US Open Break Rules

Tin Man

Tin Man

AzB Gold Member
Gold Member
Silver Member
BasementDweller said:
Question:
Would any of you playing a cheap $100 set of 9 ball want to have a neutral racker rack for you using a wooden rack? I think I know how most would answer that, but many still expect our top players to play this exact way.
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For $100 a set I'd be pretty flexible on racking rules. But I'm totally fine with wood rack by a third party. In this case the 'no checking the rack' would be really good. Players could try to make the wing ball but with no guarantees (there might be gaps) they'd have to play with a pretty firm speed.

My preference would be to play wood rack 10 ball with a neutral racker. I wish that was a thing. But if you can't beat 'em, join 'em!
 
C

ChrisinNC

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Tin Man said:
I just confirmed the break rules for the US Open this year: Referee to rack, template rack, one ball on the spot, break from anywhere in the kitchen, no three point rule. They said "Players must use a forceful break. Players must not slow cut break." They also said no checking the rack. This adjusts in the final 16 when it becomes a hand rack.

These are the same rules we had 20 years ago when Corey Deuel beat Mika Immonen 11-0 and demonstrated how vulnerable this rack is to a soft break. Ever since then pool has done a number of things to make the break more difficult: Break from the box, 3 point rule, and 9 on the spot. Now we are not only reversing all three of those adjustments and going back to the 2000 rules, we are also using a template rack (whereas back then it was a Sardo Tight Rak) which makes the break even easier.

I speculate this was done to speed things up. With the one on the spot there is an almost guaranteed wing ball being pocketed meaning players will be playing shape on the one ball and there will be an extremely high break and run percentage. They are also using a 30 second shot clock on all matches starting round one which is new at least since my last open.

My concerns are this:

1) I wish there was more consistency from tournament to tournament. It sometimes feels every tournament I play has a different format or different set of rules.

2) I am disappointed there isn't more play after the break. I would like to see more problems to deal with, tough transitions, safeties/kicks, clusters, etc. Watching champions run 7 spread open balls on new clothed tournament tables is like watching 7' Valley 9 ball.

3) I don't like the "Player's must use a forceful break" thing. Who's to say what is a soft break? Without a 3 point rule it is totally judgmental. This means it won't be consistently enforced. When you make a rule that can't be enforced consistently it rewards players who break the rules and punishes those who follow them.


I want to add that I appreciate Matchroom for putting on the event. I have chosen to play and will focus on the many, many things they are doing that make this one of the best events of the year. All of us will be playing by the same rules so I will do my best and enjoy the contest. And I can appreciate that they are trying to avoid rounds lagging behind schedule and other problems that come with 256 player fields. So I'm not trying to be negative. And I know we'll never all agree on what role the break should have in the game or what the rules should be. I just found it a very surprising rule choice and wanted to share my thoughts on it with the community and find out what you all think.
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Sounds too subjective as to what constitutes a forceful break? The best break rules we’ve found are accu-rack template, 9 racked on the spot, cue ball must be placed in the break box to break, no closer than one site from the side cushions. 1-ball can still be made in the side, but it’s far from automatic.
 
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Fatboy

Fatboy

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
Bob Jewett said:
That is the same as Barry Behrman's break speed rule, more or less, so I guess it's traditional for this event. o_O
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Traditions are cool in pool. RIP Barry, I always liked him, he wasn’t perfect but Barry was good with me.

thx Bob,
Fatboy 😀
 
Poolplaya9

Poolplaya9

Tellin' it like it is...
Silver Member
Tin Man said:
I've seen many examples of rules that can't be enforced. "No pattern racking" is an example on rack your own. People who complied were at a disadvantage to those who rotated 2-3 patterns through and laughed at how they got away with an edge. My opinion is that rules like this put players in a difficult spot and reward a lack of integrity.
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What about the opponent getting to choose the racking pattern for every game? The opponent places the balls into the triangle rack or onto the template in the pattern of their choosing, and then the referee or breaking player (depending on whether it is winner racks or referee racks) finishes racking them for tightness. Seems this would not only solve the pattern racking problems, but would also help to ensure tougher patterns and probably a wider variety of patterns, both of which being a benefit to the game in general as they add difficulty and excitement and variety. It would also be another strategy component to the game as well which adds some interest.

