Shot Clock In League Play??

[Bob Jewett]

If you have an iPhone or Android there are plenty of free chess clock apps that can be installed on a smart phone or tablet.

I'm in favor of Shot Clock, but think it should include a time bank. Every player starts off with a 30/45/60 second shot clock, and any unused time can go as credit towards a time bank. When a player occasionally needs extra time to concentrate on a hard shot, the shot clock immediately starts drawing on the time bank.

Which is more or less what a chess clock does except you start with a full bank.

The clock for 3-cushion used to be that you started with a certain amount of time and every time you shot you would get 40 more seconds or some such added (IIRC). They have gone to a plain 50-second clock (I think) with five seconds of beeping at the end to warn you and some extensions. There are some players who do not start their final strokes until they hear the beeping. Brutal.

 

[Black Cat 5791]

No they don't and you are wrong on the time for the rule they do have.

They have guidelines to go by on league night, but all you can do is whine about it (20 sec normal shoot, 45 tough shoot, 1 min coaching). There are no penalties for violations.

In higher level tournaments though they will put you on a clock if you are slow playing and if you violate it, you will give up BIH to your opponent.

I don't know where you play Skippy. You are very correct on the times, however a lot can be done. It all depends on your Division Rep. Believe me in one of my Division the clock is just the first of actions to combat and correct a slow player. People only do what Their allowed to do. Slow play is a habit not a necessity.

Black Cat

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G925A using Tapatalk

 

[bad_hit]

Shot clocks are good when there's a really bad issue with slow play, extreme cases, particularly in tournaments. I love BCAPL format because unlike the APA, they aren't trying to make everyone play super fast and rush shots and never really get any better at pool (yes I've played APA, I'm a 7/9 in that format). I always liked the BCAPL way of playing at your own pace and actually thinking out shots. It's why, on average, at least in my area, BCAPL players are higher skilled.

I doubt this particular problem is actual slow play though, I'd bet 50 bucks that the teams aren't keeping the matches moving and there's time gaps in between, and that league night doesn't get started on time. I've seen this so much where league finishes up at midnight because it didn't get started until 8pm and everyone took 50 smoking breaks.

 

[ctyhntr]

Sir, can you elaborate more. Maybe what I'm describing is re-inventing the wheel. Rather than re-invent the wheel, put the effort in making it more widely known so more tournaments will adopt it.

Start with like 60 or 120 second credit on the time bank at the start of the game. Every shot you make, any left over time could go into the time bank. When your time runs out, it automatically starts drawing on the time bank. Maybe a beeping notification. When your time bank is complete empty and you're still up there, then you lose your turn.

Time bank could also be used to extend a break. If you don't come back after 5 or 10 minutes, it starts drawing on your time bank.

Is the clock for 3-cushion an app, or a physical device?

Which is more or less what a chess clock does except you start with a full bank.

The clock for 3-cushion used to be that you started with a certain amount of time and every time you shot you would get 40 more seconds or some such added (IIRC). They have gone to a plain 50-second clock (I think) with five seconds of beeping at the end to warn you and some extensions. There are some players who do not start their final strokes until they hear the beeping. Brutal.

 

[Dockter]

Lots of leagues wont let you use 2 tables until after 10pm because they want to keep you at the host location spending money.

This.

I know most of the league locations around here would love us to take 16 minutes a game because that means we are there longer on what's normally a dead night. That being said we don't have any leagues Friday or Saturday because they have no problem keeping the bars full on those days.

 

[KissedOut]

Sir, can you elaborate more. Maybe what I'm describing is re-inventing the wheel. Rather than re-invent the wheel, put the effort in making it more widely known so more tournaments will adopt it.

Start with like 60 or 120 second credit on the time bank at the start of the game. Every shot you make, any left over time could go into the time bank. When your time runs out, it automatically starts drawing on the time bank. Maybe a beeping notification. When your time bank is complete empty and you're still up there, then you lose your turn.

Time bank could also be used to extend a break. If you don't come back after 5 or 10 minutes, it starts drawing on your time bank.

Is the clock for 3-cushion an app, or a physical device?

There is an app called 3Cushion Score that allows for two different types of time-keeping. It also works on android tablets (or at least mine). And it's free.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=jccarrion.marcadorbillar&hl=en