New US Open Rack & Break Rules "Could" Be A Fiasco

[sjm]

How does the cream always rises to the top if the better breakers are not allowed to use their breaking skills?....

1) the best breakers will be the best breakers no matter what the break rules are. If you can't figure the break out, you're not the cream unless your other skills are enough to compensate.
2) because there will be a greater premium on after the break skills, and that means that the winner will have shown a good all-around skill set by tourney's end. Big breakers who have deficiencies in any of the after the break skills will be at a disadvantage, and that's just as it should be.

Nonetheless, rack your own with the one on the spot continues to ruin rotation pool and I'm glad something is being done about it.

That said, though, in the "recommendations" thread, I advocated one on the spot with a neutral racker and that's still what I think it is right.

 

[Petros Andrikop]

So the guys that break better are supposed to be less good in other parts of the game?.... That is just theory, what is fact is that others are not good enough breakers, and breaking skill does not come automatically, like any other skill.
Why not take out another part, for eg the safety game, not allowing to play safety? Wouldn't that be unfair for better safety players that have worked hard to develop that skill, exactly like the better breakers have worked really hard on their brake?
Where is the limit?...
Why all these things are not applied in other sports, sports that hang on better than pool in today's world?...
Brake rules changed to help the ones that are not good enough in a specific part of the game, and keep participations coming the easy way and not through even harder promotion that is needed in today's conditions.
In the beginning it helped, now it has to be changed if we don't want to watch prestigious events being less prestigious more and more.
Like there was an adaption before, there should be one now, before it's too late.

 

[itsfroze]

This is 9-Ball and I like the 1 Ball on the spot .If people are tilting the racks make it harder and draw a center line from the foot spot
to the foot rail, so it will be much easier to spot this. As I said in another thread they draw a head string in many events over seas,
why not draw both at the OPEN ? How hard is it ?

 

[JB Cases]

Trivia Question.

Has the US Open 9 Ball event been played in any two consecutive years any time in the last 15 years with the same rules regarding the break and rack?

I am not sure but it feels to me like every single year they change the rules of the game. Not saying which way is better but gosh it would be nice if it could be figured out and stay one way.

 

[tduncan]

Neutral rackers would fix the problems.

 

[sjm]

This is 9-Ball and I like the 1 Ball on the spot .If people are tilting the racks make it harder and draw a center line from the foot spot
to the foot rail, so it will be much easier to spot this. As I said in another thread they draw a head string in many events over seas,
why not draw both at the OPEN ? How hard is it ?

How hard is it to have neutral rackers in a nine-table tournament?

 

[itsfroze]

How hard is it to have neutral rackers in a nine-table tournament?

Apparently it's hard, it must be really hard to draw lines on the table too, as
they as far as I know have never had them, rackers or lines.

Imagine rackers and lines at an event, the rackers might even get the racks
straight.

 

[Colonel]

I used the word "fair" because I think the game should have both players playing every game! If we want to sit down and watch 1 person shoot a few racks,,, play straight pool! If we are gonna try to revive the game and get people to watch(outsiders), they want to see both at least take one shot. Again, this is an opinion

Well if you like watching both players play in every game then go watch your local APA hackers on league night & you can see 5 innings per rack per player. The object of the game is to not miss. Once you reach a level of play to be able to compete in an event like the US Open there isn't a whole lot of missing going on & in short rack games like 9 ball you want to see both players shoot during the course of a rack? If that's what you want then as I said earlier, go watch amateurs at league night, if you want to see great pool then watch pros. Beautiful execution doesn't require seeing both players shoot & if that is what you like then perhaps you're watching the wrong sport, like I said above, the object is not to miss.

 

[Gunn_Slinger]

Make the game faster..make the game easier...make the game harder...its all so dumb! Watching good players should be enjoyable. Making balls on the break, playing good patterns, putting racks together. But it not. Why does everyone want to make the game boring?? Watching safety after safety, kick after kick, roll after roll, its BORING!! I dont watch golf to see good players make bogeys and doubles.I can do that! Leave the game alone! Rack the 1 on the spot, and the rest in numerical order on every rack. You want to speed up the game? One rule will do it. If you dont pocket a ball , BIH to the in comming player! There, you will see some great shots that you dont see now, and the game will be simple and fast, and more people will enjoy it.
OR.. go to 2 foul pushout, and bring back the greatest 9 ball ever!!!

 

[liakos]

Well if you like watching both players play in every game then go watch your local APA hackers on league night & you can see 5 innings per rack per player. The object of the game is to not miss. Once you reach a level of play to be able to compete in an event like the US Open there isn't a whole lot of missing going on & in short rack games like 9 ball you want to see both players shoot during the course of a rack? If that's what you want then as I said earlier, go watch amateurs at league night, if you want to see great pool then watch pros. Beautiful execution doesn't require seeing both players shoot & if that is what you like then perhaps you're watching the wrong sport, like I said above, the object is not to miss.

