Clarification of a BCA rule, please?

T

tobyjoe

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Hey everyone. I don't play tournaments or anything, so I've yet to be able to ask a referee or TD about this, and everyone else I ask only answers with their own take on how things SHOULD be, not really on what is being said.

In the BCA General rules, rule #3.23, it says:

"If the cue ball is touching the required object ball prior to the shot, the player may shoot toward it, providing that any normal stroke is employed."

Does that mean that if I play a safe, thinning a ball and freezing the cue ball against a ball (or two) in a cluster, that my opponent can shoot the cue ball into the ball it's frozen against? Does the chalk-width follow rule apply if the cue ball follows the object?

Or, does my opponent have to shoot away from the frozen ball(s) in order to try for a safe hit with a DIFFERENT ball, then a rail, or whatever?

Sorry if this is an easy one: it's one that seems to be in dispute a lot when I play 1P or 14.1 with folks.
 
BCA rules. If the balls are frozen, you may push through the shot, it does no matter the direction, as long as it is a legal shot.
Meaning, hit a rail and no double hits and the like. In other words, the cue ball and frozen ball more or less become one and are treated as such.

Now VNEA rules are different.
 
so, it's a better safe to ALMOST freeze the cue to a ball? that way, they have to jack up in order to avoid the double hit?

seems a little off to me. like losing if you drop the 8 on the break (i prefer spotting it) :)
 
Yes, sometimes you don't want to safe your opponent on his own ball or if you are playing 9-ball the lowest numbered ball on the table. If there is a slight gap the player must hit the cue ball at a 45 degree angle or shoot away or to the side of the impeding ball. Kind of a goofy rule but a rule nonetheless.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top