Ultimate Pool Kansas City Open

My one gripe is that they don’t use American 8 ball rules- I prefer call shot, ability to shoot opposite combos first shot after the break, and that you keep shooting after spotting 8 ball if it is made on the break.

I feel bad for Smith- he had Sky beat but then made the 8 on the break but no other ball. Ref just let him keep shooting and then called a foul. It is very odd for American players to play by these rules. Sky didn’t know either
My gripe with it is that the ref was spotting the 8 ball because of the rules, then didn’t say whose shot it was. Announcers said he wasn’t allowed to interfere with the player shooting so couldn’t say it was Sky’s shot. Yeah players need to know the rules. But to me this really brings up questions of the role of the ref. In any other sport where the ref spots or handles the ball it is clear who has possession of the ball and the status of the game. Football after a turnover call, whether on downs, fumble, or interception, the officiating crew makes clear whose ball it is. In basketball the ref will toss the ball to the player inbounding it from the team with possession. Etc…. So when you have a ref in a game with gaff rules to begin with, I don’t get how the ref doesn’t say or can’t say whose shot it is. Even if these rules are good and people like them, they are unusual and there are differences within the same tournament right? That is between the shootout and the main event. The role of the ref in this situation seems bizarre to me.
 
interesting format and entertaining-
but the format is unusual, bizarre,
with gaff rules and often the ref and
or the clock will determine the winner,
not the players playing

alternate break race to six on a tiny table-
it’s the pickleball of billiards
 
My gripe with it is that the ref was spotting the 8 ball because of the rules, then didn’t say whose shot it was. Announcers said he wasn’t allowed to interfere with the player shooting so couldn’t say it was Sky’s shot. Yeah players need to know the rules. But to me this really brings up questions of the role of the ref. In any other sport where the ref spots or handles the ball it is clear who has possession of the ball and the status of the game. Football after a turnover call, whether on downs, fumble, or interception, the officiating crew makes clear whose ball it is. In basketball the ref will toss the ball to the player inbounding it from the team with possession. Etc…. So when you have a ref in a game with gaff rules to begin with, I don’t get how the ref doesn’t say or can’t say whose shot it is. Even if these rules are good and people like them, they are unusual and there are differences within the same tournament right? That is between the shootout and the main event. The role of the ref in this situation seems bizarre to me.
I asked the ref about this scenario because it happened in the Boston Open as well. In the scenario here in KC, Nick could have stood there after the ref spotted the 8, and after 30 seconds Sky would be called for a time foul and Nick would have gotten ball in hand. It's definitely NOT what we're used to over here, but the rules are not a secret, and the players should spend five minutes learning them.
 
I asked the ref about this scenario because it happened in the Boston Open as well. In the scenario here in KC, Nick could have stood there after the ref spotted the 8, and after 30 seconds Sky would be called for a time foul and Nick would have gotten ball in hand. It's definitely NOT what we're used to over here, but the rules are not a secret, and the players should spend five minutes learning them.
What if a player asks the ref whose turn it is? What is the rule on that? If you know it isn’t your shot how is it not unsportsmanlike conduct to stand there instead of going to the chair? I haven’t had a reason to read their rules, but yeah, if you play in them you better read their rules and understand them.
 
So Ashley Benoit defeated Emily Duddy 6-1 (race to 7, but match clock expired in Game 8) to win the women's final and reverse their order of finish 4 weeks ago in the Boston event. It was a match full of misses and fouls.

In the men's final, Ricky Evans was super, defeating Joe Prince 8-4. He had 5 B&Rs on 6 breaks, and his only errors were a foul on one break and failure to get position for the last two balls in the last game (which he still won). Prince also played well, with 3 B&Rs and just 3 missed shots, one of which was a skid in the last game.

Congrats, champs!
 
interesting format and entertaining-
but the format is unusual, bizarre,
with gaff rules and often the ref and
or the clock will determine the winner,
not the players playing

alternate break race to six on a tiny table-
it’s the pickleball of billiards

what is the evaluation of the format in a league setting? i think that's the appropriate measure, because these events are advertising a league, not a pro tour.

i would think the clock is a big sell if you're a working man playing a tournament and don't know when you're getting home.

you can clearly see it works in that regard because johnny isn't picking lint and bergman isn't taking two minutes per shot
 
what is the evaluation of the format in a league setting? i think that's the appropriate measure, because these events are advertising a league, not a pro tour.

i would think the clock is a big sell if you're a working man playing a tournament and don't know when you're getting home.

you can clearly see it works in that regard because johnny isn't picking lint and bergman isn't taking two minutes per shot
In league and also on non tv tables, there is no shot clock. But there is a time limit on a match which I think is absurd.
 
I think the 6 ball format should adjust.
Have both players start with thee exact same table layout.
Run baby Run....
Then set the table in such a manner to see em RUN the Rack. :)
 
I think it is clear that pool needs something like a chess clock- makes playing and watching so much more enjoyable to have time restrictions
UPL is aimed at amateurs
You can’t expect them to shoot fast.
It is what it is.
 
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