Cue ball rolls where a moved ball was

  We continues with the antics of Snooker and Carom, two old dogs at the pool game, who play a lot with each other and against each other, but simply can never agree on the Rules.

SITUATION: Three object balls are sitting very close to each other, approximately 1" apart, with the first ball about 1" from the rail, all in a row coming from the rail toward the middle of the table. The cue ball is very close to the middle ball (which happens to be the 6-ball). Snooker is shooting over the 6-ball trying to make another ball at the opposite end of the table. After striking the cue ball, Snooker’s cue stick accidentally drags over the top of the 6-ball moving the 6-ball approximately 6 inches down the table and toward the rail. The shot is missed, but in the process, the travel of the cue ball makes contact with three rails and rolls directly over the spot where the 6-ball had been and stops exactly where the 6-ball was originally. There is no doubt that except for the 6-ball being accidentally moved, the cue would have had contact with the 6-ball and the movement of the cue would have been effected. The cue ball and 6-ball never touched each other. 

    Carom calls a foul; however, the Snooker does not acknowledge that a foul has occurred. Snooker simply says that Carom can replace the 6-ball to it’s original position or leave it where it lies. You are called as the Referee to the table. You make the Call!!!! 

    Rarely, but Snooker is correct on this one. The correct call is “no foul”, and Carom has the option of leaving the 6-ball where it is, or Carom can move it back to it’s original position.

    Rule H. 8. provides that 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. NONE of the three conditions were met for a foul; therefore, a foul did not occur. The Rules DO NOT provide anywhere that if the cue ball’s path would have been altered but for the movement of an object ball it is a foul. Therefore, it IS NOT a foul. The VNEA does not have a path of ball foul rule. 

    So Carom now wants to move the 6-ball back to it’s original position. However, the cue ball is now where the 6-ball was originally. So where do you put the 6-ball? You make the 2nd Call!!!! 

    Carom cannot place the 6-ball back to where it was originally because the cue ball now occupies that spot. What Carom can do is move the 6-ball back along the path it took and place the 6-ball next to the cue ball. So Carom will have two options: (1) leave the 6-ball where it now rests or (2) move the 6-ball back as closely as possible to where it was originally along the line of the path that the 6-ball had taken without moving the cue ball.

Fred A. Johnson

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