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APA Ball in Hand from the Rail, Legal Playing Surface Question

9/29/2017 12:04:19 PM

APA Ball in Hand from the Rail, Legal Playing Surface Question

Can you play ball in hand from the top of the rail?

An example scenario would be if a player gets ball in hand and her last ball is sitting in the pocket with an opponents ball an inch in front of her ball.

Can the player set the cue ball on top of the rail (on the green felt part) and drop it in on her ball to make the pocket? Or is that considered out of the playing surface?

I checked the APA 8ball rules but could not find it.

This question relates to the following billiard rules:

APA Ball in Hand from the Rail, Legal Playing Surface Question

Replies & Comments
  1. PLGBLONDYbilliardsforum on 9/29/2017 9:16:27 PM

    Ball in hand on the rail would not be a legal starting position.I found this answer to a similar question from a while back. I am basing this answer on the following snippet from the WPBA rules:

    A ball is considered driven off the table if it comes to rest other than on the playing surface. [...] A ball that contacts the top of the rail is not considered to have been driven off the table if it returns to the playing surface*

    If the cue ball is shot and comes to rest on the rail, it is considered "not in play". According to the United States Professional Pool Players Association (USPPPA) Rule 3.b, this occurrence would result in a break foul.

    Break fouls include the following:

    b. If the cue ball is pocketed or driven off the table it is a foul and the non-breaking player has cue ball in hand behind the head string (from the “kitchen.”)

    Also, according to the World Pool Billiard Association, this occurrence is also a foul under rule 6.1 sub rule 8.5

    6.1 Cue Ball Scratch or off the Table

    If the cue ball is pocketed or driven off the table, the shot is a foul. See 8.3 Ball Pocketed and 8.5 Driven off the Table.

    [...]

    8.5 Driven off the Table

    A ball is considered driven off the table if it comes to rest other than on the playing surface but is not pocketed. A ball is also considered driven off the table if it would have been driven off the table except for striking an object such as a light fixture, piece of chalk or a player which causes it to return to the table. A ball that contacts the top of the rail is not considered to have been driven off the table if it returns to the playing surface or enters a pocket.

    Sources:

    • upatour.com/official-billiard-rules/u-s-9-ball-rules/
    • wpa-pool.com/web/index.asp?id=121&pagetype=rules#6.1
    • wpa-pool.com/web/index.asp?id=123&pagetype=rules#8.5

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APA Ball in Hand from the Rail, Legal Playing Surface Question

  • Title: APA Ball in Hand from the Rail, Legal Playing Surface Question
  • Author:
  • Published: 9/29/2017 12:04:19 PM
  • Last Updated: 9/29/2017 9:20:04 PM
  • Last Updated By: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)