INVERSE 9 BALL - a new twist

[8ballbanger]

How's this for a mod on 9 ball rules that tries to remove some of the more unwanted characteristics of the game like slop, luck and cheap snookers. Sort of like turning the 9 ball rules inside out, so I have called it inverse 9 ball.

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INVERSE 9-BALL

Same basic rules for WPA 9 ball apply EXCEPT:

1) ANY object ball on the table may be first contacted with the cue ball.
2) The shooter continues their innings by pocketing the lowest object ball on the table, other balls pocketed in the same shot stay down.
3) To make a legal shot, the lowest object ball must be pocketed, or driven to a cushion it was not already in contact with.
4) The game is won when the 9 ball is legally sunk as the lowest object ball on the table.
5) If the 9 is sunk before it is the lowest object ball it gets spotted.

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Any problems you can see with the rules as they stand? I only came up with the idea last night, so they are not well developed yet. Anyone know any similar rule sets?

 

[fxskater]

Interesting. Here is where it falls a little short. You took all the skill away. Give me a situation where you could possibly foul in this game? Other than not touching a rail that is.

 

[bruin70]

How's this for a mod on 9 ball rules that tries to remove some of the more unwanted characteristics of the game like slop, luck and cheap snookers. Sort of like turning the 9 ball rules inside out, so I have called it inverse 9 ball.

*****************************

INVERSE 9-BALL

Same basic rules for WPA 9 ball apply EXCEPT:

1) ANY object ball on the table may be first contacted with the cue ball.
2) The shooter continues their innings by pocketing the lowest object ball on the table, other balls pocketed in the same shot stay down.
3) To make a legal shot, the lowest object ball must be pocketed, or driven to a cushion it was not already in contact with.
4) The game is won when the 9 ball is legally sunk as the lowest object ball on the table.
5) If the 9 is sunk before it is the lowest object ball it gets spotted.

*****************************

Any problems you can see with the rules as they stand? I only came up with the idea last night, so they are not well developed yet. Anyone know any similar rule sets?

howz about just playing on 12' tables with 4" pockets.

 

[8ballbanger]

Interesting. Here is where it falls a little short. You took all the skill away. Give me a situation where you could possibly foul in this game? Other than not touching a rail that is.

I think rule 3 (needing to drive the lowest object ball to a rail) would be the primary source of fouls in the game. But the game is intentionally designed to cut back on safety battles, and encourage runouts.

I really don't think there is that much skill in the current 9 ball safety scene. In its present form, does it take skill to snooker someone where they only have one legal object ball on the table and 8 blocking balls? Alot of these are cheap safeties, and they are very easy for proficient players. It's just like the situation in 8 ball when your opponent has missed his last ball and you have all of yours still on the table, the oponent has next to no chance because of your excellent safety options. But if you can pull off a safety which prevents your opponent from driving the lowest ball to a rail, after being able to contact any ball initially, you have pulled off a very skilled safety. I feel the safety play in inverse 9 ball will be very similar to straight pool.

I would also think that the increased shotmaking ability of being able to approach pocketing one ball from any number of starting points in combination with increased difficulty with safeties would make it more of an offensive game. But I would have to actually play it first to find out

 

[sjm]

I'll give you some credit for creativity and for wanting to do the right thing, but why is it that anytime someone proposes a new flavor of nine ball, it involves the deemphasis of defense, kicking, and two way shots? To me, those are the most interesting parts of nine ball. Remove them from the game and I'd never watch it!

 

[Jon]

I'll give you some credit for creativity and for wanting to do the right thing, but why is it that anytime someone proposes a new flavor of nine ball, it involves the deemphasis of defense, kicking, and two way shots? To me, those are the most interesting parts of nine ball. Remove them from the game and I'd never watch it!

Tap Tap Tap

 

[cubswin]

I think safety play is one of the harder things. Sure its easy to play one if your on the one , two, or three. But get a good one with the 6 or 7. Screw that up and game over.

Your game sounds very fast, but if I want a easy run out game I'll play six or 7 ball. In those games if you don't make one on the break your more than likely not getting back to the table for a few games.

 

[Tbeaux]

Used to play something similar except-
1. When an obect ball other than the lowest was hit first and pocketed it got spotted and other player took over.(we NEVER played on coin-op tables)
2. All balls off the table were spotted (we NEVER played on coin-op tables)
3.On all fouls next player got cue ball in the kitchen and the only way to play an object ball that was in the kitchen was to bank down table.(Guess you could masse' too but that would be a hell of masse'! ) (Have also seen someone once hit a draw across the line and bring the cueball back to pocket an object ball)
Oh, and we NEVER played on coin-op tables! The rules used in nine ball are based around play on 6 and 7 foot coin-op tables.

Almost forgot in this game you could play safety but there were far fewer safeties and they required a lot more thought.
Terry

 

[GeraldG]

IMHO, you're trying to take everything out of 9-ball that makes it 9-ball. You may as well play 8-ball.

 

[sjm]

Reading the wonderful accounts of Derby City and, in particular, Efren's masterful, yet almost inconceivable, thrashing of Cliff Joyner in one pocket, got me, and seemingly many others on the forum excited about one pocket again.

No game puts a greater premium on one's ability to find ways to play offense and defense together than one pocket. No game gives a greater reward to the player than can use defense creatively to establish control of the table than one pocket (although the serious snooker player may note that playing the white uptable while playing a tough red is a similarly grounded tactic). Would we really strip one pocket of its two most beautiful elements, two way shots and defense? I think not, because there is great artistry in these portions of the game.

And so it is with nine ball. There is great artistry when defense, kicking and two way shots are used skillfully as a means of gaining control of a rack, and, for my money, no player has ever shown greater mastery of these aspects of nine ball than Efren Reyes.

Now that Efren's display of genius at Derby City has resensitized so many of us to the beauty of the tactical portion of the game of pool, would we really strip nine ball of these fascinating elements?

We on the forum who couldn't attend Derby City are truly indebted to all those who related from first hand experience how Efren Reyes turned it into a weeklong celebration of the magic that is possible over the glorious green felt when pinpoint shot conceptualization and masterful shot execution get together.