It is only a foul if it is called

    Snooker is the Breaker, and he makes a good break with object balls spread all over the table. Actually believing that he has made an object ball, Snooker continues to shoots and pockets a stripe. He takes his next shot and pockets another stripe. At this point Carom suddenly notices that Snooker did not make a ball on the break, jumps to her paws, and tells Snooker that he should not be at the table shooting any balls since he did not make any balls on the break. Carom calls a foul. Snooker responds that all fouls must be called and acknowledged before the next shot is taken. Since he has put down two stripes, it is too late to call a foul, he has stripes, and he can continue to shoot. You are the referee called to the table. You make the call!!!! Rule B. 8. does say that “If the player legally breaks the racked balls and does not make any balls, his opponent then shoots, having an open table”. However, that Rule does not address what happens if the Breaker continues to shoot after having NOT made any balls. Rule H. does say that all fouls must be called and acknowledged before the next shot is taken. Rule H. 1., which discusses what results in fouls, provides that Failure to make a legal shot as noted above is a foul. Clearly, that would include the discussion of “Legal Shots” found in Section G, but why limit it to just that section. If you don’t make any numbered balls on the Break, you cannot legally shoot again. It is your opponents turn at the table. It would be a foul to continue to shoot. So when Snooker continued to shoot immediately after the Break - having not made any balls on the Break - it was a foul. However, as the introductory paragraph to Rule H. provides: “All fouls must be called and acknowledged before next shot is taken”. Carom had a duty to immediately call a foul, and waiting until after the next shot was taken was too late.

    The opponent must pay attention to the game. Failure to do so is going to cost you a number of balls and possibly loss of game. Since Carom did not call a foul after the first stripe was made by Snooker, and Snooker made a second stripe, it is too late to call a foul. Snooker has stripes, and Snooker can continue to shoot his stripes until he misses, fouls, or wins the game.

 by Fred A. Johnson

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