Can Shooter Request Changing the Ball Colors When Opponent or Ref is Racking?

[ChrisinNC]

This sometimes comes up for a steep angle break shot when the break ball is located quite close to the stack, when the balls are being racked by the opponent or ref.

Is it permissible to request the racker to switch ball colors in the rack so that the background for the edge of your break ball doesn’t have the same color object ball in your view directly behind your break ball?

As a courtesy, I’ve always thought it was good etiquette to rack the 1,3 or 5 ball on the two lower points of the rack, to make them stand out a little better for a feather safety. This is along the same vain as that.

 

[Zerksies]

I would think it is possible, but i think both parties have to agree on that. Nothing in the rules states something like that

 

[DynoDan]

Even more relevant, what if the opponent racking was suspected of intentionally placing the balls so as to confuse the colors? Any rule prohibiting that? If so, then honoring the shooter’s request to switch would naturally follow.
Otherwise, I would assume the ball order in the rack should be random, and the shooter is stuck with the risk.

 

[Bob Jewett]

14.1 is random racking. I do sometimes use the traditional 5-and-1 balls on the corners for the opening break shot, but technically that's not allowed. In over 60 years of playing 14.1, I have never run into an issue of ball placement for a continuing break shot. Never thought about it.

If you have trouble seeing the break ball clearly, more light or an optometrist might help.

 

[DynoDan]

14.1 is random racking. I do sometimes use the traditional 5-and-1 balls on the corners for the opening break shot, but technically that's not allowed. In over 60 years of playing 14.1, I have never run into an issue of ball placement for a continuing break shot. Never thought about it.

If you have trouble seeing the break ball clearly, more light or an optometrist might help.

So, if the current rules dictate the racking order MUST be random, and your opponent (not the referee) is racking, could the shooter then be allowed to insist on a re-rack (like a cut before the deal, as in poker)? Interesting issue. Asking to cut the cards isn’t necessarily considered an accusation that the dealer is cheating. If you don’t like the way the ball colors lay out for some reason, a single ‘re-rack/shuffle’ would likely guarantee random order, eliminate any ill feelings, and thus should be routinely granted.
Although, the actual procedure should be standardized, and would probably be eventually abused, since unlike poker, where no obvious advantage would be realized by cutting the deck, a re-rack before the opening break might put the one or five on the corner (where they should be). The temptation to intentionally avoid putting them there would likely be hard to resist.

 

[AtLarge]

14.1 is random racking. I do sometimes use the traditional 5-and-1 balls on the corners for the opening break shot, but technically that's not allowed. ...

As you sort of indicate with your word "traditional" above, there was a period when the rules for racking for the opening break shot required that the 1-ball be on the corner to the racker's right and the 5-ball on the corner to the racker's left. I'm not aware of the rules ever specifying any specific ball locations for subsequent racks.

 

[Bob Jewett]

As you sort of indicate with your word "traditional" above, there was a period when the rules for racking for the opening break shot required that the 1-ball be on the corner to the racker's right and the 5-ball on the corner to the racker's left. I'm not aware of the rules ever specifying any specific ball locations for subsequent racks.

I have never seen one for subsequent racks, IIRC. Very early rules specified all the ball positions starting with the 15 in front. Seems like overkill.

 

[DynoDan]

I always ignored the ‘15-in-front’ rule (seemed totally baseless). Also thought any preference which corner got the brighter 1 ball to be rather discriminatory against lefties, though I usually placed it on the right, since most opponents WERE right-handed.