Official BCAPL response
The BCAPL National Office ruled on the equipment in question last year. It is illegal in BCAPL play. It is a violation of BCAPL Rule 1.3.3(f):
"you may not shoot while using any item to support or elevate your bridge hand. You may hold chalk in your bridge hand while bridging, but the chalk may not be used to elevate your hand off the table;"
Same ruling for the post #8 situation - illegal in BCAPL play under the same rule. Nice try on "creative", but not within the intent of the BCAPL rules.
On a side note, a question came up during the tournament concerning stabilizing your briddge hand above the table by resting it on your leg while sitting on the table during a masse shot (with a foot on the floor, of course.) The BCAPL National Office has ruled that as legal, based on the intent of the restriction of 1.3.3(f) being to deal with equipment. An Applied Ruling will be written soon to deal with the situation temporarily, and the wording of 1.3.3(f) will be changed in the next edition to clarify that the prohibition is on equipment, and not the body.
Another side note - the "40-inch" provision applies to cues. It has nothing to do with mechanical bridges. There is no requirement for a mechanical bridge to have a 40" handle, or any handle at all.
The issue is not the type of bridge. The issue is:
where is the cue resting?. If it is on/in the groove, slot or channel of a bridge, then the handle, lack of a handle, or position of the hands is not relevant. If the cue is resting on your hand, then no piece of equipment may be used to elevate or stabilize your hand.
:smile:
Buddy Eick
BCAPL National Head Referee
BCAPL Director of Referee Training
Technical Editor, BCAPL Rule Book
bcapl_referee@cox.net
Find the Official Rules of the BCA Pool League here:
http://www.playbca.com/Downloads/Rulebook/CompleteRulebook/tabid/372/Default.aspx
* The contents of this post refer to BCA Pool League (BCAPL) Rules only. The BCAPL National Office has authorized me to act in an official capacity regarding questions about BCAPL Rules matters in public forums.
* Neither I nor any BCAPL referee make any policy decisions regarding BCAPL Rules. Any and all decisions, interpretations, or Applied Rulings are made by the BCAPL National Office and are solely their responsibility. BCAPL referees are enforcers of rules, not legislators. BCAPL Rules 9.5.3 and 9.5.4 apply.
* No reference to, inference concerning, or comment on any other set of rules (WPA, APA, VNEA, TAP, or any other set of rules, public or private) is intended or should be derived from this post unless specifically stated.
* For General Rules, 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 10-Ball, and 14.1 Continuous: there is no such thing as "BCA Rules" other than in the sense that the Billiard Congress of America (BCA) publishes various rules, including the World Pool-Billiard Association's "World Standardized Rules" for those games. The BCA does not edit, nor is responsible for the content of, the World Standardized Rules. The Official Rules of the BCAPL is a separate and independent set of rules and, to avoid confusion, should not be referred to as "BCA Rules".
* Since 2004, there is no such thing as a "BCA Referee". The BCA no longer has any program to train, certify or sanction billiards referees or officials.
* The BCAPL has no association with the Billiard Congress of America other than in their capacity as a member of the BCA.
* The BCAPL has not addressed every imaginable rules issue, nor will it ever likely be able to, as evidenced by the seemingly endless situations that people dream up or that (more frequently) actually happen. If I do not have the answer to a question I will tell you so, then I will get a ruling from the BCAPL National Office and get back to you as soon as I can. If deemed necessary, the BCAPL will then add the ruling to the "Applied Rulings" section of The Official Rules of the BCA Pool League.