I don't think this would really take any more time to do than it does now with the same person both choosing the pattern and doing the racking (it takes about 1.5 seconds for one guy to step aside and the other to step in), but if time delays prove to be a problem you implement an "opponent must choose/set the pattern within 10 seconds" rule.
 
jay helfert

jay helfert

Shoot Pool, not people
Gold Member
Silver Member
Tin Man said:
I just confirmed the break rules for the US Open this year: Referee to rack, template rack, one ball on the spot, break from anywhere in the kitchen, no three point rule. They said "Players must use a forceful break. Players must not slow cut break." They also said no checking the rack. This adjusts in the final 16 when it becomes a hand rack.

These are the same rules we had 20 years ago when Corey Deuel beat Mika Immonen 11-0 and demonstrated how vulnerable this rack is to a soft break. Ever since then pool has done a number of things to make the break more difficult: Break from the box, 3 point rule, and 9 on the spot. Now we are not only reversing all three of those adjustments and going back to the 2000 rules, we are also using a template rack (whereas back then it was a Sardo Tight Rak) which makes the break even easier.

I speculate this was done to speed things up. With the one on the spot there is an almost guaranteed wing ball being pocketed meaning players will be playing shape on the one ball and there will be an extremely high break and run percentage. They are also using a 30 second shot clock on all matches starting round one which is new at least since my last open.

My concerns are this:

1) I wish there was more consistency from tournament to tournament. It sometimes feels every tournament I play has a different format or different set of rules.

2) I am disappointed there isn't more play after the break. I would like to see more problems to deal with, tough transitions, safeties/kicks, clusters, etc. Watching champions run 7 spread open balls on new clothed tournament tables is like watching 7' Valley 9 ball.

3) I don't like the "Player's must use a forceful break" thing. Who's to say what is a soft break? Without a 3 point rule it is totally judgmental. This means it won't be consistently enforced. When you make a rule that can't be enforced consistently it rewards players who break the rules and punishes those who follow them.


I want to add that I appreciate Matchroom for putting on the event. I have chosen to play and will focus on the many, many things they are doing that make this one of the best events of the year. All of us will be playing by the same rules so I will do my best and enjoy the contest. And I can appreciate that they are trying to avoid rounds lagging behind schedule and other problems that come with 256 player fields. So I'm not trying to be negative. And I know we'll never all agree on what role the break should have in the game or what the rules should be. I just found it a very surprising rule choice and wanted to share my thoughts on it with the community and find out what you all think.
Click to expand...
There is a simple solution to all of the above which I have suggested before to no avail. We used this successfully at a couple of Hard Times tourneys decades ago. The solution is to place the cue ball on the Head Spot to break. This minimizes the breakers ability to control the rack on his break shot. Just doing this one thing would make a huge difference Demetri.
 
Bob Jewett

Bob Jewett

AZB Osmium Member
Staff member
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Silver Member
Tin Man said:
Hey Bob! I might be wrong but I thought it was 9 on the spot. ....
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Right you are. Here are the conditions for the 2019 US Open (9-Ball) at Mandalay Bay thanks to AtLarge's usual stats page:

Conditions -- The conditions for these streamed matches included:
- Diamond 9-foot table with pro-cut pockets;
- blue Simonis cloth;
- Accu-Rack racking template in double-elim. stage, triangle rack in single-elim. stage;
- Aramith TV Tournament balls with the measles cue ball (except different balls were used in the first 10 streamed matches);
- referee racks with the 9-ball on the foot spot (2-ball need not be at the back of the rack);
- winner breaks from anywhere behind the head string, with no up-close inspection of the rack;
- no 3-point (illegal-break) rule;
- foul on all balls;
- jump cues allowed;
- 40-sec. shot clock (80 sec. after the break) with one extension per player per rack; and
- all slop counts.
 
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