--finally comes back and acts like he didn't know there was anything wrong with just leaving the room like that for ten minutes. I lost my momentum, lost the match, and he won the tournament.
 
The last time I saw Ronnie Allen play, he invoked his diabetes as the excuse for him having to take a lot of bathroom breaks. Well, it was the primary reason -- the secondary reason was the beer he had to drink to keep his blood sugar at the right level.

Was the OP's opponent an old guy with medical issues?
 
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