Different Way to Rate Players

Get_A_Grip

Get_A_Grip

Truth Will Set You Free
Silver Member
I've been practicing a lot lately working on my fundamentals and I came to a conclusion on maybe a better way to rate players. I think that this would work for C players and above. The rating would simply be on the size of the packages one can regularly put together.

Examples for 8-Ball:

C = run 1 rack

B to A = 2-3 pack

A to Semi-pro = 4-5 pack

Semi-pro to Pro = 6-7 pack

Top Pro = 8+

I included overlap in some of the rating designations, assuming that the high end of one designation might be able to achieve the lower number of packages for the next higher designation.

What do you think? Does everyone agree with the number of racks each level could regularly run? (I regularly run 2-3 packs right now. Regular for me is at least once a week practicing daily).
 
Last edited:
I would think this is a fair chart if you could do it consistently say out of every ten games not just once a week.
 
If you are running racks of snooker : I am impressed!!!!

Running racks of 3 ball,that is rather pedestrian:p
 
players that can run a rack or more of 8ball is less than 10% of the league players

This rating system would be OK to rate the better players I don't think it would work for amateur league players
 
mvp said:
I would think this is a fair chart if you could do it consistently say out of every ten games not just once a week.
Click to expand...
I do a 2-3 pack "at least" one a week. But I run 2 racks in a row probably every other day. In 8-ball, you obviously need to make a ball on the break too. For some reason I think I have a mental block and I always seem to mess something up the times I've been on the 4th rack -- so I'm definitely in the 2-3 pack range.

To do these packages in every 10 games seems like more than most people can do in any of the categories.
 
Poolhall60561 said:
players that can run a rack or more of 8ball is less than 10% of the league players

This rating system would be OK to rate the better players I don't think it would work for amateur league players
Click to expand...
Yeah, at first I was going to start at a B-player. But then I thought about it and concluded that I believe that someone rated as a C-player can probably regularly run 1 rack.
 
BTW, this idea occurred to me because I was thinking -- what simple question could I ask a player to quickly determine what level that they play on. Then I realized that one guy that I play with can regularly run 4-5 racks, while I can only regularly run 2-3 racks.

The other complication is that when many players practice, they don't always rack the balls and start with a break shot. Last year I really improved my break by forcing myself in practice to always rack the balls and start with the break shot (and film myself playing and trying to run packages).

EDIT: The type of table probably matters a bit too. I play on a 9-foot table with 4.5 inch pockets. But I think that the range of racks run could account somewhat for the different playing conditions and difficulty of the table.
 
Last edited:
Get_A_Grip said:
I've been practicing a lot lately working on my fundamentals and I came to a conclusion on maybe a better way to rate players. I think that this would work for C players and above. The rating would simply be on the size of the packages one can regularly put together.

Examples for 8-Ball:

C = run 1 rack

B to A = 2-3 pack

A to Semi-pro = 4-5 pack

Semi-pro to Pro = 6-7 pack

Top Pro = 8+

I included overlap in some of the rating designations, assuming that the high end of one designation might be able to achieve the lower number of packages for the next higher designation.

What do you think? Does everyone agree with the number of racks each level could regularly run? (I regularly run 2-3 packs right now. Regular for me is at least once a week practicing daily).
Click to expand...

A C would not run a rack of 8 ball "regularly", on a good 9 footer. Once a week of playing would be "rarely" I think. A B may run a rack of 8 ball in a set, a C may run one rack of 8 ball in a week, on average.

Usually the ratings are done with ball in hand playing 9 or 10 ball. 2-4 average is C range, 5-7 is B range 7+ is A range. This is an average or 10+ racks, ball in hand, basically how you play the ghost. A B player should be able to beat the 6 ball ghost almost every time, the 7 ball ghost sometimes.

Using 8 ball ratings is a bit tougher, I would say in a night of playing 8 ball (say 20 games during a small tournament) a C may run a rack. A B may run 3-4-5 racks.

Anyone that can string several racks of 8 or 9 ball is a good player, I play with lots of B players and a break and run even for a good B is not very common. It happens, but on average not often.
 
