Post a reply

Free ball rule.

Postby Result1314

If the cue ball is potted with only the final six colours on the table and the player cannot see the yellow "full ball",but can see half of the ball from the green spot and half off the yellow spot is this a free ball situation, I say yes but my mate who was refereeing a match said no.

Re: Free ball rule.

Postby acesinc

Result1314 wrote:If the cue ball is potted with only the final six colours on the table and the player cannot see the yellow "full ball",but can see half of the ball from the green spot and half off the yellow spot is this a free ball situation, I say yes but my mate who was refereeing a match said no.


As I read your description, the short answer to your question is yes, Free Ball, but the description that you give is not exactly the correct way to define a Free Ball situation. So to explain in a bit more detail:

In any ball in hand situation after White is pocketed, the referee will consider the possibility of placing the White on any of the infinite number of spots available within the "D". IF there is even a SINGLE spot where White can be placed from which the White may pass in a straight line to the finest left side edge and also to the finest right side edge of a ball that is on (such as your Yellow) or could be on (such as if there are multiple Reds available), then there would be no Free Ball given. By your description, it appears that there was no single spot available within the "D" for which this would have been the case.

There is no allowance for seeing the "left edge from this spot" and the "right edge from that spot", not part of the definition of Free Ball at all. Also, the concept of "full ball" has nothing at all to do with Free Ball. After a foul, a ball on may be available full ball, yet it will still be a Free Ball situation if the White cannot in a straight line contact the extreme edge on each side of that ball on.