Why is there a free ball in snooker?

A free ball is a player-nominated substitute for the ball "on" when a player becomes snookered as the result of a foul committed by the opponent.

Why do you get a free ball in snooker?

A free ball is a ball, other than the ball on, which the striker nominates as the ball on when snookered after a foul (see Section 3 Rule 12). A ball is forced off the table if it comes to rest other than on the playing area or in a pocket. Penalty points are awarded to the non-offender after any infringement.

What is the object ball in snooker?

: the ball first struck by the cue ball in pool or billiards. also : a ball hit by the cue ball.

Is free ball a rule in pool?

Following a foul the table is declared 'open' and the oncoming player takes a 'free' shot. In doing so it is permissible to play onto any object ball. Any ball may be potted, including the black if it is 'on'. In each of the three situations, the player taking the free shot is 'on' reds.

What is an illegal snooker?

The right hand red ball is stopping (arrowed) from making the finest cut possible on the right hand side of the yellow ball. This situation IS a "foul snooker" to the player on yellows. You cannot be snookered on an object ball if the cue ball is touching that object ball.

114. Rule Scenarios - Free ball situations

Can you play a snooker on a free ball?

A foul is committed if the player fails to strike the free ball either first by itself, or simultaneously with the actual ball on. Failing to pot the free ball incurs no penalty, so the striker may play a snooker using the free ball if desired.

What is the snooker controversy?

Triple Crown winners Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong are the highest-profile names caught up in the sport's biggest corruption scandal. Following a three-month investigation by integrity chiefs, the 2021 Masters champion Bingtao, 22, has been charged with “fixing matches on the World Snooker Tour and betting on snooker”.

Are jump shots allowed in snooker?

9. Jump shots are illegal in International Snooker. It is a foul if the striker intentionally causes the cue ball to jump (rise from the bed of the table) by any means, if the jump is an effort to clear an obstructing ball.

Who invented snooker?

Snooker gained its identity in 1875 when army officer Sir Neville Chamberlain, stationed in Ootacamund, Madras, and Jabalpur, devised a set of rules that combined black pool and pyramids. The word snooker was a well-established derogatory term used to describe inexperienced or first-year military personnel.

What does free ball mean?

verb (used without object) Slang: Vulgar. Usually free·ball or free-ball [free-bawl] . to wear pants, shorts, a skirt, etc., with no underwear: originally in reference to a person's testicles not being secured by an undergarment.

What is ghost ball in snooker?

The ghost ball (GB) is the imaginary position the CB must be, at contact with the OB, to make a shot. It is easy to practice visualization of the GB target by having a helper place a real ball in the desired GB location (adjusted for throw or not) and pull it away when the person shoots.

What is the 3 miss rule in snooker?

The 3 miss rule in snooker applies when the fouling player is not in a snooker. To be more precise, the 3 miss rule only applies if the player can hit the ball on “full ball” (or straight at it in other words).

What is kiss ball in snooker?

A kiss shot is a type of billiards shot in which the shooting player strikes the cue ball with the intent of hitting an object ball so that it will ricochet off a rail or another ball (this contact is the “kiss”) before going into the pocket.

Why is snooker not pool?

Pool involves a table with six pockets. You need 15 balls, but some people play with just nine. Don't forget the cue ball. Snooker uses a table that has six pockets, but the table is generally larger than pool tables.

What is the most important thing in snooker?

Snooker cues.

The most important tool in a game of snooker. It's important to choose the right snooker cue, it should feel comfortable and have the right size cue tip. Thinner cue tips are ideal for more experienced players, whilst bigger cue tips are better suited for beginners.

What are the fouls in snooker?

Rules of Snooker

A push shot, which is a foul, is when the tip of the cue remains in contact with the cue-ball as it in turn touches the target ball. The cue ball must only be played with one clean strike of the cue.

What is snooker called in America?

American snooker is a cue sport played almost exclusively in the United States, and strictly on a recreational, amateur basis.

Is snooker a rich mans game?

Snooker is often counted among those sports which provide the highest pay in the world. Almost all the professional and richest players who have taken up the game have acquired an impressive net worth due to the handsome prize money earned throughout their careers.

Who got banned from snooker?

What players have been banned over match-fixing? Only six players have successfully been prosecuted for match-fixing through the the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association's (WPBSA) Disciplinary Committee – Stephen Lee, Leo Fernandez, Yu Delu, Cao Yupeng, David John, and amateur player John Sutton.

What is the black ball in snooker called?

The balls are racked with the black (the 8 ball) on the foot spot (or "black spot"), in contrast with US-style eight-ball, nine-ball and most other pool games, in which the apex ball is placed on the foot spot.

Can you intentionally foul in snooker?

When can a Deliberate Foul be called? a given shot, a 'Deliberate Foul' cannot be called. If a player is snookered on all his object balls, so long as he does not play an opponent's object ball directly (i.e. head on), a 'Deliberate Foul' cannot be called.

What shot is illegal in snooker?

Jump shots are illegal in International Snooker. It is a foul if the striker intentionally causes the cue ball to jump (rise from the bed of the table) by any means, if the jump is an effort to clear an obstructing ball.

Why is snooker so addictive?

'I think a lot of snooker players have to have an addiction to kind of cope with playing snooker because it can be a really mentally demanding sport. 'Some people it's drink, food, gambling, play computer games. It's just a way of trying to cope with the demands of being a professional snooker player.

Is snooker a mental game?

What snooker players don't realise is that snooker's four mental skills are as important and as difficult as snooker's four physical skills of technique, cue action, aiming, and positional play.

Why don't snooker players talk?

Cell pone calls and talking among the spectators are discourteous and annoying and it's better to delay the shot rather than chance missing it and have the irritation fester over the interrupt.