rule question

[andos]

Hi!

A friend and I have started to play billiards.
We managed to get a fairly good understanding of the rules from diffrent sites and this forum.
But we came across 2 things last night that we didnt quite know the rules for.

1. Making "plants" (or what the equivalent is called in billiards).
Is it ok to strike my cue-ball which then hits the red and the red sends my opponents cue-ball in a pocket?
Or maybe other way around for the object balls; I strike my opponents cue-ball which then strikes red and sends it into a pocket.
What would be the score for that, if it's allowed?

2. Potting my cue-ball without hitting anything.
If I've understood the official rules correct, this is called "Running a coup".
It's a foul if played from hand. But what happends if I'm not playing from hand?
For example... I try to make in in-off from somewhere on the table, but misses the object ball and send my cue-ball directly into a pocket.
What happends to my cue-ball? is it replaced somewhere?


Cheers!

/Andy

[JP1]

Keep it up it's a beautiful and rewarding game.

Your 1st Question;
Providing you play a fair stroke and not a push shot you will score 2 in the first and 3 points in the second instance, however potting your opponents ball is not desireable as it limits your scoring method to pot red or loser and unless you are Walter Lindrum you will find yourself at the end of your break very soon.
2nd Question:
A foul is a foul regradless from which position on the table it is played from.

Billiards is a game where you have to control 3 balls unlike snooker where you only control the cue ball, it is easier in a sense that any cannon offers you a margin of error three times the width of the cueball, but accepted scoring methods like TOT play require finite control of the cue and object ball.
If you have not already done so go and see some top play in progress and watch the scoring and playing methods of the better players, the World Professional Billiards Championship should be held again very soon in Leeds where you can see some of the worlds top players in action.

Mike Russell now of Qatar is the title holder.