Pool (8-ball) Rules

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Traditional_Ale

- Any scratch, meaning not hitting your own suit first, not hitting anything, sewering the cue-ball at any time (before or after inital shot and/or sink), or making any ball leave the playing surface resuts in a ball-in-hand for the opponent. Meaning they can in fact place the cueball anywhere on the surface and shoot any of their own suit to any pocket.

- The only way to lose by scratching on the 8-ball is if the 8-ball is sunk prematurely, in the incorrect pocket, from an incorrect shot (not the right call), or by incidentally sewering the cueball while shooting the 8-ball.

Interesting, I did not realize that. So is that proper "bar" rules? Because if so, its definitely been lost in translation somewhere along the lines. I'm by no means a pool jockey, but I used to play quite a bit of pool at pubs/bars over the years, and never, ever did anyone do ball-in-hand when I scratched on a shot.

As for that last point, I really wish that would catch on as accepted play at bars. I've always hated that if you scratch on the 8-ball you lose. I'm sure we've all been there when you're playing someone who sucks(not that I'm great or anything) and you're going for the 8-ball but they have so many of their own balls left on the table that you can't get to the 8-ball, and thus, "lose". I never play that way at home(we play "two bank" if you can't get to the 8-ball), but I know its just accepted at the bars so I just have to suck it up.

[Traditional_Ale]

^ Those are not bar rules. They're tournament rules.

But incidentally, tournament 8-ball is played on a 3 & 1/2 X 7ft table. Same dimensions as a bar table!

9-ball is played on 4 & 1/2 X 9ft tables, and Snooker on 6 X 12ft tables.

[Titan]

Originally Posted by Temporary_User

From the way he seemed to prance to the bathroom/bar, to the blatantly and extremely lame way he was hitting on my roommate right from the get go.

Perhaps he had a whole other idea for the "ball in hand" rule?

[Temporary_User]

haha I never knew there were so many types of rules!

I guess for my own games, I will continue to put the ball on the line and shoot. I'll probably ask my opponent if I have to hit it past a certain point for a couple games and see what they say.
I'll make sure to watch my balls go in, and call myself if it makes any contact with another ball.

I did some research of my own, and since my friend didn't really have a shot to take (which was quite obvious to everyone), he did mention that he is kind of screwed and mays as well try to do the shot.
I found out that there is a thing called a "safety shot" meaning if you call it so before a shot, no foul (within limits I believe) is commited. Even if you sink your own ball on such a shot, you give up your next turn to your opponent.
In a sense I believe my friend said this, and everyone really knew that this was "just a shot"
Am I interpreting such rule correctly?

I think for myself, I will state that "this is just a shot", and If I caught someone hitting one of my balls I would just shoot it from where it lies.

[habernac]

if you call a safety, you still have to hit one of your own balls first or it's still a foul (and ball in hand). Gord Wappel had it correct, the guy was playing a very convenient hybrid of bar and valley rules. Valley is the way to go.

[Frequitude]

Haven't read the responses, but in my opinion:

Instance 1: He was right. You have to call all banks, combos and glancing type shots. Only straight in shots don't need to be called. In this specific instance it is still open table, since it was open table before and your shot doesn't count.

Instance 2: Normally the cue ball has to be placed behind the line and must hit a ball in front of the line.

Instance 3: When you scratch like this (missing any of your balls) but don't sink the cue ball, the other team just gets to play it where the cue ball ended up...no ball in hand.