Funny league story

measureman

measureman

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Last night I watch Doug play a young man (20 or so years old). Doug calls and makes a good safe. The Kid says "What's this safe stuff? "So Doug explains how safes work. Now I play him and scratch on the break. He takes the cue ball and lines up a shot. Hold on you have to be in the kitchen. Blank look I get. Behind this line. He then lines up a shot in the wrong direction. You have to shoot this direction. Ok now he has lined up a shot in the kitchen in the right direction. as he is stroking the cue ball he just slightly fouls the cue ball and starts chewing himself out. I am stone cold silent. He does not call the foul and neither do I.
By now I have realized he has no chance what so ever to win. So I let him shoot then just crush him.
I know I should have called the foul but I just wanted to get it over.
If you are going to play league at least learn the rules. The fact that the kid could not make a ball doesn't matter.
LEARN THE RULES.
 
measureman said:
Last night I watch Doug play a young man (20 or so years old). Doug calls and makes a good safe. The Kid says "What's this safe stuff? "So Doug explains how safes work. Now I play him and scratch on the break. He takes the cue ball and lines up a shot. Hold on you have to be in the kitchen. Blank look I get. Behind this line. He then lines up a shot in the wrong direction. You have to shoot this direction. Ok now he has lined up a shot in the kitchen in the right direction. as he is stroking the cue ball he just slightly fouls the cue ball and starts chewing himself out. I am stone cold silent. He does not call the foul and neither do I.
By now I have realized he has no chance what so ever to win. So I let him shoot then just crush him.
I know I should have called the foul but I just wanted to get it over.
If you are going to play league at least learn the rules. The fact that the kid could not make a ball doesn't matter.
LEARN THE RULES.
Click to expand...

i do agree with you , but .....on the other hand there are guys out that have been playing before this kid was born and don't know all the rules.
 
measureman said:
Last night I watch Doug play a young man (20 or so years old). Doug calls and makes a good safe. The Kid says "What's this safe stuff? "So Doug explains how safes work. Now I play him and scratch on the break. He takes the cue ball and lines up a shot. Hold on you have to be in the kitchen. Blank look I get. Behind this line. He then lines up a shot in the wrong direction. You have to shoot this direction. Ok now he has lined up a shot in the kitchen in the right direction. as he is stroking the cue ball he just slightly fouls the cue ball and starts chewing himself out. I am stone cold silent. He does not call the foul and neither do I.
By now I have realized he has no chance what so ever to win. So I let him shoot then just crush him.
I know I should have called the foul but I just wanted to get it over.
If you are going to play league at least learn the rules. The fact that the kid could not make a ball doesn't matter.
LEARN THE RULES.
Click to expand...

To be honest the kid sounds like a new player and I would have helped him out. You come off sounding like a bit of a dick imo.
 
In the league I started playing in you can place the cue ball anywhere on the table and not just in the kitchen so I might have made this same mistake.

As a beginner and I will tell you from experience that it is VERY intimidating to play more experienced players. I read the rules before my first league game and even if you do understand them all, its easy to get flustered and forget what you're doing.

And for a lot of beginners, the rules aren't exactly clear. Actually, I'd argue that there are some intermediate players who are either ignorant of the rules.

...or maybe they are just playing dumb when they play against beginners.
 
It's only partially his fault. I've brought a lot of new players in the last couple years. A lot of this falls on his team ( whoever brought him in or the captain ). Whenever I've brought new players in I bring them out to shoot a couple weeks in a row and explain some of the less known rules. If it's someone subbing that has never played I make sure they come an hour or two early to show them. I know there is the off chance he just signed up looking for a team and it might have been last minute but then the teams captain should have explained this is a new player and may have questions. Most of the leagues I play in are just practice for tournaments for me so I try to help new guys out with rules even when they are on the team I'm shooting against. I would rather them have a good experience and have fun shooting then think "Oh this league is filled with a bunch of jerks, screw pool."

Just my .02
 
Floppage said:
In the league I started playing in you can place the cue ball anywhere on the table and not just in the kitchen so I might have made this same mistake.

As a beginner and I will tell you from experience that it is VERY intimidating to play more experienced players. I read the rules before my first league game and even if you do understand them all, its easy to get flustered and forget what you're doing.

And for a lot of beginners, the rules aren't exactly clear. Actually, I'd argue that there are some intermediate players who are either ignorant of the rules.

...or maybe they are just playing dumb when they play against beginners.
Click to expand...

Agreed, hand a new player a rule book for most leagues and it's like handing me an algebra problem. I wouldn't be able to figure it out without someone drawing me pictures with pretty colors.
 
zpele said:
To be honest the kid sounds like a new player and I would have helped him out. You come off sounding like a bit of a dick imo.
Click to expand...

I helped him out until I ran out patience and just wanted it to end.
His team mates should have prepared him to play. That's not my job.
If you ask anyone that knows me I am more then willing to share knowledge and teach someone.
League play is not the place for that.
 
measureman said:
I helped him out until I ran out patience and just wanted it to end.
His team mates should have prepared him to play. That's not my job.
If you ask anyone that knows me I am more then willing to share knowledge and teach someone.
League play is not the place for that.
Click to expand...

