It drops precisely as easy or hard as any other ball - they have 100% the same size and same physics.

I kinda agree the breaks as well as 14+1 shots could be exceptions to the two-ball rule, but it definitely needs to stay for all other shots.

Agreed. Then, I would propose that if the final ball is potted as well as one from the pack, there is no foul, and the player gets 2 points. But if the final ball is not potted but one from the pack is, then that is invalid no points are scored, and play passed to the other player. It's one clear case that can be legislated for through programming; the first shot after a re-rack.

One problem, of course, is that if the final ball is missed, the next player could pot it and smash the pack and in the same shot and pot a second ball, but that would be invalid. Hmmm.

This can be coded quite easily cloone.

If remaining balls on table is 15, then any number of balls potted is allowed.

In the case of a 14+1 scenario (as opposed to a 15+0), you run an additional check, if balls potted > 0 and the loose ball isn't potted -> foul.

Won't that allow people to smash the pack and fluke a pot and continue?

Only in the 15+0 scenario (see last part of my last post for the 14+1 case), which happens in two cases: The first shot of the game as well as after a re-rack where the 15th ball is within the stack causing a clean 15 ball rack.

I see no problem with allowing double pots in those very limited cases.

Deliberately leaving the 15th ball inside the rack is a good defensive tactic if you have messed up and left yourself with no better choice, but it's never a good offensive move anyway, not even with the suggested rule change.

Yes it will.

Isn't part of the skill of the game to judge the last ball, pot it, and go into the pack in such a way as to 'dislodge' balls and leave one on?

Everyone is subject to the same rules. What goes around comes around.

If you feel as if your fouling a lot, maybe it's time to change your approach to the game. Hitting the pack as hard as possible isn't compulsary.

What about if there was an option for if you wanted the rule with 2 balls potted or without it??

then what about tournys?

Leave them as-is, and leave the no-two-ball-rule option as an option for non-tourny games only. Not that hard to implement if this was wanted in the first place.

Seems to me a lot more people are perfectly happy with the two ball rule though, so would definitely have to leave tournies in the current format.

im lucky if i pot one so potting two is a bonus lol. It bothers some people more than others

I've been on the receiving end of this rule so many times, cost me several massive runs in the past on damee (few in 80's)

However, i think it should NOT be changed. People complain about potting a ball and going into them to break them up and pot another. All you need to do is find the right "break" shot to do it, which is out there and easy to do.

Players complain when they pot 2 in one shot, but not when their opponent do it.

Yes, the rule is annyoing, if you don't like it, then don't play straight, or.. don't pot 2 in one shot :D

Easiest thing to do is keep the ball before the re-rack close to where the rack will re-appear so thought you can pot the ball and also cannon the cue ball into the rack so that it splits some of them up rather than you having to bash them on the next shot which to cause you to pot more than one ball.

If you have asked me if I would like to get rid of the 2 ball rule a good while ago, I would have agreed to getting it removed, but now... I say keep it!

Personally, I prefer my opponent to smash the pack after potting the 15th ball, or when that ball is unavailable. I find that only about once in six times will a ball be potted, and I then have an open table before me.

Skip it. Decided not to bother.

Edited at 17:49 Sun 06/12/09 (GMT)

Assuming that your opponent is sufficiently non-intelligent to smash it wide open in the first place.

That's me, i smash them every time, no point in tapping

True - with your amount of pure, raw luck, you don't really ever need finesse anyway

Oh you can be quiet Jan

Meaning?