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(EPA) World Rules |
(old) EPA Rules |
BAPTO Rules (also called Federation rules) |
| Standard penalty for foul |
- 2 visits (opponent misses next visit).
- IF partially snookered, can nominate (for the first shot
following the foul only) an opponents ball or the black as a free ball which can be played and/or potted (if not the black!). NB unlike the other 2 set of rules, the free ball must be explicitly and specifically nominated.
you can't nominate one of your opponents balls and use it to pot another
- IF partially snookered, can elect to move the cue-ball to baulk. Only gets free ball now if still partially snookered (from all positions in baulk).
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- 2 visits (opponent misses next visit).
- Free ball. On first shot following the foul any ball can be played
and/or potted (except the black if it's not "on"). No nomination is required.
- Ball in hand. Can elect to move the cue ball and play it
from anywhere in baulk, with no loss of privilege (still have a free ball)
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- Free shot.
On first shot following the foul any ball can be played
and/or potted (except the black if it's not "on").
No nomination is required.
The player continues with a normal visit regardless of whether a ball is potted
on the free shot.
- Ball in hand. Can elect to move the cue ball and play it
from anywhere in the D, with no loss of privilege (still have a free shot)
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| The Break |
- The balls are racked as in the picture on the right hand side of the title above
- 4 balls must hit a cushion (or one be potted).
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- The balls are racked as in the picture on the left hand side of the title above
- 2 balls must hit a cushion (or one be potted).
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- The balls are racked as in the picture on the left hand side of the title above
- 2 balls must come back up the table past the line joining the
middle pockets (or one be potted).
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| Foul Break |
- Standard foul (see above), but balls are re-racked and
cue ball played from baulk if 4 balls failed to hit cushion
- If the cue-ball goes down it is no foul: play passes to the
opponent.
- If the cue-ball leaves the table it is a foul (2 visits to opponent)
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- Standard foul, but balls are re-racked and cue ball played from baulk if 2 balls failed to hit cushion.
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- Standard foul, but balls are re-racked and cue ball played from D if 2 balls failed to come up the table past the line joining the centre pockets.
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| Deciding colours |
- If nothing goes down on the break, play continues with
the first legally potted ball deciding colours.
- If one (or more) of both colours are potted on the break,
the shooter must nominmate their choice of colours before playing
the next shot (and colours are decided by this nomination)
- If a ball or balls of a single colour are potted on the break the shooter must nominate colours:
- if they nominate the colour they have potted, colours are decided.
- if they nominate the other colour, they must now pot one of that
colour for colours to be decided. If they fail to pot one,
it is "open table" still ie first legally potted ball decides colours.
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- First legally potted ball decides colours.
- If on the first legal shot that pots a ball, one or more of both
colours goes down, the shooter must nominate their choice before
playing the next shot. This nomination decides the colours.
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- Following the initial break shot, the breaker must state their choice
of colour.
- This applies whatever happens on that break shot. ie if a ball
of one or both colours drops, if no ball drops, if it is a foul, etc.
- The only exception is
on a foul break (see above) in which case the other player must nominate
immediately after their (free) break shot (and before starting
their subsequent visit)
Note: The above has been used in International competition since 1999,
by County regions since 2000, and is now very much the norm.
The previous rule was as follows:
- If a ball or balls of a single colour goes down on the break,
the shooter takes that colour.
- If one or more of both
colours goes down on the break, the shooter must nominate their choice before
playing the next shot. This nomination decides the colours.
- If nothing goes down on the break, the
breaker must nominate colours before the oncoming player can take
their first shot (even following a foul on the break). This nomination
decides colours.
NB: these old rules date back to the BAPTO national finals in
November 1998. Previously, no balls down on the break meant that
the oncoming player had to nominate before playing.
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| Deliberate Fouls |
- Deliberate fouls are not
punished over and above the punishment for the foul itself
(except for abusive fouls such as deliberately moving balls
with the hand)
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- Deliberately playing a ball that is not "on" leads to
loss of frame.
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- Deliberately playing a ball that is not "on" leads to
loss of frame.
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| Hitting a cushion |
- On every shot on which a ball is not potted, a ball must strike a cushion after the white has made contact with
an object ball.
- ...unless the player is in a Total Snooker in which case the requirement is waived.
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| Potting an opponent's ball |
- potting an opponent's ball is always illegal
except when you have a "free ball" following a foul
and it is the nominated ball.
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- potting an opponent's ball is always illegal
except when you have a "free ball" following a foul.
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- On any shot where one or more of one's
own colours are potted, it is legal to pot one or more of one's opponent's coloirs too, so long as the shot is otherwise legal.
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| Push shots & touching balls |
- Push shots are not illegal per se. The rules
say that a push shot is only illegal if the balls remain
in contact long enough for the cue to be visibly pushing the cue ball along, or
if a double hit is seen.
In practice this means that if the balls are close but not touching, the
player can "jack up" and play the cue-ball, with a sharp stroke,
directly into the object ball. Push shots and double hits, in the above sense, must be seen (not merely inferred) for a foul to be called.
- In most situations, a player must play away from a touching ball (the exception occurs when the cue ball is touching more than one
object ball which is "on". In this case you only have to play away from
one of them).
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- Push shots are illegal (as in Snooker).
- A player must always play away from a touching ball
- NB. in the years preceding the introduction of the World Rules, the EPA
fiddled with this rule a few times. This is reflected in the rules published
on their website (see link below) which say that you don't have to play away
from a touching ball, so long as you take care not to play a push shot
(yes, this is impossible, but that's what it says!). In practice, this
means simply that you're allowed to play a glancing shot which moves the
touching ball, although some people interpret it to mean that a "jacked-up"
cue and sharp stroke into the touching ball is also ok. Most people find this
rule a nightmare to adjudicate, and so most leagues etc that use EPA rules
play by the snooker-style "must play away" touching ball rule. But the
moral is, if you've got a touching ball situation and aren't absolutely
sure which rule you're playing to, check with the ref or your opponent.
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- Push shots are illegal (as in Snooker).
- A player must always play away from a touching ball
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| Official rules links |
From the EPA website...
- Rules
- Guidance to refs
- Foul snookers explained (pictures)
See also these minor amendments, due to come in in 2004
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From the EPA web site...
- Rules
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From the EUKPF web site...
- Rules
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