Ruling on 8-Ball Shot ...

[TorranceChris]

the best reason why you dont get to shoot it over is that when it happened if you had made the eight you would have taken the win. you cant have it both ways.

This almost made sense to me except that it doesn't seem to apply in following case: if you were bumped by someone but made the 8. You can take it. But if you missed it, then you can redo the shot. I just think it falls upon what's quantifiable. Someone bumping into you is a quantifiable event whereas noticing a ball move an eighth an inch or a foot isn't always. The ball dropping into a pocket by itself is definitely quantifiable.

 

[madfox]

Hmm, I thought the shot should be restored, but looking more carefully at the rules, maybe not. Rules 1.7 and 1.9 seem to dance around the issue but don't quite cover it:

1.7 Balls Settling

A ball may settle slightly after it appears to have stopped, possibly due to slight imperfections in the ball or the table. Unless this causes a ball to fall into a pocket, it is considered a normal hazard of play, and the ball will not be moved back. If a ball falls into a pocket as the result of such settling, it is restored as closely as possible to its original position. If a settling ball falls into a pocket during or just prior to a shot, and this has an effect on the shot, the referee will restore the position and the shot will be replayed. The shooter is not penalized for shooting while a ball is settling. See also 8.3 Ball Pocketed.​

1.9 Outside Interference

When outside interference occurs during a shot that has an effect on the outcome of that shot, the referee will restore the balls to the positions they had before the shot, and the shot will be replayed. If the interference had no effect on the shot, the referee will restore the disturbed balls and play will continue. If the balls cannot be restored to their original positions, the situation is handled like a stalemate.​

Rule 1.7 doesn't quite apply because the 8-ball didn't fall into the pocket when it moved. Rule 1.9 would only apply if you could argue that "outside interference" caused the 8-ball to move, not "settling". Either way, I think the "spirit of the rules" calls for restoring the balls and letting you shoot again, but maybe I'm grasping at straws.....

For me the ruling is very simple : the opponent will come to the table shooting from the remaining position. This is considered an act of god, not outside interference.

 

[CreeDo]

Bad equipment probably will never result in a do-over because it's just understood that it's part of the game. If the opponent is sportsmanlike maybe he sees it and is willing to let you try it again. But he doesn't have to.

Think about it this way, have you ever seen people replay a shot because a ball rolled off? We had a bar table in league where the 8 travels several feet down the side rail, then just as it passes the side... falls in. That side is like Luray Caverns. It's an equipment fault but the shot stands because both players know that table imperfections are normal and part of the risk they take... and both players suffer from the same disadvantage.


I wouldn't take it personally, as the incoming player I'd take the shot too, the TD/opponent isn't being a jerk by shooting here.
He may not have even seen the roll. Just tell him it's a serious flaw in his equipment, and it needs to be fixed, and suggest that future tournaments don't use that table. If he handles that badly and says "it's fine and we're going to keep using that table, tough titties." ...then I'd probably decide to take my business elsewhere.