Snookered after a foul and play again question

[weepete]

Hi all,

So the lads and I finally got together for a game tonight after what seems like forever and we had a situation I wasn't sure of. First of all we don't tend to call foul and a miss, just because none of us are really good enough to make a distinction between best effort or not!

But I fouled by missing a colour (with one red left), my opponent ended up snookered and and a free ball was called. He didn't fancy it so I told him he could elect for me to play again if he wished, so he put me back in. The thing we weren't sure about was if is was still a free ball or not?

To avoid doubt and in the spirit of fair play I just played the escape off a cushion (missed again and gave away 4 more points but hey ho!) if I was resonably sure it was a free ball I'd have went for the snooker he didn't fancy. I can imaging that this doesn't come up very often for decent players but did have me scratching my head a bit.

[jrc750]

He gets a choice of a free ball, but if he decides not to play one and puts you back in, you are snookered, you do not get a free ball

[weepete]

Thanks JRC, just as well I played it right then!

[Londonlad147]

If the non-offender is offered a free ball but declines it and puts the offender back in then the free ball call is void, and the offender must go for the ball on.

Final para of Section 3 Rule 12:

(f) If the offender is asked to play again, or a request is made by the non-offender for the replacement of the ball(s) (as in Section 3 Rules 10(i), 14(b) and 14(e)), the free ball option becomes void.