What to do with the blue?

[nibbler147]

Hello! First time poster and great to be joining this community, which has come about following a bizarre incident during a frame yesterday evening at my club in North Wales. It left us scratching our heads so I wanted to reach out for some advice.
In short, blue pink and black were left on the table my opponent needed a snooker. I hit the blue ball, the cue ball ran into the black pocketing it - the cue ball followed the black into the pocket during which time the blue ball had bounced off the baulk cushion and went into the same pocket. So, the question is, do I receive five points for putting the blue and also does the blue come back out onto the table? It was such a strange foul that it left us unsure about what should happen.
Thanks for your thoughts and here’s to a great world championship.

[DeanH]

Foul
No points for you.
Seven penalty points to your opponent.
Black respotted.
Blue respotted.
Cue Ball in-hand for your opponent.
Blue is Ball On.


It is a Foul because you caused a ball not on to be pocketed, namely the Black.
You do not score the points for the Blue because a Foul occurred in the same stroke but you do score any break points you had before that stroke.
Seven penalty points are awarded to the non-offender due to the value of the Black being greater than the value of the ball on (Blue).

Respot all balls involved and Cue Ball is now ball in-hand (play from D) to play the Blue.

[nibbler147]

Brilliant - thank you!

[Londonlad147]

There are actually two separate infringements in this scenario:

First is causing the cue ball to be pocketed, for which the penalty would be the value of the ball on (5 points here).

Second is causing a ball not on (black) to be pocketed, for which the penalty is the higher of the ball on (5) or ball concerned (7).

The infringement with the highest penalty always applies, so 7 in this scenario.

You can never score points for a stroke in which an infringement occurs, and any coloured balls pocketed would be spotted. When relevant, reds would stay down and the cue ball would be played from in hand. As Dean said, any break made before the foul would count and be added to your score.