Evening all.
My first post, so apologies for any etiquette failures.
I'm just moving into World Rules, after many years of playing EPA. I'm pretty well up on most of the rules, but am unsure on a couple of points:
1. Stalemate - refs guidelines say re-rack after 3 shots each into space. I can see no other options for a stalemate - the players could spend all night knocking balls against cushions and the ref couldn't intervene. I can see no option for calling "progress", as exists in the old EPA rules. Any clues?
2. You are in a total snooker. You fail to clarify this with the ref, come off the cushion and tap into your ball. This is a foul. No problem there. What happens if you do the same thing, but play it a bit harder, and after you've hit your ball, it hits a cushion? My assumption is that you've neglected to clarify the total snooker with the ref, but this doesn't matter as an object ball has hit as cushion after impact.
Hope these make sense!
Cheers
 Chris

Hello,

1.
Stalemate doesn't really exist unless at least one player doesn't understand the rules.  In virtually all tactical circumstances one player can force the win. However, on rare occasions both players can't play an attacking shot without losing so they both play negative shots and a re-rack is inevitable.

The usual procedure for the referee in the stalemate situation is to advise the players that he believes there is no progress being made and then to give the players the chance should they request it to progress the game.  If a player disagrees with a stalemate call, he must put his case to the referee and demonstrate progress on the table otherwise the referee may call the stalemate and re-rack the balls.

Tactically, the player who didn't break will want to avoid the stalemate if possible as the break is usually considered an advantage.

2.
You are correct.

Hope this helps

John

Hi John,  
        Thanks for the quick and helpful reply.
       Cheers
       Chris

only ever had one stalemate. playing macca a couple of years ago in practice and i cant remember how we managed it but we got black in jaws and last red on top with last yellow next to it also touching black. neither could win. very rare.