Considered unsportsmanlike or "dirty" ?

[D_Lewis]

If the player I am playing needs 1-5 balls and its my break, I always use my playing cue, right from the spot and draw it back to the head rail, the one is ALWAYS tied up on the rail with another ball or two. No scratching, no hanging balls, good strategy.

 

[GeneSF]

It's a game, and like all games, it has a rulebook. You must play by the rules. How about if the Packers are behind the Patriots by 3 scoes with 30 seconds left, and they just shake hands and walk off the field? How about a baseball player who hits a game ending grand slam, and his opponents tell him he doesn't have to circle the bases? The rules are there for a time-tested reason. Respect your opponent, yes, but respect the rules a little more. That rulebook was here before you and it will be here after you've gone.

 

[RunoutalloverU]

For one thing...he did play by the rules. But lets say he didnt, lets say the rules for breaking in the APA state you have to hit them 19 mphs, lets say to get an advantage over a crappy table he hits them 12 mphs. Against the rules! Ok fine, so whatever penalty that foul incurs should be enforced against him. And thats that. If he feels as a player that causing that intentional foul (straight pool anyone?) gives him an advantage even WITH the penalty for it, then it is STILL a smart shot. If there is something so diabolical, so deceptive that one can do, as to make the game impossible to win for the other opponent, than make THAT foul a loss of game (oh wait thats right, its called RUNNING OUT). So even if it against the rules to do something, this in no way excludes the player from doing it if it is the correct play. All it should do is make the player consider a further step ahead in determining weather or not he should commit this foul based on the consequences of it. The more I read about bar leauge disputes, its makes me wonder if they should hand out pacifiers with APA leauge sign ups.

 

[fish on]

I care what you think Fish. I dont consider it cheating irregardless of what the rule is. There is no push out after the break.. people sandbag nonstop and many other issues. I think breaking hard enough to make a legal break and just positioning the cue ball on the foot rail isnt cheating IMO.

I do understand now that softbreaking isnt allowed in APA now which I didnt know before. And usually I dont soft break because I dont have to. I just decided to in this case. SO you two can take it easy a bit

Reminder "End does not justify the means"!
I played in APA vegas 8 B singles when the Dabarber poster played and won his title he played great!

Here is what happened,
True story from vegas 8B match

I asked ref to watch hit as I was shooting off back rail to put my opponent behind my ball for a safe!
I hit soft shot ref said good hit!
My opponent asked me if it was good ,I said to ref was it a good hit he said you had a good hit, I told my opponent ref called good ,my opponent said no ball hit a rail !
I said to ref did a ball hit the rail he said no!
I looked at him and he told me all you asked "was it a good hit"?
I told my opponent ball in hand!

Hey this was not a game losing situation even with me giving up BIH but I feel proud of myself ,as in life I made my share of things I regretted later.

cubc your opponent did not know the rule and neither did you so I will lighten up.

I hope you respect your opponents abilities and
remember it takes guts to play and lose.

FYI I Would have gave them a whack!
Have a good day!

 

[sde]

You didn't specify how hard you broke this rack. If you used as much power as possible with control, there is nothing wrong with this break. If you soft broke the rack for the sole purpose of playing safe with the break, I'd make you break the rack again.

It sounds like you soft broke since you specified you were attempting to get just four balls to a rail.

The APA team manual clearly states that safety or soft breaks are not allowed. It goes on to state that you must hit the rack as hard as you can with control. If you soft broke, you broke the rules.

I can understand that you need to accumulate as many points as possible, being you are the high rated player on the team. However, the rules apply to you no differently than any other skill level player.

It sounds to me that he hit the rack as hard as he could with control. His intention was to control the CB and by hitting harder he would have lost control.

Steve

 

[Robbie]

It sounds to me that he hit the rack as hard as he could with control. His intention was to control the CB and by hitting harder he would have lost control.

Steve

I dont even take that as a joke. The rules are so vague in some areas (double hits), I have no problem reading them in the way the benefits me until they want to clear them up.

 

[Andrew Manning]

It sounds to me that he hit the rack as hard as he could with control. His intention was to control the CB and by hitting harder he would have lost control.

Steve

I agree with this post. That's a terrible rule, and reading it this way is a good way to mitigate it. He hit the balls hard enough to satisfy the rule that is there to prevent the soft break (4 balls to the rail), and he hit it as hard as he could to control the CB the way he wanted. It just so happens that on this break, "control" meant something slightly different than in some other situations.

So for those who say he cheated, I believe he played this shot in accordance with both the letter of the law and the spirit of sportsmanlike pocket billiards.

-Andrew

 

[sde]

I agree with this post. That's a terrible rule, and reading it this way is a good way to mitigate it. He hit the balls hard enough to satisfy the rule that is there to prevent the soft break (4 balls to the rail), and he hit it as hard as he could to control the CB the way he wanted. It just so happens that on this break, "control" meant something slightly different than in some other situations.

So for those who say he cheated, I believe he played this shot in accordance with both the letter of the law and the spirit of sportsmanlike pocket billiards.

-Andrew

Andrew,

Well said. Thanks for clarifying my statement.

Steve