Southern Bagatelle Rules
The following are the rules of a game called Southern Bagatelle Rules. The game is a variation of the game of bagatelle which is played in all over England.
Southern Bagatelle Billiard Equipment
The game in Southern England, most notably in Coventry and Bristol, is played upon tables are larger usually at 10 x 3 feet and feature two side pockets about three quarters of the way up on either side. There are seven white balls and two red balls. The two reds begin on spots situated on either side of the table just in front of the cups.
Southern Bagatelle Rules
The cue balls are placed on the spot at the front of the table and then played up the table towards the cups. Before each stroke, the player must nominate the cup or pocket that he/she intends to aim at.
- If a red ball is on the table, then the cue ball must strike a red ball and it must strike one before entering a cup or striking another ball.Once both red balls are potted, each cue ball must strike another white ball.If there are no un-potted balls on the table, then the cue ball must strike a cushion.
The forfeit for not following this regime is 5 points for the offending stroke and any balls potted during such a stroke are removed for the remainder of the turn. If a ball slides into an cup or pocket that was not nominated the score is forfeited to the opponent.
Pockets count for 10 points and reds count double. The game is first to 121.
Southern Bagatelle Rules
If you have any questions about Southern Bagatelle Rules, please post them in the pool rules forum.
Southern Bagatelle Rules History
Bagatelle, including southern Bagatelle rules have a rich history. The original game of bagatelle was and is a pub game of skill that is closely related to the games of Billiards, Pool and Snooker. A competition bagatelle table is of a similar form to a Billiards table, slate bed, cloth covered with cushions and measuring 6 - 10 feet long and 2 - 3 feet wide. The first major difference from a billiard table is that one end is rounded instead of square. The second diversion is that instead of pockets around the edge, the semicircular end features nine holes (in the manner of Bar Billiards), one in the middle of the semi circle and the rest surrounding it evenly in a ring. A variety of games can be played with it but all involve the players standing at the square end of the table and hitting the balls with a cue towards the holes at the other end. The origins of bagatelle are even less clear than most games of a similar history although, since the name is a French one, the most obvious guess is a French derivation. From 1770 to 1850, it seems that the bagatelle was just as popular as Billiards throughout England and Britain. To add to the mystery further, the French version of his catalogue refers to the game as "Billiards Anglais".... In the mid 19th century, bagatelle joined the long list of restricted and banned games when a Gaming Act decreed that there should be "no play on a public billiard table or bagatelle table from 1 am to 8 am and on Sundays, Christmas Day and Good Friday".
These days, the name bagatelle is far more likely to conjure up the image of the children's pastime wherein marbles or ball bearings are shot onto a board which features areas fenced in by nails hammered into its surface. Each container scores different points depending upon the likelihood of a ball finishing in it. An entertaining game, generally considered to be for children, the resemblance to the original pub game is not overwhelming. This smaller version began to appear in the late 19th century. The similarities are that the players shoot balls from the square end of the board towards the semi-circular end of the board with the objective of getting the balls to land in scoring holes and areas on the board surface. However, the whole board has been miniaturized to a table-top size. Presumably because aiming the balls was too difficult for youngsters, the balls are run up a channel on the right hand side instead of needing to be aimed. The targets are enlarged by virtue of surrounding nails. And the elements of skill have generally been almost replaced by that of luck. No points are scored if the balls roll right back down to the bottom edge of the board. Early boards all required the balls to be struck up the channel by a cue in the same way as for the adult game. Modern games usually feature a sprung plunger as an alternative or a replacement to the more traditional stick.Of course, as many readers will have realized, the evolution of the game did not stop at here because children's bagatelle has two children of it's own - pinball and pachinko in all their myriad forms. Even though the success of these modern electronic forms has eclipsed the old games, most people will find the original games to be an experience just as rewarding....
The official Southern Bagatelle Rules are predominently observed in Southern England, Especially in Coventry and Bristol.
How to Play Southern Bagatelle
- Title: Southern Bagatelle Rules
- Author: billiardsforum (Billiards Forum)
- Published: 7/16/2008 10:32:00 PM
- Source: Internet
Southern Bagatelle Rules
The Southern Bagatelle Rules article belongs to the Obstacle Billiards Rules category. Obstacle billiards is a class of billiard games that are played with various obstacles on the table.
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