13. It is a foul against the non-striker, and the striker cannot make a count on the ensuing shot, if a ball in play is lifted from the table, except it be unavoidable in those cases in which it is provided that, because of foul or irregular strokes, the balls shall be transposed or replaced.
14. In order to restrict deliberate playing for safety, it shall be optional with the non-striker, if his opponent makes a miss in each one of three successive innings, to accept the third miss or to reject it and force his antagonist to hit at least one object-ball; and for this purpose that antagonist’s ball shall be replaced by the referee. Should two balls be hit by this stroke, there shall be no count.
FIFTEEN-BALL POOL.
The most successful pool player is not the one who can make difficult winning hazards with the greatest accuracy, but he who thoroughly understands playing for position. If he is familiar with the principles of the force, the follow, the draw, and the side stroke, he should invariably be able to leave himself in a good position for each succeeding shot; but unless he plans for position in advance, he can never hope to be more than an average player. To attain to proficiency in this there is no better training than playing so many balls or “no count.”
There are some shots peculiar to winning hazards which should be understood by every pool player, and they are illustrated in the accompanying diagrams.
No. 1 is the stirabout, and is a combination of the pinch and push shots. It is used when the cue and object balls are both very close to the pocket, but not in such a position as to allow the player to “cut” the ball in. The cue is held perpendicularly, and as low down on the ball as it will hold without slipping off. The ball is then slowly rolled over with the point of the cue until the cue begins to descend on the other side. The cue ball is then pushed against the object ball, still with the point of the cue. No. 2 will drive the spot white into the pocket if it is frozen to the red ball. No. 3 is a very useful push shot when the balls are close together. The cue is kept steadily on the cue ball until the object ball has been pushed to one side. The moment the latter is at the proper angle to run into the pocket the cue is applied sharply, and then withdrawn. No. 4 is a push shot used when the balls are frozen to the cushion. The cue ball must be kept in contact with the object ball until the latter has acquired sufficient momentum to reach the pocket. No. 5 is a shot which was thought impossible until a few years ago. It depends on the communication of side to the object ball. The cue ball is struck very much on the side, almost like a massé, the spin thus given being communicated to the object ball and from that to the second ball, to which it must be frozen. The result will be that the second ball will make a slight curve on its way to the pocket.
False Angles. In playing bank shots it is sometimes necessary to make the object ball come back from the cushion at a smaller angle than the natural one. Some players imagine this can be done by putting side on the cue ball, but such is not the case. It is accomplished by striking so hard that the ball buries itself in the cushion, the result of which is that the angle of reflection is less than that of incidence. It is possible to drive an object ball to the rail at an angle of 60 degrees with such force that after crossing the table twice it will come off at a perfect right angle from the cushion. This is a very useful shot in banking for the side pockets, and also in playing for the 1 or 4 pin at Pin Pool.
The following LAWS for Fifteen-Ball Pool are copied, by permission, from the 1908 edition of the rules published by the Brunswick-Balke-Collender Co.