Foul..........Poor Form..........Genius Move?

I think it has a lot to do with your evaluation of your opponents abilities and how they go about playing pool. There's a lot of people I would use this tactic on and a lot that I wouldn't as I know it would backfire on me!!
 
This is super common in my opinion.

One thing I do with my students is to set up two strips, two solids, and the 8 ball, all locked up in various ways (maybe a stripe and solid tied up on a rail, a stripe near a corner blocked by a hanging 8, the other solid frozen on the head rail up table).

After I set these up I tell my student they can pick stripes or solids and shoot first. I battle out end games with them. Sometimes we’ll discuss options. Generally we can do 5 in an hour.

It’s amazing at how often the illegal pocketing of your opponents ball is the winning shot, after which everything goes downhill for them. I can post some examples later if I’m by my computer, mobile right now. But it’s true that unless you can run out the player with more balls typically has the advantage in the end game.

So to the original question, it is a foul but it is totally acceptable and often correct.
 
The game is 8 ball. In one local tournament I've played in for years.

There is a player who once in a safety battle will start purposely shooting his opponents balls in if they are in a beneficial position that could possible win them the game. Other balls are tied up as well so this most times isn't a position that the incoming player gets ball in hand and could easily just run out.

I've seen matches where the opponent uses his balls to gain the advantage only to have this person get the worst of it then simply shoot the opponents balls in directly removing the advantage gained. This is a obvious ball in hand foul resulting in ball in hand for incoming player, most times the incoming player is now at a disadvantage even with ball in hand.

What if any rule would cover this? Unsportsmanlike or a genius move?

Whats your opinion on this move?
Are you referring to shooting opponent’s balls in as with the cue ball or are you saying he’s shooting them in with his cue tip directly on the object balls, bypassing the cue ball?

The latter would be unsportsmanlike, 1 warning, and then automatic loss of game for the second and every subsequent infraction after that in the same session. The former is a legal strategic move, BIH for the opponent.
 
i wouldnt do it against a much better shooter if it didnt heavily favor me, the guy was around 600 and already had 2 run outs in the set lol
had one ball tied to mine on the rail sort of close to the pocket, with one of his near the pocket to but it out, so i shot that one, i had 5-6 balls on the table and his other free one was up table hanging out with a cluster of mine
I’m sure you probably play better 8 ball than me but if we have a cluster of balls together and you give bih I’m going to be looking at shooting my ball into the open and freezing the cue ball to one of your balls. A cue ball frozen to another cuts down a lot of the options maybe not always but it’s a position I don’t want to be in most of the time
 
Part of the chess game. I shot a guy 30 years ago in a tournament that everyone bragged how good he was and that no one can beat him I Drew him first round in an APA rules the, first game he shot a shot of the 8 ball that left the eight ball against my object ball. He then shot a ball and missed it sat in pocket. I ran my balls leaving only one tied to eight. And shot his duck in. He yelled that he had low balls. I said my bad. Ball in hand. He missed the next shot leaving ball in pocket and I shot it in. He yelled again. My bad ball in hand. He did it again and I did it again. Now he was on the eight ball tried to play it safe and left it where I can go ahead and cross cut the object bar I made it and then shot the eight in the win. Then beat him four more in a row. He was furious after the first game.
 
One pocket is the game where intentional fouls are employed the most. Intentionally fouling is not unsportsmanlike. The penalty for a foul is prescribed. To have a different penalty based on intention is not a good thing.
The good old days of straight 8 no slop bar room honor rules, saw many pretentious shots that were, "Just an accidental scratch" when spotting the opponents only remaining ball in the kitchen was unheard of.
 
He was a "captain" on the other team, and a better player than me, but I ended up winning the game.
Not that day he wasn't. Strategy is as important as cuemanship.
The penalty for a foul is prescribed. To have a different penalty based on intention is not a good thing.
I agree. Guessing the intent of the other player...who can really say for sure and a game shouldn't be dependent on it.
The good old days of straight 8 no slop bar room honor rules, saw many pretentious shots that were, "Just an accidental scratch" when spotting the opponents only remaining ball in the kitchen was unheard of.
That's why I hate that game. When you can make a mistake or a "mistake" and penalize your opponent, that's a poorly written ruleset. There will always be rare cases that can't be predicted when writing rules but such an obvious loophole is junk. Shooting the opponent's ball in while knocking the cue ball off the table in one pocket at least carries a penalty of the fouling shooter. It's a little bit of an exploit but is appropriate given the nature of the game.

