How Do You Solve A Pool Game Problem Like Maria’s?

Whether your name is Maria, Brent, Jimmy or Kalawabe, if you shoot pool, you’ve seen this situation before in a pool game but have not quite known what to do next.

A legal shot was made (Player A) and in some weird fashion, both the cue ball and object ball, the 8-ball itself during a pool game of 8-Ball, were striving to be the first into the corner pocket but neither quite made it inside. Both balls got stuck and were still arguing about “who can go in first to the sale opening at the store”.

Both balls were in position over the pocket edge and would have dropped imminently. As a reader ran the tournament, he had to make a judgment call on how to rule as fair as possible to both players involved. There were several options available to him and frankly, being an amateur enthusiast, he did not know whether there exists an actual rule to judge this situation.

He diplomatically made arguments for player A to lose, win or draw.

Here are his options as presented to the players involved:

1. Player B has to shoot the cue ball to an object ball (and will certainly drop the 8-ball). Player A wins.

2. Player B can choose to play a “safety” as a defensive shot, tapping the cue ball, which would considered a foul stroke as no rails were hit after ball impact. If player A removes the cue ball, he drops the 8. He does not have to move position of cue ball for ball-in-hand, B would also yield ball-in-hand and this endless game is thus a drawn game.

3. After Player B taps the cue ball softly so that it does not move, Player A takes ball-in-hand, the 8 drops inadvertently. Player A loses.

4. Player A asks the referee to remove the cue ball so the referee drops the 8. Ball is spotted and when A gets ball-in-hand he wins.

5. Since both cue and 8-ball hang over the edge and both would have dropped, per definition dropped, per definition A scratched the cue ball while sinking the 8 and lost.

What would a real referee rule here? What is / are “the rule(s)” to consider?

Incidentally, the players opted to play the game over and both players agreed. See if you can guess the move to make (hint: not to make) before reading my answer. See below…

…This Pool Game Was A Mexican Standoff

Billiards Photo Courtesy of MorgueFile.com