Lol and who said you had to miss! I guess you haven't played chess

Btw, I can't stand watching apa! Sorry to all those that play the league, it's just not for me, been there, done that! Once I reached the highest skill level, I left, got bored

 

[liakos]

Make the game faster..make the game easier...make the game harder...its all so dumb! Watching good players should be enjoyable. Making balls on the break, playing good patterns, putting racks together. But it not. Why does everyone want to make the game boring?? Watching safety after safety, kick after kick, roll after roll, its BORING!! I dont watch golf to see good players make bogeys and doubles.I can do that! Leave the game alone! Rack the 1 on the spot, and the rest in numerical order on every rack. You want to speed up the game? One rule will do it. If you dont pocket a ball , BIH to the in comming player! There, you will see some great shots that you dont see now, and the game will be simple and fast, and more people will enjoy it.
OR.. go to 2 foul pushout, and bring back the greatest 9 ball ever!!!

Totally love your last line

 

[Colonel]

Lol and who said you had to miss! I guess you haven't played chess

Btw, I can't stand watching apa! Sorry to all those that play the league, it's just not for me, been there, done that! Once I reached the highest skill level, I left, got bored

Sure I play chess, except we call it one pocket

 

[Dockter]

This sucks,the same as simultaneously adding and embelishing new rules to game of pool.This is one of those reasons why pool isn't as recognized as it should be and why still isn't considered as a sport.

Come on now, the NFL adds or changes a few rules a year.

I know some don't like the changes but I can't wait to watch and I'm sure there are going to be more aggressive breakers than safety breaks.

 

[sjm]

Apparently it's hard, it must be really hard to draw lines on the table too, as
they as far as I know have never had them, rackers or lines.

Imagine rackers and lines at an event, the rackers might even get the racks
straight.

Point well taken, but eliminating tilting of the rack does not eliminate all racking improprieties.

 

[liakos]

Sure I play chess, except we call it one pocket

That true! Actually, I like watching one pocket a lot more than 9-10-ball! But the other rotation game I like watching is 15-ball! Both philipino and Joe Tucker version! I understand how your seeing it though! It's all good I like watching a couple 3packs being put together.

 

[peteypooldude]

I actually like the idea of a neutral racker. That's real old school.
No rack checking and like sjm said.... Plenty of volunteers

 

[sjm]

Sure I play chess, except we call it one pocket

Very well said!

 

[jay helfert]

Whatever the rules, whatever the format, the cream always rises to the top. Just wait until there are just eight left and you'll see that the great ones are the ones still in the hunt for the title.

And to recount what I took note of in another thread:

... take a look at the US Open golf tournament. The rough is longer and the fairways are narrower. Consequently, the tee shot, the first shot played on every hole, is made more difficult, and more difficult second shots must be played. The US Golf Association feels that such a setup befits our national golf championship. Pool players always talk about wanting pool to be more like golf. If so, a tougher setup in a national championship should not rub them the wrong way. On the contrary, the tougher setup befits the occasion.....

No doubt, the countless apologists on this forum will come out in droves if their favorite players don't win. I always look forward to that on this forum because there are new excuses every single time.

May the best man win.

Thanks Stu, a very good observation by an astute observer! No matter what the rules are (even tweaking them a little, i.e. the nine on the spot) the best players will find a way to win. It helps that they shoot a little straighter, miss fewer balls, play better shape and last but not least, play better under pressure. And you wonder why the same guys keep showing up in the final sixteen.

I've been watching professional pool (mostly 9-Ball tournaments) for over 40 years and the best players of every generation keep winning, no matter what the rules are, how long the matches are and how large the field is. The good thing this year is that there are more quality players coming to the U.S. Open than we've seen in quite a while. Last time I looked at the list of entries I counted over 50 grade A players. Should be an interesting week!

Whoever wins will be a deserving champion. :thumbup2:

 

[Petros Andrikop]

Thanks Stu, a very good observation by an astute observer! No matter what the rules are (even tweaking them a little, i.e. the nine on the spot) the best players will find a way to win. It helps that they shoot a little straighter, miss fewer balls, play better shape and last but not least, play better under pressure. And you wonder why the same guys keep showing up in the final sixteen.

I've been watching professional pool (mostly 9-Ball tournaments) for over 40 years and the best players of every generation keep winning, no matter what the rules are, how long the matches are and how large the field is. The good thing this year is that there are more quality players coming to the U.S. Open than we've seen in quite a while. Last time I looked at the list of entries I counted over 50 grade A players. Should be an interesting week!

Whoever wins will be a deserving champion. :thumbup2:

It is not a matter of who wins, surely it will always be a top player, possibly not the one in the best overall form since the break is virtually taken out, but in which game....
9ball without the break is no 9ball, it's a parody of 9ball.
And to begin from the start, if the player that plays the best overall pool always wins, then why were the rules changed in first place?......

 

[jay helfert]

It is not a matter of who wins, surely it will always be a top player, possibly not the one in the best overall form since the break is virtually taken out, but in which game....
9ball without the break is no 9ball, it's a parody of 9ball.
And to begin from the start, if the player that plays the best overall pool always wins, then why were the rules changed in first place?......

Just like the U.S. Open in golf, Barry always strives to make our U.S. Open the toughest test in pool possible. On this I concur with him.