Here is the best example of intentionally fouling to try to gain an advantage:

Excruciating to watch and the announcers weren't paying attention so it took them a couple of innings to catch up.
 

The 8-ball game I linked shows something similar. The solid team has one ball left and it doesn't go. The stripes team has several balls left and their 15 (ball connected to the solid) can't be made with BIH. A "tactical" game broke out and was misplayed badly by the stripes. 8-ball is fun!!!
After 3 BIH
 
OK, here's an example. You are solids. What's the best play?

I believe the best shot is pocketing the 9 illegally and giving up ball in hand. I'm confident I can win from that position.

I could provide many, many more examples but isn't one enough to make the point?

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I’m having a hard time seeing how he gains by pocketing the opponent’s balls and giving up ball-in-hand. I suppose there are those rare occasions though. I say fine with it. I’m just glad they recognize it as a foul. A foul giving ball in hand is some kind of abstract thought in many circles where 8 ball is played on bar boxes.
He gains because he doing this to very weak players who take BIH and set it up straight in the hole.

Give me BIH on purpose a couple times and that idea would end real fast, and I’m not a great player.

This move would only work on weak players. Or in specific situations against stronger players.

Best
Fatboy<———needs lessons
 
OK, here's an example. You are solids. What's the best play?

I believe the best shot is pocketing the 9 illegally and giving up ball in hand. I'm confident I can win from that position.

I could provide many, many more examples but isn't one enough to make the point?

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I would just set the cue ball a hair off the end rail and roll into the 8 just enough that the cue ball freezes to the 8 now my opponent is kicking and has to make a good hit.
 
I would just set the cue ball a hair off the end rail and roll into the 8 just enough that the cue ball freezes to the 8 now my opponent is kicking and has to make a good hit.
you foul if you touch the 8 first, though?
 
Not that day he wasn't. Strategy is as important as cuemanship.

I agree. Guessing the intent of the other player...who can really say for sure and a game shouldn't be dependent on it.

That's why I hate that game. When you can make a mistake or a "mistake" and penalize your opponent, that's a poorly written ruleset. There will always be rare cases that can't be predicted when writing rules but such an obvious loophole is junk. Shooting the opponent's ball in while knocking the cue ball off the table in one pocket at least carries a penalty of the fouling shooter. It's a little bit of an exploit but is appropriate given the nature of the game.

Here is the best example of intentionally fouling to try to gain an advantage:

Excruciating to watch and the announcers weren't paying attention so it took them a couple of innings to catch up.
Great example, I need to watch this when I’m awake, I love this stuff
 
He gains because he doing this to very weak players who take BIH and set it up straight in the hole.

Give me BIH on purpose a couple times and that idea would end real fast, and I’m not a great player.

This move would only work on weak players. Or in specific situations against stronger players.

Best
Fatboy<———needs lessons
My 6 ball is hanging in the lower corner. I am not hooked here.

I could shoot the six, then clip the 7 (without moving the 8), sending my cue ball up to the opposite end rail and leaving my 7 out in space. If I play good speed I might even double up the 7-8 so you are hooked. I'm not winning every game from here, but I like my end of it. And I believe pocketing the 9 is the best play from my original diagram.


Here's another (below). I'm solids. What's my best play?

If I pocket the 5 I'm in trouble. There is no good way to break the 7 or bank it in.

If I roll the 5 towards the pocket then my opponent can use our move and shoot my 5 ball in illegally. I have ball in hand on the 7 and feel like I can't win.

But if I just shoot in their 9 ball and give them ball in hand, what are they going to do? Now I'm in a winning position.

Notice that in this example it's actually such a good move for both players that it has become a race to illegally pocket the opponent's ball. That's how common this is.

Let me know if you'd like more examples. Thanks guys!

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