Pocket jam rule

N

nine o nine

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Maybe different rules in different games...........the cue ball and object ball jam in the pocket throat. What's next???? Who picks up the cue ball and the object ball drops or gets spotted?? Does the original shooter resume his inning and from where? Does the cue ball now get put in the kitchen? Is it a foul and the opponent get ball in hand? Lots of scenarios possible. Mitch
 
BCA rules
3.33 JAWED BALLS

If two or more balls are locked between the jaws or sides of the pocket, with one or more suspended in air, the referee shall inspect the balls in position and follow this procedure: he shall visually (or physically if he desires) project each ball directly downward from its locked position; any ball that in his judgement would fall in the pocket if so moved directly downward is a pocketed ball, while any ball that would come to rest on the bed of the table is not pocketed. The balls are then placed according to the referee’s assessment, and play continues according to specific game rules as if no locking or jawing of balls had occurred.
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We're not at a refereed tourney but at home or a local club or pool room so the questions are still there. Mitch
 
nine o nine said:
We're not at a refereed tourney but at home or a local club or pool room so the questions are still there. Mitch
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The players referee their own game. To try to justify any other solution is, uh reaching. With that said, I have seen a tournament director totally screw up the solution. In a game of 8 ball shooter A managed to get the 8 ball and cue ball jammed in the jaws of the pocket with the 8 suspended over the pocket. The director came to the ruling that shooter B had to shoot the balls as they were. Which could only result in the 8 falling as soon as the cue ball was struck. Handing player A the victory.
 
In my view the "vertical projection" idea in the CSI/BCAPL rules quoted above is unclear and broken. I think a better rule is the way it is written in the WPA rules:

A ball near the brink of a pocket partly supported by another ball is considered pocketed if removal of the supporting ball would cause the ball to fall into the pocket.​

If two balls are locked, and it is not obvious that they are keeping each other from dropping, test by pressing one of the balls back into the facing of the pocket. If the other ball moves towards or into the pocket, it is pocketed. Then release the pressed ball and see if it drops. Of course some care is required.

The WPA rule also takes care of full pockets.
 
nine o nine said:
We're not at a refereed tourney but at home or a local club or pool room so the questions are still there. Mitch
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May as well use the official world rules then, or just make up your own if you think a local club should have different rules. Usually in those cases the most drunk/loudest/pushiest person gets to name the rules LOL
 
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