SNOOKER QUESTIONS FOR MARCH 2011
There are several very similar questions, but these have been deliberately included to highlight how very similar situations might give rise to different decisions or penalties.
1. START OF THE FRAME
At the start of the match the player breaking off is careless in placing the cue ball in the D, and it is in fact over the line when he plays his first stroke. What does the referee do?
2. WRONGLY SPOTTED COLOURS
Having just broken off the player notices that the green and brown have been put on the wrong spots, and the player asks the referee to switch them. What should the referee do?
3. POSITION OF BALLS – PART 1
The striker asks the referee to clean the cue ball, and having placed his ball marker he carelessly moves the marker as he removes the cue ball. He replaces the ball marker to where he thinks it should be but the non-striker says “no ref, it was there” and moves it accordingly. What action should the referee take?
4. POSITION OF BALLS – PART 2
Having replaced a ball having cleaned it at the request of the striker, the referee inadvertently knocks the ball whilst removing the ball marker. He repositions the ball to where he thinks it should be, but the non-striker intervenes saying “no ref, it was there” and moves it accordingly. What action should the referee take?
5. POSITION OF BALLS – PART 3
The last red is hanging over one of the top pockets. Cue ball is a few inches from the bottom cushion but has the yellow ball tight behind it to hamper cueing.
The striker asks for the yellow to be cleaned, and whilst it is off the table, he plays his stroke, unobstructed by the ball marker now taking the place of the yellow. What action should the referee have taken and what should he do now?
6. FREE BALL
Player has been awarded a free ball, red being ball on. Striker nominates blue but fails to make contact, so a Foul and a Miss is called. Non-striker asks for the balls to be replaced. Does the striker still have a free ball and why?
7. FOUL AND A MISS
Two colours are almost 2” apart with the last red sitting behind them and touching both. The cue ball is down the other end of the table and the striker twice fails to make contact with the red, hitting one of the colours instead. The non-striker asks for the balls to replaced once again. Given that the cue ball can strike the red centre ball should the player be warned that a further miss will result in loss of the frame? (Scores are level at this point).
8. PENALTY POINTS – PART 1
Yellow, green and blue are all close to one of the bottom pockets and potable with the other colours safe at the top of the table. Striker in placing the rest on the table disturbs a red. Referee calls a foul, but what is the penalty?
9. PENALTY POINTS – PART 2
Player is using the long rest to play the last red into a top pocket, with pink sitting near the pocket, blue close to the rest.. Red enters the pocket, and in making a slight adjustment to the position of the rest to play the pink, the rest touches the blue. It is obviously a foul, but what is the penalty?
10. PENALTY POINTS – PART 3
Player has used the long rest to pot the pink, and whilst he’s been removing his cue extension the pink has been respotted. Then in removing the long rest the player disturbs the blue. It is obviously a foul, but what is the penalty?
Clive A Brown, February 2011
There are several very similar questions, but these have been deliberately included to highlight how very similar situations might give rise to different decisions or penalties.
1. START OF THE FRAME
At the start of the match the player breaking off is careless in placing the cue ball in the D, and it is in fact over the line when he plays his first stroke. What does the referee do?
2. WRONGLY SPOTTED COLOURS
Having just broken off the player notices that the green and brown have been put on the wrong spots, and the player asks the referee to switch them. What should the referee do?
3. POSITION OF BALLS – PART 1
The striker asks the referee to clean the cue ball, and having placed his ball marker he carelessly moves the marker as he removes the cue ball. He replaces the ball marker to where he thinks it should be but the non-striker says “no ref, it was there” and moves it accordingly. What action should the referee take?
4. POSITION OF BALLS – PART 2
Having replaced a ball having cleaned it at the request of the striker, the referee inadvertently knocks the ball whilst removing the ball marker. He repositions the ball to where he thinks it should be, but the non-striker intervenes saying “no ref, it was there” and moves it accordingly. What action should the referee take?
5. POSITION OF BALLS – PART 3
The last red is hanging over one of the top pockets. Cue ball is a few inches from the bottom cushion but has the yellow ball tight behind it to hamper cueing.
The striker asks for the yellow to be cleaned, and whilst it is off the table, he plays his stroke, unobstructed by the ball marker now taking the place of the yellow. What action should the referee have taken and what should he do now?
6. FREE BALL
Player has been awarded a free ball, red being ball on. Striker nominates blue but fails to make contact, so a Foul and a Miss is called. Non-striker asks for the balls to be replaced. Does the striker still have a free ball and why?
7. FOUL AND A MISS
Two colours are almost 2” apart with the last red sitting behind them and touching both. The cue ball is down the other end of the table and the striker twice fails to make contact with the red, hitting one of the colours instead. The non-striker asks for the balls to replaced once again. Given that the cue ball can strike the red centre ball should the player be warned that a further miss will result in loss of the frame? (Scores are level at this point).
8. PENALTY POINTS – PART 1
Yellow, green and blue are all close to one of the bottom pockets and potable with the other colours safe at the top of the table. Striker in placing the rest on the table disturbs a red. Referee calls a foul, but what is the penalty?
9. PENALTY POINTS – PART 2
Player is using the long rest to play the last red into a top pocket, with pink sitting near the pocket, blue close to the rest.. Red enters the pocket, and in making a slight adjustment to the position of the rest to play the pink, the rest touches the blue. It is obviously a foul, but what is the penalty?
10. PENALTY POINTS – PART 3
Player has used the long rest to pot the pink, and whilst he’s been removing his cue extension the pink has been respotted. Then in removing the long rest the player disturbs the blue. It is obviously a foul, but what is the penalty?
Clive A Brown, February 2011
