Silly Rules Question

[andyk]

Hi All,

I've been playing one pocket for about fifteen years and don't remember this coming up until today. Though the three consecutive foul rule is common in tournaments, I have never played it while gambling one pocket... and I'm so used to it that I don't bother to clarify before play starts, which is my fault...

Today it finally came up and my opponent got me on three fouls. Naturally, they waited until after the third consecutive foul and after I got back to the table and started running out to mention it... We were playing super cheap so I didn't put up much of a fight...

So, the question: Is it common practice to play three foul rule while gambling at one pocket? If not, do you feel you always have to clarify this rule before you start playing? According to the official rules, my practice has been incorrect and it must be agreed upon by both players not to play three consecutive fouls, but I wanted to see what the common practice is. Some in our pool hall said they always three foul rule, others said they never play it.

Thanks!

Andy K.

 

[gulfportdoc]

Yes, it is common to play 3 fouls in private matches. But the proviso is that the opponent must notify you when you're on 2 fouls. If he fails to do so, when he does mention it to you, THEN you'd be on 2 fouls.

Of course it's always safest to go over the specific rules y'all want to use before the first game.

~Doc

 

[darmoose]

Andy,

In my area around Baltimore it is pretty common to play 3 fouls, and I would say if unclarified, most would call three fouls when it happens. But, you must be warned before you commit the third foul or it doesn't count. So, you would have to have known before it happened that you were subject to it. And if you were warned, and it did happen, the opponent would call you on it before you got back to the table and began running balls.

Something sounds odd about how you describe the event.

 

[lll]

as everyone has said
he has to tell you
YOU ARE ON 2 FOULS
before you can lose on 3 fouls
yes this should be discussed before playing

 

[J.R.]

In Chicago, it is the norm to play the 3 foul rule in most local pool room tournaments and also whenever gambling. Usually the 3 foul rule is verbally stated amongst other rules by the director or owner of the pool room prior to the opening round of the tournament. From personal experiences, I have found that the 3 foul rule must be stated before gambling so that there cannot be a misunderstanding even if you had played the same opponent the day before. Otherwise you might hear him say something like, "Oh, I didn't know we were playing the 3 foul rule today. Geez, you never said anything about it." My advice is to state all the rules, especially the 3 foul rule, you want to play by before gambling with an opponent.

 

[NH Steve]

In my experience it is common also. But like others have said, you must warn that they are "on 2" for the 3-foul loss to be in effect.

 

[cincy_kid]

typically if I am gambling, most guys I play with don't play 3 foul in one hole. not that I am against it, but I also like it just fine without it.

Whether in tourney or gambling though, you must let your opponent know they are on 2 before they shoot as already stated.

 

[HowardK]

There is a big difference between tournament rules and gambling. 3 foul rules in tournaments are done for time constraints. Unless specified at the beginning, they should not be assumed to be automatically in place. One of the lessons I learned when I was younger.

 

[ChicagoFats]

typically if I am gambling, most guys I play with don't play 3 foul in one hole. not that I am against it, but I also like it just fine without it.

Whether in tourney or gambling though, you must let your opponent know they are on 2 before they shoot as already stated.

I am shocked you don't gamble with it. Do you ever get into a spot where you both just keep taking intentionals and owe 50 balls?

 

[cincy_kid]

I am shocked you don't gamble with it. Do you ever get into a spot where you both just keep taking intentionals and owe 50 balls?

lol no I haven't but that would be funny to watch

 

[Dennis "Whitey" Young]

The rule at least in BCAPL/CSI, I do not study WPA, but when a player is on 2 fouls, they have to warned about this at the appropriate time, which is upon the conclusion of the present shooter's inning ending and before the player with 2 fouls inning has started (down on the shot) and if not and the shooter commits their 3rd foul, it is not a loss but they still remain on 2 fouls, as Doc stated.

*The specific time to warn a player that they are on two fouls in not specified in our Official OP rules.* This is from memory, need to double check this.

Now if you are completely down on the shot and get interrupted with a; "you are on 2 fouls call" then that is a foul on the seated opponent for interrupting your shot! I know for I suggested this down on the shot rule to bcapl and they adopted it. I do not believe WPA has a rule for this interruption.

In other words, you can not tell your opponent he is on 2 fouls directly after he committed it, well you can but it would not be binding, for it has to be just prior to their inning starting. Bcapl rule, but a good rule because time can lapse and if notified inappropriately to early then the player may honestly forget.
Once the player makes a legal shot then all consecutive fouls are wiped out.

Normally in most all games an inning ends when the shooter has missed or fouled and the balls have stopped rolling. But in OP the outgoing player often times has to spot balls or put balls into their scoring area, and the opponent should allow this to be done before their inning starts. To me, this is when their inning should officially end and the incoming opponents inning should officially start. Whitey

 

[sappo]

Not to get technical here but I feel anytime during the players inning, who has the 2 fouls, before he shoots is okay. If the player gets down and his opponent just then remembers that his opponent is on 2 fouls and he speaks up prior to the shot then I feel the shooting player has been warned. At that time he can re think his shot selection.

 

[Dennis "Whitey" Young]

Not to get technical here but I feel anytime during the players inning, who has the 2 fouls, before he shoots is okay. If the player gets down and his opponent just then remembers that his opponent is on 2 fouls and he speaks up prior to the shot then I feel the shooting player has been warned. At that time he can re think his shot selection.

Yes, anytime during their inning, but it has to be before they shoot. But, if you are saying it is ok to interrupt a player when they are completely down on the shot, well that is 'not' ok, by bcapl. What if he is on his stroke and can not hold up, and then totally screws up the shot! That is why bcapl adopted my suggestion, it is common sense, plus proper etiquette. This applies to any shot or scenario. I would make an exception when the shooter is obviously mistakenly shooting at the wrong scoring pocket. I did this during my MOT match with Kentucky and he sportsmanly stopped me for he knew I was mixed up. Whitey

 

[vapros]

Down in Thibodaux we always played the three-foul rule and it was okay to warn the shooter during his stroke, but you had to do it before his back hand passed the seam in his trousies.