"Cue Ball Fouls Only" Rule
3/16/2012 8:32:23 AM
"Cue Ball Fouls Only" Rule
At one time the BCA pool league rules contained the following section:
16.1 - CUE BALL FOULS ONLY
When a referee is presiding over a match, it is a foul for a player to touch any ball (cue ball or object ball) with the cue, clothing, body, mechanical bridge or chalk, before, during or after a shot. However, when a referee is not presiding over a game, it is not a foul to accidentally touch stationary balls located between the cue ball and the shooter while in the act of shooting. If such an accident occurs, the player should allow the Tournament Director to restore the object balls to their correct positions. If the player does not allow such a restoration, and a ball set in motion as a normal part of the shot touches such an unrestored ball, or passes partly into a region originally occupied by a disturbed ball, the shot is a foul. In short, if the accident has any effect on the outcome of the shot, it is a foul. In any case, the Tournament Director must be called upon to restore the positions of the disturbed balls as soon as possible, but not during the shot. It is a foul to play another shot before the Tournament Director has restored any accidentally moved balls. At the non-shooting player’s option, the disturbed balls will be left in their new positions. In this case, the balls are considered restored, and subsequent contact on them is not a foul. It is still a foul to make any contact with the cue ball whatsoever while it is in play, except for the normal tip-to-ball contact during a shot.
I can not find this in the current edition of the rule book. Now, apparently the disturbed ball rule applies to any ball on the table with the exception of the cue ball and without the player being in the act of shooting. In other words, if you accidentally move an object ball at any time during your inning, it falls under the disturbed ball rule and is not a foul unless it meets the other criteria that would make it a foul. The above section stated that the rule applied only to object balls between the shooter and the cue ball after he had assumed his stance in the act of shooting and/or in the execution of his shot. I copied this section from the rule book in July 2010.
Does anyone have any further information on this subject?
This question relates to the following billiard rules:
"Cue Ball Fouls Only" Rule
Replies & Comments
colen35 on 3/16/2012 8:59:02 AM
Update!
I managed to locate this section on this website under General Rules of Pocket Billiards. Does anyone know why it does not appear in rules published by the BCA? Thanks.
Colen Thomas
Fenwick on 3/16/2012 9:58:45 AM
First you have to understand I don't play in the APA or the BCA. Second I rarely play anything except 14/1, W.P.A. rules and some 9 ball, Texas Express rules.
The WPA is the international governing body of pocket-billiard sports now.
Doing some checking where's a few links. The B.C.A. is now governed by the W.P.A. Check the date of the last B.C.A. hand book.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiard_Congress_of_America
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_Pool-Billiard_Association
Could not find anything on the above links. The paragraph quoted in the beginning is here:
General Rules of Pocket Billiards
Colen Thomas
From the W.A.P. sight. It's poorly written but it up for review soon.. http://www.wpa-pool.com/web/the_rules_of_play
1.8 Restoring a Position When necessary for balls to be restored or cleaned, the referee will restore disturbed balls to their original positions to the best of his ability. The players must accept the referee's judgment as to placement
6.6 Touched Ball It is a foul to touch, move or change the path of any object ball except by the normal ball-to-ball contacts during shots. It is a foul to touch, move or change the path of the cue ball except when it is in hand or by the normal tip-to-ball forward stroke contact of a shot. The shooter is responsible for the equipment he controls at the table, such as chalk, bridges, clothing, his hair, parts of his body, and the cue ball when it is in hand, that may be involved in such fouls. If such a foul is accidental, it is a standard foul, but if it is intentional, it is 6.16 Unsportsmanlike Conduct.
I have found out that the paragraph that I quoted above is from the World Standardized Rules which differs from the Official Rules of The BCA Pool League. It appears that under BCA rules, when playing cue ball fouls only, it is not considered a foul to disturb any object ball on the table at any time provided that only one ball is disturbed and it is not in motion.
Colen Thomas
QStix on 3/26/2012 6:55:09 AM
The following are cue ball fouls:
- All ball fouls- if a player touches any ball in any way other than a legal stroke; any touching of the cue ball with a mechanical bridge, body part, piece of clothing, chalk, or anything related to the shooter. The only exception to this rule is when a player has Ball in Hand, in which case it is legal to position the ball with the cue. If the front of the cue tip touches the ball, such as in a shooting posture, it is a foul.
- Cue ball scratches or comes to rest off the slate surface.
- Any intentional moving, striking, disrupting, of any ball on the table at any time using any body part, element or device.
- Marking the table in any way with a piece of chalk or any other method.
"If the front of the cue tip touches the ball, such as in a shooting posture, it is a foul."
Under BCA rules any part of the cue may be used to position the ball for ball-in-hand placement.
BCAPL General Rules
1.38 Ball in Hand Placement 1. When you have ball in hand, you may use your hand or any part of your cue, including the tip, to position the cue ball. If you use your cue to place the cue ball, any action that would be a legal stroke will be considered a shot, and must meet the requirements of a legal shot or it is a foul. (AR p. 70)
"1.38 Ball in Hand Placement 1. When you have ball in hand, you may use your hand or any part of your cue, including the tip, to position the cue ball. If you use your cue to place the cue ball, any action that would be a legal stroke will be considered a shot, and must meet the requirements of a legal shot or it is a foul. (AR p. 70)"
you may use your hand or any part of your cue, including the tip. Unless the cue ball has any forward motion. In other words you could not push the cue ball into position with the tip.
Splitting hairs but with the people I play it's truly a gentleman's game. You call fouls on yourself is a good example. Same thing with a bad hit. The point being you can turn your back to the table and not worry. If you cheat in any shape, form or manner you will be branded for life.
I completely agree with you in calling fouls on yourself. I sometimes feel that any player who knowingly commits a foul and who does not acknowledge it to his opponent who may have missed it should be penalized. Perhaps it should be elevated to the status of "deliberate foul" which can result in loss of game. Regarding rule 1.38 Ball in Hand Placement, the question becomes: what constitutes a legal stroke? If the player is standing upright and simply reaches out with his cue stick to position the ball, does it matter which direction the cue is moving? He has obviously not assumed a shooting stance. It would seem that all the requirements for a legal shot should be met.
Correct. I said I was splitting hairs.
tasha_silvester on 10/11/2012 3:03:53 PM
As per my knowledge, It is not a foul to accidentally touch one object ball. If such an accident occurs, the player shall allow the opposing player, in regular league play, or the referee, in a play-off match, to restore the ball to its correct position. If the player does not allow such restoration, and a ball set in motion as a normal part of the shot touches such an unrestored ball, or passes partly into a region originally occupied by a disturbed ball, the shot is a foul.
Hootie on 1/6/2013 4:27:05 PM
It's now under WPA Regulations #20
Milius Runde on 5/19/2016 8:50:25 PM
I think I need to read the rules again.
Everyone needs to brush up on the rules every now and then.
"Cue Ball Fouls Only" Rule
- Title: "Cue Ball Fouls Only" Rule
- Author: colen35 (Colen Thomas)
- Published: 3/16/2012 8:32:23 AM
