Would you tell your opponent they are shooting the wrong ball???

Would you tell your opponent which ball is next, or let them shoot the wrong one.

  • Tell them which ball is next if they are aiming for the wrong one.

    Votes: 72 61.0%

  • Let them shoot the wrong ball and take the foul.

    Votes: 46 39.0%
  • Total voters
    118
Icon of Sin

Icon of Sin

I can't fold, I need gold. I re-up and reload...
Silver Member
Having this discussion on my APA leagues forum, figured I would mention it here.

Someone brought up the case that you opponent is aiming for the wrong ball. Would you tell him or let him shoot it? People over there decided to try to aruge that it is unsportsman like to let them shoot the wrong ball, which is when I mentioned it is unsportsmanlike and disrespectful for them not to be paying attention to the match at hand.

IMO, I would let them shoot the wrong ball. I would not tell them. If they are so wrapped up in other things other then the match to not use there eyes or deductive reasonings to figure out which ball they are on, then they can give me ball in had. Chances are they wont make that mistake again.

What do you guys think?
 
i agree with you, your opponent should be paying enough attention to know better, but i'll still tell people if they are about to do so.
 
I always try to say something to my opponent, if they are shooting the wrong ball. I like to think that is the gentlemanly way of doing things.

However if my opponent is not being gentlemanly, they are on their on.
 
if your practicing or just shooting around i would tell them but if there were something on the line..or in a tournament...or whatever else, they should be paying atention just as much as you are. you noticed it didnt you? y shouldnt they be able to...
 
I agree with whoever said this: "Its just a league. Tell them."

One of the reasons I quit the APA was because so many people (many of whom are nothing more than bangers) take it SO seriously.

My rule of thumb in situations like this: Do I really want to win like that? No.
 
I would tell them, even if it was in a tournament. I wouldn't like it if someone didn't tell me. Yea, it's not your job to tell them, but I would rather win fair.
 
Icon of Sin said:
Having this discussion on my APA leagues forum, figured I would mention it here.

Someone brought up the case that you opponent is aiming for the wrong ball. Would you tell him or let him shoot it? People over there decided to try to aruge that it is unsportsman like to let them shoot the wrong ball, which is when I mentioned it is unsportsmanlike and disrespectful for them not to be paying attention to the match at hand.

IMO, I would let them shoot the wrong ball. I would not tell them. If they are so wrapped up in other things other then the match to not use there eyes or deductive reasonings to figure out which ball they are on, then they can give me ball in had. Chances are they wont make that mistake again.

What do you guys think?
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Shooting the wrong ball does not necessarily mean that you are not paying attention. I've done it myself more than once. :confused: :confused:
Most of the time, I believe I am thinking too much and end up screwing up.

I have told others, many times, that they are shooting the wrong ball.
I only hope for the same courtesy from others.
 
I agree with Rich and rossaroni's comment...the day I have to "cheat" someone (although this really doesn't qualify as cheating) to win a pool game, is the day I'll quit playing...and I too, have been on the receiving end of shooting the incorrect ball (usually due to not playing close enough attention), and the shooter let me shoot the wrong ball, to take the foul. I do, however, agree with ceebee's comment also. If someone's being an 'a-hole', in a tournament, league, or whatever, I would let them suffer the consequences of their own inattention. Fortunately for me, I rarely ever run into people like this...probably because, given the choice, I would choose not to play them in the first place! :D

Scott Lee
www.poolknowledge.com
 
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Personally it would depend on the circumstances.

For the most part I'd let him shoot the wrong ball. Maybe next time he'll pay attention.

And for the person that said it's just league, well, there's league and then there's league, I play in a couple and one is just for fun, but the other one has the potential to put a serious chunk of change in my pocket and should be taken seriously.

I personally don't understand the snobs that look down thier noses at pool leagues. There have been a lot of great players come up from league play to end up in the higher echalon of pool. I've always found that there's plenty of quality compitition playing league around here.
 
It really depends on the situation. If I feel that my opponent would tell me (if I was to do something so foolish) then I will tell them. In general the only person I wouldn't tell is the blow hard that is always mouthing off(you know the guy). It would not matter to me if it was a tourney or a money match. I try to treat the game with the respect it deserves, and it's players with the respect that each individually earns. :confused:
 
I would definitely tell them. If you tell them after the shot, they are mad and unpleasant; you are involved in confrontation and your sympathetic nervous system kicks in, potentially affecting you as much as him.

If you tell them before the shot; you feel good about yourself (you've done the "right thing" for the first time in a couple of weeks if you're average like me). Your opponent, however, is embarrassed and his sympathetic nervous system kicks in; giving you the subsequent advantage. Hey, it's only a league.

