If I am absolutely certain the other player is fixing to make a dumbcluck move I will probably warn him. A lot more likely to warn people I know than strangers on the off chance they are doing something I don't understand from the chair.
The last person I saw shoot a ball out of order was a well respected shortstop. He was on the table next to the TV table and his opponent had wandered off for some reason during his run. I was idly watching him since he had a routine breakout on a bar table. When he made no effort to break the cluster I was really curious. He shot a ball several inches from the next ball. Now he really has my attention! What is he going to do when he realizes he still has that lower ball on the table? He smoothly ran a couple more balls then the lower ball without batting an eye. I wondered how many times he had done this or if he might be color blind.
Pool is ultimately a gentleman's or lady's game. While the rules sometimes state that your opponent calls fouls they also often state that you are to remain in your chair when the other player is shooting. Sometimes this creates a conflict, you can't see the shot from your chair. If a player doesn't call an obvious foul on themselves after that I will get up to watch shots I can't see from the chair that might be fouled on. Can't have it both ways! Over ninety percent of people call their own fouls when they see them not counting a cue ball touch with a tip. Almost everyone ignores a touch that doesn't move the cue ball sometimes. If they are locked onto an object ball well up table they may not know they did it.
I don't get mad if someone doesn't stop me from making a mistake, not their place. On the other hand, if I foul when the rules are the opponent is responsible to call a foul, I will still call my own fouls since I want the opponent to stay in the chair. Occasionally I will get them out of their chair to call a close hit it is going to be hard or impossible for me to see.
I try to meet my opponent halfway, or a bit more. I have no problem with somebody being a stickler for the rules, I have no problem with someone calling their own fouls when the rules say for me to. When someone blatantly fouls then denies doing it things can get ugly. In other times when I didn't care if I got in a fight or not I have seen many times when the shooter denied an obvious foul then fell back on the shooter being the one with final say. I have then even more blatantly fouled myself. When my opponent exploded out of his chair I would call the hit good and remind them that the shooter has final say. The game has degenerated until it isn't pool at that point but sometimes in a tournament or gambling match with a stranger "stuff happens".
If you want your opponent to stay in their chair when you are shooting, call your own fouls regardless of if the tournament states that the opponent calls fouls. If you don't call your own fouls don't whine when your opponent positions themselves to see a tricky shot even if they are in your field of view or even crowding the shot a bit in some circumstances. I don't consider someone unethical in the least when they are playing by the rules, opponent calls the foul. I am the one not following the rules when I call my own in such events. I think calling your own is much more practical but I am a "when in Rome" kind of guy too.
As I hope this long ramble makes clear, I don't fault either viewpoint. However, don't expect me to be the referee and sit in my chair too!
Hu