Again, only my opinion but I have never taken league seriously. Once you have played in big tournaments and you realize just how little the weekly league match actually matters you get a different view on things.

Maybe 'dick' was the wrong word. I should have said elitist. Some things are best left unsaid.
 
measureman said:
Last night I watch Doug play a young man (20 or so years old). Doug calls and makes a good safe. The Kid says "What's this safe stuff? "So Doug explains how safes work. Now I play him and scratch on the break. He takes the cue ball and lines up a shot. Hold on you have to be in the kitchen. Blank look I get. Behind this line. He then lines up a shot in the wrong direction. You have to shoot this direction. Ok now he has lined up a shot in the kitchen in the right direction. as he is stroking the cue ball he just slightly fouls the cue ball and starts chewing himself out. I am stone cold silent. He does not call the foul and neither do I.
By now I have realized he has no chance what so ever to win. So I let him shoot then just crush him.
I know I should have called the foul but I just wanted to get it over.
If you are going to play league at least learn the rules. The fact that the kid could not make a ball doesn't matter.
LEARN THE RULES.
Click to expand...
I fail to see the humor. What am I missing?
 
I make it a point to try and help out a new player on their first night, especially a new player on the other team. As someone else said, its very intimidating for a beginner on his/her first night. I feel that if I, as the opposing teams captain, can put them at ease, even a little bit, there is a better chance that player will stick around and play in our league.

Its supposed to be fun. I try to make that happen.
 
uniform set of rules needed....

It is ball in hand ANYWHERE in my league after a scratched break. 8 on the break is NOT a win. Scratch on the 8 (unless the 8 falls) is not a loss, etc. Can be kinda confusing going from on league to another, or if you are just a beginner....

In fact, just last night I sunk the 8 on the break and my opponent came over to shake my hand. I told him I was going to spot it and play the cueball as it lies. He had no idea. I ran out, and he asked if he could shake my hand now....lol :cool:
 
League play is not the place for that.
Click to expand...

It should be the captains responsibility to ensure their new players know the rules.
I couldn't count how many times we have played, where the Captain tells us that they have a new player and asks us to give him a hand.

So we do. We call all BIHs anyway so not going to beat a new player out of one. Along with that, we will also show our opponent why it was a BIH. He won't learn if he isn't shown.

Just the same, I only go so far and won't lose or give a League game away just because my opponent is new.

In the past, if we have any new players, we take them out for a practice night before they actually play a league game just for that reason.

If they foul, there won't be a problem with their opponent asking, BIH?

We try and get the player to pay attention to what their opponent is doing at all times so they can also pick out a Foul and ask for a BIH.

No biggy, its part of the game. Everyone has to learn sometime. One can make the learning experience pleasant, or Not.

I have watched league players that couldn't make a friggen ball if their lives depended on it, to become players that you have to play safeties on and be on your toes at all times. That progression part is fun to watch.
 
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At some point we were ALL just like this new guy. We didn't know the rules, nor could we pocket more than 2 balls in a row unless they were hanging in the pocket. I gotta give him props for having the guts to play folks that were obviously well above his skill level.
 
measureman said:
I helped him out until I ran out patience and just wanted it to end.
His team mates should have prepared him to play. That's not my job.
If you ask anyone that knows me I am more then willing to share knowledge and teach someone.
League play is not the place for that.
Click to expand...

Actually leagues are the place to share the knowledge and teach. It is where a lot of people start playing now. As far as the rules go, did you tell him after the match that he had fouled and out of the kindness of your heart you didn't call it on him and explain to him why it is a foul? Most league players are there to have fun and drink, if he were in a serious tourney It would be different story but leagues are the begining not the elite. I cant tell you how many times that I have helped people and coached them playing against me! They will respect you more helping them than if you act like a they are beneath you.
 
measureman said:
Last night I watch Doug play a young man (20 or so years old). Doug calls and makes a good safe. The Kid says "What's this safe stuff? "So Doug explains how safes work. Now I play him and scratch on the break. He takes the cue ball and lines up a shot. Hold on you have to be in the kitchen. Blank look I get. Behind this line. He then lines up a shot in the wrong direction. You have to shoot this direction. Ok now he has lined up a shot in the kitchen in the right direction. as he is stroking the cue ball he just slightly fouls the cue ball and starts chewing himself out. I am stone cold silent. He does not call the foul and neither do I.
By now I have realized he has no chance what so ever to win. So I let him shoot then just crush him.
I know I should have called the foul but I just wanted to get it over.
If you are going to play league at least learn the rules. The fact that the kid could not make a ball doesn't matter.
LEARN THE RULES.
Click to expand...

Personally, I would have taken him aside after the game, and let him know about the foul and how the rule works. Educate him for the future, but do not cause confrontation at the time in a situation that really does not matter...
 
justadub said:
I make it a point to try and help out a new player on their first night, especially a new player on the other team.

Its supposed to be fun. I try to make that happen.
Click to expand...

Too many people seem to forget that "fun" thing when it comes to league play.

Just my opinion...which matters not.

A greenie for you...:)
 
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