"Thems the Rules"
Rules explained (hopefully).
Embedded Files
Are we sitting comfortably? No, well too bad, here goes. A pedantic one first :- A player is never "snookered", the rules state that it is the cue-ball that finds itself in this unfortunate position (well, for one of the players, not the other). They also state that the cue-ball is snookered when it can not hit both extreme edges of a ball "on", because of the presence of balls not "on". This also means that the cue-ball is not snookered when "angled" in the jaws of a pocket - a cushion can not snooker the cue-ball. Therefore in the situation, pictured, with no reds left on the table, the yellow is the ball "on" and therefore the cue-ball is snookered by the blue (all of us have got out of harder ones than that). So you can annoy teammates/opponents by answering the question, "Are you snookered ?" with "No, but the white is" 😁
As stated in the first bit of pedantry above, the cue-ball can only be snookered by a ball not "on". In the situation in this next photo, where the player has missed the pack off the break (don't laugh, I've done it), the cue ball is not snookered as reds (the balls "on") are in the way of reds (the balls "on"). I've seen professionals argue this case with the "3 misses and you forfeit the frame" rule - thankfully we don't play the miss rule so not our problem. In my imagination, the conversation went something like this:-
Professional Player " I can't hit a red full in the face "
Professional Referee "you can hit that one"
Professional Player "but another red is covering half of it"
Professional Referee "Tough, thems the rules"
No prizes for guessing where all of this was going
THE DREADED FREE BALL!
In this next situation there are only 3 reds left on the table and Player A has just fouled. The cue-ball is snookered on the left red by the yellow and the right red by the blue. But the centre red is covered by 2 reds which are balls "on". The cue-ball cannot be snookered by balls "on", therefore no freeball.
NB. If you're wondering why I'm not quoting the exact rules it's because I don't want to fall foul (😃) of copyright laws. I know other people do it, but that's their lookout.
Therefore in this next photo, if there are only these 2 reds left on the table and a foul has been committed, a free ball can be awarded.
Obviously this also the case if there were a single red between the yellow and blue.
BUT............. it all depends on distance, therefore.................
if the cue ball is very close to the balls in question, it can change things somewhat. In this case, there is only one red left and it is between yellow and blue. There are a couple of scenarios with this picture.
1) Player A has fouled by not hitting the red. In this position the extreme edges are so close together it is possible to hit them before contact is made with the yellow or blue.
2) The 3 balls (the red being the only one left on the table) are on the baulk line or in the "D" and Player A has gone in off. By placing the cue-ball very close to the red means both extreme edges can be hit legally.
Imagined converstion #2:
Player:- That's a free ball, innit?
Ref placing the cue ball thus "you can hit both extreme edges now"
Player:- You're kidding aren't you
Ref " Nope, thems the rules"
Therefore neither situation would warrant the award of a free ball.
Above:- My poor attempt to show how the extreme edges are not always in the same place.
Hopefully, to finish this off, snookering after a free ball. You are not allowed to snooker behind a free ball either intentionally or accidentally. Of course this isn't totally correct as you can snooker behind a free ball but ONLY when just the pink and black are left on the table *.
According to the rules, the ball which is snookering the cue ball is the closest ball not "on" that is covering one or both of the extreme edges of the ball (or balls) on. In this situation it can be seen that both yellow and blue are snookering the cue ball from the red. The yellow is "covering" the left extreme edge and the blue the right edge. BUT as it's closest to the cue-ball, it is the blue, which is given the honour of being the snookering ball.
Scenario 1) Only one red left on the table. Player A was awarded a free ball, nominated the yellow, and hit it - no foul. The balls finished as in the photo. As player A played the yellow and the nearest snookering ball is the blue - still no foul.
Scenario 2) Same as above but Player A nominated the blue, and hit it - no foul. BUT once the balls come to a rest, the blue is snookering ball, therefore it is now a foul shot (and another free ball).
Scenario 3). Player A nominated Yellow (or Blue) as a free ball and missed it completely. Just a normal situation, cue-ball snookered after a foul - free ball.
As an aside, if the referee decides both blue and yellow are the same distance from the cue ball they are BOTH classed as effective snookering balls. Therefore in that case it wouldn't matter which was taken as a free ball - it's a foul. Obviously if the referee decides that blue and yellow are the same distance from the cue ball in the picture above, you require another referee.
* Thanks to Nigel D overlooking my work, this is also not quite right. As he rightly pointed out, you can snooker behind a free ball as long as you do not snooker all of the reds behind the free ball. I say reds rather than balls on, as there's only one yellow, green yada yada........ I'll try to remember to set up a picture but here's a quick and very poor drawing for you to be getting on with.....................
In the above situation Player A has fouled and left the balls so (Player A is not having a good day). Player B can roll up behind green as a free ball leaving the cue-ball snookered on the reds with black outlines. Because there are two other reds behind the brown, this makes it a legal shot - the cue ball is snookered by the brown on those two reds and free ball was green.
I think I would have attempted the yellow, followed by the black, then onto the red near the pink spot, then the pink and see where that took me, but each to their own. Maybe Player B already needs snookers? But with 6 reds left that means he's at least 75 points down after 9 reds have been potted - perhaps Player A isn't having such a bad day after all.
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse