You're probably referring to the following section of the world-standardized rules:
1.10 Prompting Calls and Protesting Rulings
If a player feels that the referee has made an error in judgment, he may ask the referee to reconsider his call or lack of call, but the referee’s decision on judgment calls is final. However, if the player feels that the referee is not applying the rules correctly, he may ask for ruling by the designated appeals authority. The referee will suspend play while this appeal is in process. (See also part (d) of 6.16 Unsportsmanlike Conduct.) Fouls must be called promptly. (See 6. Fouls.)
This certainly does not prohibit a player from informing the referee that he just committed a foul that the referee has not yet called.
Well, it doesn't prohibit picking your teeth either. But your are misreading the rule. See below. The referee would then evaluate this new information and decide whether to call the foul. If he calls the foul, fine, that's what the player knows should happen. If he refuses to call the foul and insists that play continues without the foul, at least the player has acted appropriately (and he might even make up for the uncalled foul later).
I see no need for explicit language to that effect. The rules define what actions are fouls.
And the rules define how they are called in ref matches. See below.
The provision is in informing the referee of the foul; the referee can then call it. Wouldn't you agree, now, that your last sentence above is not true?
No, not at all. Again, you are misreading the rule. The rules states...The fouling player can certainly ask for reconsideration:
"If a player feels that a referee has made an error in judgment..."
For an error in JUDGMENT to be made...first, there must be a JUDGMENT. In the instance of a non-call, there might be an error of PERCEPTION not judgment. So, in that sense, the rule is ambiguous which is not unique in the Standard Rules as has been discussed in threads before. But even reading into the rule what is not there...and it is the PERCEPTION of the ref (or lack thereof) that the self-foul caller wants to rectify...then I can't imagine a ref on the planet who would actually call a foul he did not see UNLESS...as is true in RARE cases...the very movement of the balls PROVES that a foul was commited.
If you'll list those situations, we could consider what should be done. In a refereed match, the referee could refuse to call the foul if it would inappropriately be to the fouling player's advantage.
I won't make a list but here's one. It is your inning. Your opponent has left the 9 ball frozen to the rail and the 8 ball frozen to the 9 ball perpendicular to the rail.
Assuming you have no way to bank either ball in, then you are almost certainly going to seperate the 8 and 9 with virtually any legal shot you take and and would have doubtful safe opportunities and you would therefore leave your opponent in a MUCH better position than you were in.
So, you just lay your cue on the table...using it as a measuring device and Oooops...golly that was a foul pardner...you've got ball in hand.
Agreed, but I don't recall seeing a set of rules that forces unethical behavior.