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Stratford Pool League’s move to Blackball Rules
Why change?
Pool players and Leagues around the Country have realised in recent years that the game was becoming more and more tactical, with slower and slower play. Whilst this can be interesting to play for some players, most don’t like it and hardly anyone likes watching it. Clearly, rule changes were required to make the game less like a game of chess and more an exciting potting game.
The reason the ‘old’ game is so tactical is simply the fact that committing a foul is a HUGE mistake. Giving away ball in hand, a free table and two visits that carry is a disaster once players are playing at even a moderate standard. So, if fouling is a disaster, then trying to force your opponent to foul is the optimal strategy. Playing for snookers is the optimal way to play under the ‘old’ rules!
Blackball and World Rules both try to affect the games in the following 3 ways :
- Reduce the penalty for fouling.
- Make blocking pockets less effective.
- Make playing snookers more difficult.
This is briefly how they achieve this:
Blackball Rules 1. You can move the cue ball and still have a free table, but two shots don’t carry – you just get 1 free shot. 2. To discourage blocking pockets a little, players are allowed to pot an opponents ball, so long as you pot one of your own balls in the same shot (and hit your ball first). 3. A ball has to hit a cushion after the first contact of the cue ball (if you don’t pot a ball). You cannot simply roll up behind a ball.
World Rules 1. Two shots still carry, but there is no free table and you cannot move the cue ball. 2. Deliberate fouls are permitted, so you can pot an opponent’s ball that is blocking the pocket. This gives 2 shots away, but the opponent has to play their first shot from where the cueball is (likely in the jaws) and they don’t have a free table (unless snookered). 3. As in Blackball, you have to contact a cushion if you don’t pot a ball.
Why Blackball Rules, rather than World Rules.
1. World Rules are much more complex to referee. 2. Players in our League have told us that they don’t like deliberate fouls being allowed. 3. They are the most commonly used rules in Warwickshire - Warwickshire County sides and the Leamington, Warwick & Kenilworth Leagues all play Blackball. 4. Having played a lot of Blackball in recent months, we all enjoy it and believe them to be vastly superior to what we play now.
Brief Summary of the Main Rule Differences between ‘old’ Rules and Blackball Rules
Deciding groups
On an open table, if a player pots a ball(s) from a single group, the player is ‘on’ that group for the duration of the frame, except . . .
(a) On a break shot.
(b) On a foul shot.
(c) On a ‘free’ shot after a foul.
(d) If balls from both groups are potted.
If a), b), c) or d) apply, then the table is still open.
Legal shots
To play a legal shot the player must cause the cue ball’s initial contact to be with an ‘on’ ball AND then must either .... (a) Pot any ‘on’ ball(s) OR (b) Cause the cue ball or any object ball to contact a cushion.
The only exception to the rule above is when a player is snookered. In escaping from a snooker the player need only cause the cue ball to contact an ‘on’ ball. It is NOT necessary to pot a ball OR to cause any ball to contact a cushion AFTER escaping a snooker. Players should seek confirmation of the snooker from an opponent, referee or official before playing a shot.
Penalty after a foul
The oncoming player receives a free shot plus one visit. The oncoming player may take a free shot without nomination. On the free shot only, a player can play the cue ball onto any ball without penalty, and pot any ball(s) except the black (n.b. the black can be potted with a skill shot – see below).
Deliberate Foul
Failing to make a bona fide attempt to play a legal shot is a deliberate foul and will result in loss of frame.
Skill Shots
Two or more object balls of either group can be potted without penalty in a single ‘skill shot’, so long as the cue ball’s first contact is with an ‘on’ ball AND an ‘on’ ball is potted. The potted balls may drop into pockets in any order. A player can also play to pot their remaining group ball(s) and the black in the same shot to win the frame.
