Are we patching the pocket?

 Carom and Snooker are playing each other in team play during a tournament. Carom’s Captain has decided that his team is going to patch the pocket the entire tournament. Snooker’s Captain did not want to patch the pocket during this match. However, the Rules provide that when shooting the 8-ball, one must patch the pocket. So if there is NOT an agreement between both teams (Captains), then the pocket is to be patched for the 8-ball.


Either Snooker’s Captain didn’t make it clear to all of his teammates that the patch was being used, or Snooker wasn’t paying any attention when his Captain announced that they would be patching the pocket, so Snooker didn’t know if they were patching the pocket or not. His game is the third game of the match. Snooker could have asked before he started his game, but he did not. Snooker could have been paying attention to the previous two games played where the pocket was patched for the 8-ball, but Snooker was not paying any attention to the

games being played. 


In Snooker’s game, he has run all of his group of balls and is ready to shoot his 8- ball. Since Snooker is unsure if he has to patch the pocket or not, before he shoots the 8-ball, he asks his teammates “are we patching the pocket”. When they reply “yes”, Carom calls a foul. Coaching. Snooker does not acknowledge the foul. You are the referee called to the table. 


You make the call!!!!


Snooker’s position is that the simple reply of “yes” is not coaching. It is not telling him how to shoot his shot. Snooker says he has/had already determined which pocket he was going to pocket the 8-ball in and the manner of his shot is already determined. Snooker also says that this is just like when a shooter asks his teammates “how many balls do I need” toward the end of a match. If they reply, that is not a foul. The manner of how to shoot the remaining balls to achieve the needed number to win the match is left to the shooter. He is not being told how to

shoot any shot. This situation is the same. 


Carom’s position is that by telling Snooker that they are patching the pocket is telling him exactly how to shoot the shot. It is telling him the manner in which the shot has been made, i.e. the pocket must be patched. Carom also says that we are dealing with one ball here, the “game” ball. We are not talking about a number of balls to be made, just one, the 8-ball, and by telling someone that they have to patch the pocket is directly telling him how the shot is to be made. Therefore it is a coaching foul. 


Carom is correct here. By telling a shooter that he/she must patch the 8-ball is a coaching foul. It would be the same as if the shooter was getting ready to pocket the 8-ball, and one of his/her teammates yells out “patch the pocket”. That is a foul. That is a coaching foul. The two situations are the same. Snooker has committed a foul. 


Snooker had numerous opportunities to avoid his plight. First, if he had any doubt, just patch the pocket to be on the safe side, make the 8-ball in the patched pocket, and then after the game is over, he can then ask his teammates if they are patching the pocket. Better safe than sorry. Secondly, he could have been paying attention when his Captain announced that they were patching the pocket. Third, he could have been paying attention to the previous two games and saw that they were patching the pocket, so he would have known that he had to patch the pocket. Fourth, he could have asked BEFORE he started his game. Fifth, if he missed during his game, and his opponent was at the table shooting, he could have asked his teammates then if they were patching the pocket. 


When so many teams agree not to patch the pocket, many teams feel that when a team requires the patch to be used, they are trying to get a cheap game. That is not the way to look at it. They are simply requiring the Rules to be followed and want to know exactly where the 8-ball is going to be pocketed. Shooters do a lot of things to remind themselves that they need to patch the pocket when the patch is being used. Some use an ink pen or a magic marker and write “PATCH” on their bridge arm or write it on their bridge hand between the thumb and index finger. One team agreed between themselves that they would patch EVERY BALL SHOT. If they had solids, then they patched the three ball, the six ball, etc., so when they shot the 8-ball, they would not forget to patch it. Surely after patching seven group balls, one would not forget to patch the 8-ball. There are a variety of ways on how one wants to remind themselves to patch the pocket. Use your imagination.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Frozen ball rule change 2023

  RULE CHANGE! RULE CHANGE! RULE CHANGE!   Changes in the Rules do not occur often, but they do occur, and we have a new Rule affecting both 8-Ball and 9-Ball Rules effective July 1, 2023. Snooker and Carom, two old dogs who play each other often, are in an 8-Ball game.  Snooker is at the table shooting. Snooker’s cue ball is frozen to one of his object balls. Snooker gets down on his shot and takes a normal and legally stroked shot without elevating his cue to a 45 degree angle. Carom is astonished that Snooker would have a lapse of memory as to the requirements of the VNEA when shooting the cue ball when it is frozen to an object ball. Carom calls a foul. Snooker does not acknowledge that a foul has occurred, and you as the referee are called to the table.  You make the call!!!! Carom is adamant that Snooker has fouled since he failed to elevate his cue stick to a 45 degree angle. Snooker now has his brand new (2023-2024) Rule Book out and is quoting the seventh p...
Read more

2023 Push Shot rule change

VNEA rule change: 2023 The Push Shot rule has been updated, removing the 45 degree requirement.  OLD RULE : 7. PUSH SHOT FOULS: It is a foul if the cue ball is pushed by the cue tip, with contact being maintained for more than the momentary time commensurate with a stroked shot. (Such shots are usually referred to as push shots.) With a cue ball and object ball frozen, shooting the shot from any angle other than at least 45 degrees above, or at least 45 degrees to the right or at least 45 degrees to the left of center from the straight line of the frozen balls is a foul and must be so called. NEW RULE : 7. PUSH SHOT FOULS: It is a foul if the cue ball is pushed by the cue tip, with contact being maintained for more than the momentary time commensurate with a normal and legally stroked shot. (Such shots are usually referred to as push shots.) This means a player can  shoot through a frozen ball (or rail) as long as the tip only has 'momentary contact ' with the cue ball. When r...
Read more

Accidentally moving a ball

Oops I moved a ball This happens a lot. Everyone has done it. Yes, even those master players that never seem to miss. Since we play cue ball fouls only, accidentally moving an object ball is not an automatic foul. This seems to be one of the most misunderstood rules in pool. Let's dig in... Let's look at the VNEA rule : 8. ACCIDENTALLY moving or touching any ball is not a foul unless: 1) the moved ball is the cue ball or 2) a moved ball makes contact with the cue ball or 3) a moved ball that is jumped off the table or pocketed or causes any ball to be jumped off the table or pocketed. (exception to #3: If the 8-ball is jumped off the table or pocketed it is loss of game if called by the opponent before the next shot is taken). Only opponent may replace the ball moved as closely as possible or leave it where it rests. If the shooter replaces the moved ball, it will be considered a foul Let's break down the rule: Moving the cue ball is a foul Moving a ball that hits the cue b...
Read more