phil in sofla
11-04-2002, 01:31 AM
Playing a friend last week, he touched the cue ball with the tip of his cue while addressing it, moving the cue ball a little, and then went ahead with the break motion.
If he had done this on any other shot, it would be a foul. Is it a foul on the break? (This was 9-ball, if it makes a difference.) If it is a foul, would you call it on someone in a money match or a tournament?
Although it didn't matter as we were just hitting balls sociable, we discussed it a little. I suspected it might not matter, on the theory that the game hasn't started until the cue ball hits the rack. My friend thought it depenbded on whether it all happened before the cue ball left the kitchen, on the theory that the game hasn't started until the cue ball is driven out from the kitchen. He thought if both hits on the cue ball happened before the cue ball crossed the line, no problem, but if the second hit happened past the line, it would have been a foul.
Now there is a rule that interfering with the cue ball once you break is a foul. Not sure if that applies here or not.
If he had done this on any other shot, it would be a foul. Is it a foul on the break? (This was 9-ball, if it makes a difference.) If it is a foul, would you call it on someone in a money match or a tournament?
Although it didn't matter as we were just hitting balls sociable, we discussed it a little. I suspected it might not matter, on the theory that the game hasn't started until the cue ball hits the rack. My friend thought it depenbded on whether it all happened before the cue ball left the kitchen, on the theory that the game hasn't started until the cue ball is driven out from the kitchen. He thought if both hits on the cue ball happened before the cue ball crossed the line, no problem, but if the second hit happened past the line, it would have been a foul.
Now there is a rule that interfering with the cue ball once you break is a foul. Not sure if that applies here or not.