Pocket Billiard RULES %$#%&^% UGGGH

Tom In Cincy

Tom In Cincy

AKA SactownTom
Silver Member
I know I am probably more of a nit than most players about rules, but that's just my nature.

I use the World Standard Rules as a reference for all the tournaments I run at Hard Times in Sacramento.

Why? well they are printed and occasionally updated (recent update is Jan 2006 with minor changes and the elimination of a 'frozen ball' rule in 14.1, for no apparent reason)

I was wondering, how often the LEAGUE amature rules are reviewed and updated? APA, BCA, ACS, TAP, VNEA (US and Canadian versions)?

From what I understand, the WSR doesn't even have a rules committee. How do they review and update rules?
at www.wpa-pool.com in the rules section.

The WPA Rules of Play were updated at the 2005 General Assembly, whereby it was approved to recognize a two year moratorium on rules changes to last through the end of year 2007.

So who knows who introduced these changes and why.

Is it too much to ask the rule makers to explain why a rule was changed or removed or added?

Why do the USA pros (men and women) have their own set of rules?
 
Tom In Cincy said:
... From what I understand, the WSR doesn't even have a rules committee. How do they review and update rules?
at www.wpa-pool.com in the rules section.
...
So who knows who introduced these changes and why.

Is it too much to ask the rule makers to explain why a rule was changed or removed or added?

Why do the USA pros (men and women) have their own set of rules?
Click to expand...
There is in fact a WPA rules committee, which proposed the (minor) changes which were approved by the GA for the current rules. A complete revision has been proposed and it will be reviewed in September.

As for the specific change about the nurse safety rule (I guess that's what you were referring to), I think there may have been some confusion on its purpose, history and application. It is unfortunate that sometimes changes get made without full understanding.

Personally, I think all changes should be publically documented and available for comments. That's why I set up the feedback mechanism for the major revision that I wrote. See http://www.sfbilliards.com/Rev1.html which is not quite up to date at this point, but does include several of the changes proposed by readers.
 
Tom In Cincy said:
... Why? well they are printed and occasionally updated (recent update is Jan 2006 with minor changes and the elimination of a 'frozen ball' rule in 14.1, for no apparent reason)
...
Click to expand...
I was caught by a similar pointless rule change about 1978. It appeared in the BCA rule book for only one year. My opponent tried to pull it on me, and he had the rule book to prove it, but fortunately the new rule book was just out with the rule reverted back to the previous (historical, traditional) rule. Now I don't remember exactly what it was, but it similarly had to do with safety play.
 
Mike Shamos quoted a similar situation in a 14.1 tournament
The rule for BIH behind the headstring. Your turn does not start until the cue ball passes the head string.

This rule was left out of the 1998 or 1999 rule book and reinstated the next printing. But it came up in a tournament where a player had BIH and just took the cue ball in one of the kitchen's corner pocket and froze it to the jaw's cushion and committing a foul leaving his opponent corner hooked from the balls at the other end of the table.

When I asked John Lewis to explain (he was the only contact at the BCA hq at the time to respond in 2002) he said I must be mistaken, there wasn't such a rule.
When I referred him to the WPA rules, he told me that the women pros don't make up rules for the BCA.



Bob Jewett said:
I was caught by a similar pointless rule change about 1978. It appeared in the BCA rule book for only one year. My opponent tried to pull it on me, and he had the rule book to prove it, but fortunately the new rule book was just out with the rule reverted back to the previous (historical, traditional) rule. Now I don't remember exactly what it was, but it similarly had to do with safety play.
Click to expand...
 
Bob Jewett said:
There is in fact a WPA rules committee, which proposed the (minor) changes which were approved by the GA for the current rules. A complete revision has been proposed and it will be reviewed in September.
Click to expand...

Bob, what is the process to suggest changes to the WPA rules committee?
 
Tom In Cincy said:
Mike Shamos quoted a similar situation in a 14.1 tournament
The rule for BIH behind the headstring. Your turn does not start until the cue ball passes the head string.

This rule was left out of the 1998 or 1999 rule book and reinstated the next printing. But it came up in a tournament where a player had BIH and just took the cue ball in one of the kitchen's corner pocket and froze it to the jaw's cushion and committing a foul leaving his opponent corner hooked from the balls at the other end of the table.

When I asked John Lewis to explain (he was the only contact at the BCA hq at the time to respond in 2002) he said I must be mistaken, there wasn't such a rule.
When I referred him to the WPA rules, he told me that the women pros don't make up rules for the BCA.
Click to expand...


Did he really think the WPA was the women pros?
 
Mark Avlon said:
Bob, what is the process to suggest changes to the WPA rules committee?
Click to expand...
Send email to John Lewis? If there is a different process, I don't know about it. Thomas Overbeck is also working on the rules.
 
Don't forget about the rooms that allow jump shots. I'm seeing that more now a days. (yes, i'm talking 14:1)
 
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