P.S. - If the guy is an a$$hole, then please ignore this post and stick it to him.
 
id tell them unless they had been a penis to me or were being real sticklers on the rules, then id let them shoot it and foul them. But i agree, i wouldnt want to win that way. I got put out of a collegiate regional tournament one year when i moved the cueball into position with my cue after a scratch-ball in hand. I still remember thinking what a chickens$!t way to win a match that was.
 
do you mean in competition or friendly play. In leagues or when there is something on the line i won't say anything, but practice or with family or friends i will say something. But i let alot of things slide other then this, as in leagues i had alot of opportunities to get ball in hand but i just don't say anything when they make the foul but i still let them shoot then after the game i let them know what they did wrong. As i always end up winning the matches anyways.

Makes me remember my first day at leagues, i played one of the top shooters, put a whooping on him and my team didn't inform me of the patching the pocket with the patch, i call it but didn't patch. Shook his hand and he said Thanks, thanks for what. Giving me the Win....................................................* i had one of those Worth A Thousand Words expression on my face like Hohmann
 
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When I was in school in a small town, I played leagues to pass the time. I really don't play leagues much, but there was little else to do in this town. One time I broke and ran out on this guy. You had to patch the pocket of the eightball. Actually, I have told guys that they forgot to patch, but that's another story. I patched the pocket for the eight, and after I shot it, he told me that the patch was touching one of the diamonds. At first, I was like, "your kidding right." He just wanted to be a jerk about it. I ask him if he knew where I was going, since I was straight in on the eightball. He told me he knew were I was going. I argued a little bit and basiclly told him that he was a dipsh#t. My friend that happened to be at the bar, almost got in a fight with him, which was kind of funny. I think he was just mad that he didn't shot. The game didn't really matter too much, because his team had no chance to beat us ever, but he made himself look like a jerk to everyone there. But oh well, he won, so I guess he is a better player!!!
 
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If I'm paying attention I'll tell them, I just feel like it's good karma. I have even done this when playing for pretty big money. I will make an exception when my opponent is intentionally sharking, and pulling other BS moves on me. As an example, I played in a scotch doubles tourney, and after I had shot, I chalked my cue out of habit, and then set the chalk on the table. The opponents called a foul because I touched the table during my partners shot, even though he hadn't even gotten up out of his chair yet. When they got up to shoot with BIH, the shooter lined up on the wrong ball, and we didn't say a word. We felt like they were getting what they deserved for such calling such a BS foul.
 
I heard about a kid at Junior's this year that called a foul on someone for not saying "foul". I always hated that- someone can scratch and then they will ask, "foul?" I want to say, "nosh#t". I can understand if it was a close hit or something. But back to Junior's- this kid fouled and the other kid took ball in hand. He did not say foul, so, in turn, after he shot, the other kid called a foul. I guess that the other kids gave him so much crap for doing that, he had to leave the tournament. I know they try to teach these kids to play by the rules, but letting them think it is ok to win like this is just stupid to me.
 
I would go ahead and tell them as long as I knew they would be shooting the wrong ball. This could be altered by the 'not such a nice player' rule as defined in several of the above posts.

The way I look at it is if I take the high road, I am less likely to 'remember (at the worst moment) that I took advantage of a mistake my opponent was making (thereby causing me to loose focus).

I have lost a lot of games using this approach but I can feel good about what I have done.

Jerry
 
desert1pocket said:
If I'm paying attention I'll tell them, I just feel like it's good karma. I have even done this when playing for pretty big money. I will make an exception when my opponent is intentionally sharking, and pulling other BS moves on me. As an example, I played in a scotch doubles tourney, and after I had shot, I chalked my cue out of habit, and then set the chalk on the table. The opponents called a foul because I touched the table during my partners shot, even though he hadn't even gotten up out of his chair yet. When they got up to shoot with BIH, the shooter lined up on the wrong ball, and we didn't say a word. We felt like they were getting what they deserved for such calling such a BS foul.
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What a jerk you are. First you shark them, and then you don't tell them they are shooting the wrong ball. jk

I would have done the same thing. Like others have said, if someone was being a jerk, I wouldn't tell them either. Maybe in the future they will be a little nicer to others!
 
Depends

It depends on the situation. If it is league play then I would tell them. If it is just for fun I would tell them.

If it is a tournament I wouldn't say a word. I am in it to win the thing, and if they don't want to pay attention enough then to heck with them. If they wanted the money that bad then they wouldn't shoot the wrong ball.
 
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