Rule of the Week - Ball-In-Hand

November 12, 2024 7:24 PM

by San Diego APA

Rule of the Week - Ball-In-Hand

November 12, 2024 7:24 PM

by San Diego APA

Situation: A player is shooting at his ball. After shooting, the object ball it comes back off of the rail and hits the player’s cue before he can move. Is this a ball in hand (BIH) foul?

No, because the cue ball itself in this scenario wasn't altered in its path this just falls under accidentally moved balls. The object ball is left where it stops due to hitting the cue stick.

This Rule of the Week crosses two areas of the OTM, one being "Fouls" as this provides the only scenarios in which BIH can be occur. The second is "Accidentally Moved Balls" and what you do with the balls that are moved under various scenarios.

NOTE: A foul that is not called when it occurs cannot be called once the next shot has been taken.

When the question comes up regarding if something is Ball In Hand (BIH) please reference the following pages in the OTM as they cover ALL BIH scenarios (only exceptions are League Operator or National Office run events in which sportsmanship could lead to a BIH foul).
Rule: Official Team Manual (OTM) page 53-55 section 15k “Fouls”: https://media.poolplayers.com/TMRB/Team-Manual-English.pdf
Rule: Official Team Manual (OTM) page 49-50 section 15k “Accidentally Moved Balls”: https://media.poolplayers.com/TMRB/Team-Manual-English.pdf

This section also covers:
  • All other BIH scenarios
  • Scratching on the break
  • Doubles, 8-ball and 9-ball specific cases

You can submit a "Rule of the Week" to the league office:

  • Email to sandiego@apaleagues.com.
  • Email Subject Line must read “SDAPA Rule of the Week”
  • Clearly state the rule/situation and if you know where the answer is found please provide those details.

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Lagging - Rule of the Week
7/7/25 - 5:00 pm
Situation: Both players don't lag at the approx same time, is this a re-lag? No, only the following conditions will result in a re-lag: If the lagged balls make contact with each other, both players fail to strike the foot rail during the lag, or a ball stops in the jaw of a pocket, re-lag. Rule: Official Team Manual (OTM) page 44 section 1 “Lagging”: https://media.poolplayers.com/TMRB/Team-Manual
Pocketed Balls (outside forces) - Rule of the Week
6/30/25 - 5:00 pm
Situation: While shooting my opponent doesn't make a ball but one of their balls sits on the edge of the pocket. They walk away from the table and it falls into the pocket. Is it still their turn? No, Once a ball has stopped all motion, it cannot move again without outside forces affecting it. Therefore, if a ball which has been hanging in a pocket for more than a few seconds suddenly drops, it