Issue about FREE BALL?

[Chris Patterson]

Hey Guys, Just to be completely sure, and to prove my friend wrong, is their is a foul, (in this case), an in-off, and the last red is half covered by another colour e.g. pink, and no matter were i place the white ball in the D, i can only see part of one side of the red, is it still a free ball?

Do you have to see both sides/ extreme edge of the ball, or is it just one side?

[mathsisfun]

You have to be able to hit both sides of the object ball, otherwise it is a freeball.

Therefore in your case it is a freeball.

[Souwester]

You have to have a clear path to both edges of the ball on, so if you can only hot one side, then yes it is a free ball. However, if from any point in the D you can hit both edges then it is not a free ball - you can only have a free ball if there is no position in the D from which you can see both sides of the object ball.

If, say the yellow and brown are close together (say 3 inches apart) on the baulk line and the last red is in the middle but just over the baulk line, then this will NOT be a free ball, because if you place the cue ball half way between the yellow and brown and as close as possible to the red you can play to the left or the right and still hit an edge of the red without hitting the colour first. If you go back to school day maths, it's all about tangents!

[The Statman]

Yes all of the above answers I would agree with.

This thread should clear up all the many confusions about the free ball - and there are many!

[Chris Patterson]

Cheers guys for all the help

[Bigmeek]

Chris and other Forum members. A while back I bought a copy of the Snooker and Billiards rule book. Was only about £6/£7. It's a really good read if you're a geek or just want a change from Barbara Cartland (joke). All the answers are there. There's a rule to cover every situation but in the worst case situation in can be up to the referee to decide. Things like breaking wind are not covered but may be deemed ungentlemanly conduct. (Depends on volume I suppose)

[Souwester]

The rule book - available from the EASB's online shop at http://easbshop.wytech.co.uk/index.p...tegory&path=38 - does indeed cover many situations which are subject to common query on this forum.

However, there are many situations where a number of rules will interact, and where the rule book does not provide adequate explanation. Senior referees, examiners and tutors will debate such situations ad nauseum but still fail to arrive at a unanimous conclusion!

[andy carson]

Chris and other Forum members. A while back I bought a copy of the Snooker and Billiards rule book. Was only about £6/£7. It's a really good read if you're a geek or just want a change from Barbara Cartland (joke). All the answers are there. There's a rule to cover every situation but in the worst case situation in can be up to the referee to decide. Things like breaking wind are not covered but may be deemed ungentlemanly conduct. (Depends on volume I suppose)

and potencey of smell of course.....

had it happen in a league game someone has let a silent one off and had to wait 5 mins before i could take my bloody shot!!!

[Kyra]

The rule book - available from the EASB's online shop at http://easbshop.wytech.co.uk/index.p...tegory&path=38 - does indeed cover many situations which are subject to common query on this forum.

However, there are many situations where a number of rules will interact, and where the rule book does not provide adequate explanation. Senior referees, examiners and tutors will debate such situations ad nauseum but still fail to arrive at a unanimous conclusion!

Do you know if they ship e.g. the rule book overseas ? The website states that it's members only.

[Bigmeek]

kyra I got my copy from the WorldSnooker.com website. Didn't need to be a member. Not sure if they post to Germany.

[Bigmeek]

Snooker rules

Here's a sample of my copy. Its individual pages held together by metal rings. Bit different from the one on EASB site

[Kyra]

Here's a sample of my copy. Its individual pages held together by metal rings. Bit different from the one on EASB site

Thanks for the info. I'll contact the EASB-shop anyway because they have some other books listed which I'm interested in too.

[APK]

This book has been withdrawn because there are so many errors in it.
Also the typeface is so small that it is being complained about.
Not to mention that it is a POCKET book which doesn't fit into a pocket.
Keep hold of the September 1995 book and add the revisions.
The best thing to do with the new white book is use it for hamster bedding.
Hopefully it will be sorted soon.

[Souwester]

I've heard rumours that World Snooker (or maybe WPBSA) are working on a new rule book, but not sure how much substance there is to that rumour.

[mick.hinde]

re angled ball

sorry to add this to your thread, but I can't seem to start it anew and it is sort of related.
I have a very old book by richard holt called billiards and snooker, on page 150 of which it states that " if you are,after a foul stroke by your opponent, angled (by the pocket jaw), you may play "from hand" ". The book is from 1972. Is this a rule that no longer exists? PLEASE HELP.