Safety - Billiard Term Definition
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Definition of Safety
Safety is a billiards term that is a part of Billiard Technique Terminology.
A safety, or safety shot, is a defensive move which is designed is to intentionally leave your opponent with a very difficult or near impossible shot. In this context, the goal of a safety is to leave one's opponent without a possible shot, or at the very least, an extremely difficult one.
In another context, a safety is a type of billiard shot that must be called out loud before a shot by the shooting player, per the game's rule set. Once such a safety is invoked by its being called, the shooting player may pocket one or more of his or her object balls, and not be required to continue their inning. Although this type of safety seems silly, it is of great strategic importance if you realize that you may not have a possible shot after pocketing your first object ball. Especially in games like seven ball billiards, where a missed shot is a foul, the safety call is important.
The World Pool-Billiard Association offers the following definition of a safety shot in their "definitions" section:
8.17 - Safety Shot
A shot is said to be a safety shot if the game in play is a call shot game and the shooter declared the shot to the referee or his opponent to be a “safety” before the shot. Play passes to the other player at the end of a safety shot.
See: safe, containing safety, safety break, snooker for more on the meaning of "Safety".
Safety - Usage
You have to call a safety before you shoot, you moron.
Billiards - Safety
Forum questions and answers mentioning the billiard definition of "Safety":
- Title: Safety
- Author: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)
- Published: 3/15/2006
- Last Updated: 6/19/2018 4:58:16 AM
- Last Updated By: billiardsforum
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