combination shot when the board is open

10/19/2012 8:30:07 AM

While playing a combination shot when the board is open I sink both the balls. Does the board remain open or the payer can chose the group?

Mitch Alsup on 10/19/2012 2:26:51 PM
Under most tournement rules, yes, you can hit a solid/stripe and make the called stripe/solid in the called pocket as a good shot. It maters not if it is a carom, combination, or billiard. The rules are: a) you use a legal stroke with legal equiptment, b) you hit a legl ball first (a ball of either group is legal first ball when the table is open), c) the called ball goes in the called pocket. The called ball is from the group you acquire (i.e. get) the other ball stays down and is a 'freebie' for the opponent. you are NOT allowed to call both a solid and a stripe, you have to call one or the other.

This is generally not legal (foul) under bar rules. This is definately not legal (foul) under "no slop" (typical bar) rules.

2ballrun on 10/20/2012 7:06:51 AM
I believe that in A.P.A. league the table would still be "open" if both a solid and stripe are pocketed?

Fenwick on 10/20/2012 1:09:40 PM
But as Mitch pointed out you would have to call a ball. I would think the called ball would be your group and any other pocketed ball stays down. For the record I've never played in the A.P.A. Get back to us on that.

2ballrun on 10/21/2012 8:35:47 AM
I'll check on it, but in APA you don't call pockets. It's slop.

Yep, in the APA the table is still open. Page 46 of the Official team manual. Slop. LOL.

Fenwick on 10/21/2012 3:59:36 PM
Well at least the APA gets new players I guess. Slop? Really?

2ballrun on 10/21/2012 4:06:38 PM
Yep, it's all about slop in APA. You don't call a pocket other than the 8 ball, so anything that goes anywhere pretty much counts. When the table is open you don't have to call a ball, so if two balls fall they both count. Keep shooting till you make just one. Then you know what you have!

Don't get me wrong, I like APA pool, but it's all about the slop.

Mitch Alsup on 10/23/2012 10:40:29 PM
In APA you don't HAVE to call the ball, and the table is open after the break when nothing goes in. So you can hit the opponents soon to be group and then make your soon to be group ball in the pocket of choice.

2ballrun on 10/24/2012 3:22:49 AM
That is correct, but I believe he was asking what happens if BOTH balls go in after the combination? The table is still open.

And on the following shot , you could still hit the 8 ball first, it in turn could knock in a low ball, while the cue ball goes around 3 rails and knocks in another high ball, and the table would STILL be open afterward! Ya' gotta' love A.P.A.!

gibson on 10/24/2012 3:15:04 PM
What all this shows is that your group is not determined until you make one legal shot of one group only.

Mitch Alsup on 10/25/2012 9:13:28 PM
APA goes on to state that if one group has been cleared before the groups have been decided, both player may shoot at the 8-ball!

2ballrun on 10/26/2012 2:16:00 AM
Now that's funny! And would you have to call the pocket?

tasha_silvester on 11/10/2012 2:28:27 AM
Yes according to APA rules the board will be still open if the one ball from each category is pocketed. You may shoot any ball, except the 8 ball, and each pocketed ball counts, and whichever you make first before your opponent would be your category.

Mitch Alsup on 11/10/2012 12:29:43 PM
On the issue of slop; I watched a BCA tournement last week where a player called the 7 ball corner pocket. The 7 ball was 1.5 diamonds from the pocket at the beginning of the shot. Well, the player hits it hard, the 7 ball reflects off the two points of the corner pocket, rolls cross table to the side pocket where it catches the point again, rolls cross table and drops in the called corner pocket.

In my book, this IS slop--it just happens to fall into the rule of "the called ball drops in the called pocket".