elnino wrote:This is a continuation of the Foul and a Miss thread.
The following is a quote from an article on Foul and a Miss written by Stephen Hendry dated 9 November 2014:
"Note: when a player, while breaking off, misses all balls, this is a foul. But in contrast to the main rule no miss is called. However , the referee will additionally call 'free ball' if the cue-ball is snookered on all reds."
Is this correct?
As you appear quite astute as to application of the Rules yourself, I am not sure if this is a question or a quiz...
Now, I am not one to argue with the great Stephen Hendry, I have nothing but respect, but my trainer gave me a bit of advice--do not trust that the players of the game will actually understand the
rules of the game.
I have never seen a professional opening break off where the striker fails to hit the reds, but I have swerved many an uncontrolled break off shot myself and always call it as a miss. Reading through that section of the Rules again, I see no such exception. In fact, coupling this query with one of your previous entries, as I see it, if the striker takes the opening shot twice in a row failing to strike a red, the referee will be obliged to warn him that a third such miss will result in loss of frame.
Going back to the "red covering red" scenario you posed earlier, the opening table position is exactly such a case. Either of the corner balls is clearly available for central full ball contact if all the other reds were extricated from the table. However, they usually present an opportunity for free ball if with the missed break off shot the cue ball returns somewhere central on the table within the baulk area. (Generally, the pink and/or blue will cover the left edge of one corner ball and the right edge of the other corner ball, thus, free ball.)
I am a pretty bad player, but I never have managed to completely miss the pack twice in a row, though I have seen others accomplish this feat. Even now having considered it, I don't think as the opponent I would have the audacity to give warning if my opponent did this unless a match was particularly important for some reason (read: $$$).
I would appreciate a reference for that Stephen Hendry article if you have it available. I am guessing it will prove an interesting read.