For a full set of rules go to http://www.blackball.co.uk/wpabbrules.pdf
FAQs
Deciding groups
Q. A red only is potted on the break, is the player on reds? A. No, the table is still open.
Q. After the break shot the oncoming player pots a red and a yellow in the same shot. Does he have to nominate? A. No, there is no nomination in Blackball. The table is still open.
Q. A foul shot is played on an open table. The oncoming player pots a red with his free shot and then misses his next shot. Is he reds? A. No, the table is still open.
Legal shots
Q. Can you roll up behind a ball to play a snooker? A. No, a ball must either be potted or hit a cushion after the cue balls first contact with an ‘on’ ball.
Q. Can you play the cue ball off a cushion and up behind a ball? A. No, a ball has to hit a cushion after the cue ball has contacted an ‘on’ ball.
Q. If you play a ball which is touching a cushion, do you still have to hit a cushion if you don’t pot a ball? A. Yes, the ball touching a cushion doesn’t count as having hit a cushion.
Q. You play a ball that is very close to a cushion and it bounces off, without hitting another cushion or going in. Is this a legal shot? A. Yes, so long as the referee hasn’t called a ‘frozen’ ball. If he hasn’t checked, it is assumed to not be touching (frozen).
Q. You can only see the very edge of your last red. Do you have to either pot it or make a ball hit a cushion after contact? A. Yes, you are not snookered if you can see any part of any ‘on’ ball.
Q. You are snookered and play a shot onto your ball, but don’t pot a ball or hit a cushion with a ball. Is this a foul? A. No, so long as the referee has called “total snooker” before the shot. If the referee hasn’t called it, then it’s a foul. Players should make sure that the referee knows when you are snookered.
Skill shot
Q. You hit your red and knock in a yellow – but the red misses. Is this a foul? A. Yes, if you pot an opponent’s ball, you must also have contacted your red first and potted one of your balls.
Q. You have one red left. You pot it and also knock the black in on the same shot. Do you win? A. Yes.
Q. Your opponent has a yellow over a pocket. You hit a red onto the yellow knocking it in and the red follows it into the pocket. Is this a legal shot? A. Yes, it doesn’t matter which order the ball drop in.
Tactical differences when playing Blackball Rules.
Situation 1.
This is an easy clearance with the ‘old’ rules. Pot the two yellows and then use two shots to pot the black. With blackball rules it is not quite so easy. It would be a big mistake to pot a yellow with the first shot, as that means you only have one shot on the tricky black. The shot is to get the black out with the free shot and then clear the 3 balls.
Situation 2.
This position is much trickier than situation 1. with either set of rules. With blackball rules, going for game is risky, as you have 2 tough balls , but only 1 free shot. Doubling the yellow gains you nothing. Potting the yellow over hole is no good either (even if you get the black out). I don’t mind two options here:
Option 1. Move the cue ball behind the yellow and play yellow onto black, to get both off the cushion – and then go for the clearance (or play safe if they go bad). Option 2. Leave your opponent a very tough black, whilst leaving your yellow(s) in great positions. I would play the yellow that is on the cushion twice, leaving the cue ball close to where it is now (to stop the double into the centre).
Situation 3.
With our current rules, reds are in trouble here. With blackball rules, you can set up a ‘skill shot’. Pot the red into the centre and try to leave an angle on the other red, such that the cue ball will play the plant over the pocket. You then have a good chance of being on the black into the same pocket.
Situation 4.
All the balls are spread and your opponent has gone in off. With our old rules, the play is to go for the yellows and keep your two shots as long as you can. It would be very easy to get down and go for it here, but it’s not the % play with Blackball rules. There is no advantage in potting a yellow first, as you have one visit remaining whatever you do; and no yellows (or the black) need developing. The correct play is to put the red safe with your free shot, as security in case you don’t clear up. You can now go for the clearance knowing that a miss is not a total disaster.
A similar situation to this often happens after a foul break. If your opponent foul breaks and the balls are all spread nicely around the table, it may be best to roll a red safe before going for a clearance on yellows (or vice versa).
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