Last edited:
FYI, many interpretations for the A-D rating system can be found here:

A-D rating system resource page

And many methods for rating players can be found here:

player rating resource page

My favorite is the Billiard University (BU) Playing-Ability Exams.

Regards,
Dave



Get_A_Grip said:
I've been practicing a lot lately working on my fundamentals and I came to a conclusion on maybe a better way to rate players. I think that this would work for C players and above. The rating would simply be on the size of the packages one can regularly put together.

Examples for 8-Ball:

C = run 1 rack

B to A = 2-3 pack

A to Semi-pro = 4-5 pack

Semi-pro to Pro = 6-7 pack

Top Pro = 8+

I included overlap in some of the rating designations, assuming that the high end of one designation might be able to achieve the lower number of packages for the next higher designation.

What do you think? Does everyone agree with the number of racks each level could regularly run? (I regularly run 2-3 packs right now. Regular for me is at least once a week practicing daily).
Click to expand...
 
hang-the-9 said:
A C would not run a rack of 8 ball "regularly", on a good 9 footer. Once a week of playing would be "rarely" I think. A B may run a rack of 8 ball in a set, a C may run one rack of 8 ball in a week, on average.

Usually the ratings are done with ball in hand playing 9 or 10 ball. 2-4 average is C range, 5-7 is B range 7+ is A range. This is an average or 10+ racks, ball in hand, basically how you play the ghost. A B player should be able to beat the 6 ball ghost almost every time, the 7 ball ghost sometimes.

Using 8 ball ratings is a bit tougher, I would say in a night of playing 8 ball (say 20 games during a small tournament) a C may run a rack. A B may run 3-4-5 racks.

Anyone that can string several racks of 8 or 9 ball is a good player, I play with lots of B players and a break and run even for a good B is not very common. It happens, but on average not often.
Click to expand...

Interesting. Some think these packages should be run every 10 games, and you think that stringing racks is much more rare.

I was really just trying to come up with a quick way to assess someone. Having them complete a skills test as one poster suggested isn't what I was looking for.




_______
 
Get_A_Grip said:
Interesting. Some think these packages should be run every 10 games, and you think that stringing racks is much more rare.

I was really just trying to come up with a quick way to assess someone. Having them complete a skills test as one poster suggested isn't what I was looking for.




_______
Click to expand...

I think a C player can run 1 outa 10 games, in my opinion most league players are D's
 
hang-the-9 said:
A B may run 3-4-5 racks.
Click to expand...
Everything you wrote seems okay, except this particular statement I don't think is true. A "B" player running 4 or 5 racks? Not in my estimation.

EDIT: I now see that you said in 20 games they could run 3, 4 or 5 racks, but not in a row.
 
Last edited:
fastone371 said:
This seems like it would be a horrible way to try to rate players, to much hinges on the break. There are some tables that are all but impossible to run. Whats wrong with playing Fargo to come up with a rating?

Fargo, the game= https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CHj6KUw8xzE&t=430s
Click to expand...
It's not a horrible way to determine someone's speed, if you don't have time to tell them to please complete a skills test and report back to me. :thumbup:
 
mvp said:
I think a C player can run 1 outa 10 games, in my opinion most league players are D's
Click to expand...

I dont think a C player will consistently run 1 rack out of 10 games, thus 2 out of 20.

A successful break might be 60% for a C player. Then having to run 1 rack out of 6?? Not on a 9ft diamond with pro-cut pockets.

I doubt a C player will run out 1 out of 10 after the break on both dry and wet breaks. Perhaps on a GC 8ft table, or maybe a GC 9ft with big pockets. Not on a Diamond pro-cut.
 
Last edited:
Get_A_Grip said:
Everything you wrote seems okay, except this particular statement I don't think is true. A "B" player running 4 or 5 racks? Not in my estimation.

EDIT: I now see that you said in 20 games they could run 3, 4 or 5 racks, but not in a row.
Click to expand...

I meant in a night/tournament. I play in two weekly tournaments, with quite a few B players, this is about what I see, maybe running out a rack a set or every other set (race to 3), especially in 8 ball because there is more often a first shot you can make. Most people don't control the cueball well in 9 ball on the break so can't start the run. In 9 ball there is rarely a break and run in 3-4 sets of a race to 3 even with B players.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top