Most crappy bar rules I've had to play by only allow BIH when there is a scratch and then behind the string. So not hitting your ball first, not taking a ball to a rail, etc. are not considered a foul. Oddly enough, those same moronic rules include call your shot, not call the pocket. So even more fuel to stimulate arguments and fights.
Based upon the OP's description, I'm guessing these are the rules he was playing by. Since these rules don't make any sense at all to me, I see no reason his play of hitting the 8 ball from behind the string and blocking his opponent constituted a BIH foul anywhere. Common sense to most say it would but with these rules, there seems to be no common sense.
being a strictly bar rule player for 20 odd years before finally joining leagues a few years ago let me clear up a few misconceptions .
bar rules do vary some what from region to region . and .... you will always run into some one who dont know shit from china what the rules are...just like i see in league from time to time.
i played in darn near every bar that exiseted from daytona to west palm beach from 1970 to 1989.... with occasional forays into georgia and alabama. the rules were always the same every where i went during that time....with the exception of some times people wanted to play bank the 8 or last pocket 8.
those 2 rules came from the latin influence in south florida and some times people preferred to change up from the same old ....same old. those 2 rules were always stated up front before a match began.
the rules were always pretty simple.
call your shot
if the 8 was in the kitchen and your opponent scratched you kicked from the kitchen
you had to call when you were intentionally caroming off another ball.
i mean no dis respect to any one on here about what i am gonna say next.
with the large influx of northerners coming down to florida in the mid 80's is when i started encountering all the bs rules you guys complain about concerning bar rules.
just a few examples
me; 8 in the corner
him : you did not call the rail...you lost
me: what do you mean i did not call the rail...it hit 1'' from the pocket.
him: that is a bank..you did not call it.
me: i never heard of that rule...where are you from ?
him: ohio
me: it figures.
me. i am kicking the 8 in the kitchen cause he scratched on purpose.
him: you missed the 8...you lost.
me: what do you mean i lost...i did not scratch and it did not go in the wrong pocket.
him: you have to make contact with the 8
me: i never heard of that rule...where you from ?
him: new york.
me: it figures.
me 8 in the side off your 2 ball....it goes just like i called it.
him: you lost....you did not hit the 8 clean. the 8 can not hit another ball when you pocket it
me: never heard of such a rule...where you from ?
him: wisconsin
me it figures
i think having played bars most of my life and then getting heavily involved in leagues several years ago give me a better perspective than most of you guys.
imagine slow rolling the 8 towards a corner pocket to avoid scratching...it does not fall....your opponent says i get to place the cull ball any where i want because you did not pocket it and nothing hit a rail. being an old bar player that was the most stupid rule i ever heard of at the time.
imagine playing bar rule your whole life and a guy wants to play 9 ball after you win 5 in a row playing bar rule 8 ball with him. he lucks in the 5 ball and gets to keep shooting. i am sitting there thinking that is the stupidest rule i ever heard of. how can you get to keep shooting when you failed to make the shot you were attempting?
let me clarify one last thing. the call your shot rule is to eliminate any slop shot. a lot of bar rule haters seem to bring this rule up a lot.
let me ask you this. you guys seem to hate apa for allowing slop...why hate on a bar rule that eliminates slop ? you guys always brag that other leagues are superior to apa for the slop allowed in that league. there is a world of difference between call your shot and call your pocket.
