Get rid of the timer!!

[schmack]

see the thread below for discussion

please post on here to continue the conversation

cambridgepool.proboards.com/thread/10182/ref-doing-job?page=3#scrollTo=61155

[smackmyballs]

For what it's worth I say keep timing.
On a rare occassion that we didn't use a timer, a game last season, their player had his last 2 reds right over pockets with the black ball and the white ball in the middle of the table and one yellow on a side cushion - he took well over 2 minutes to decide which shot to play! After that frame we started timing, later on the pub got crowded, a different player of ours not hearing the 30 second call got called on a time foul which cost us the match and secured our demotion, still I vote to keep the timer.
Sureley most players must have at some point encountered opponents who use the lack of timer to slow the game for no good reason? Why, if there's no distractions / checking of snookers etc would any shot take longer than a minute to play anyway?

[Dylan Palmer]

What i normally suggest to the opposing captain on arrival, is ask them if they want to use the timer, if any 'one' player says yes, then the timer will be used & end of. If they agree not to, then we leave it in the hands of the ref to politely mention to the player to speed up if they think he is taking too long (by guessing over 1min) & that if decided during the evening that it might now be a good idea to use a timer, then a timer will be used from the start of the next frame till the last frame of the night (played over 18 seasons & seems to go down well with both teams so far)

[Newbie]

I've found in the lower leagues it generally isn't necessary, however as you move up players tend to take longer over thinking about shots. I definately feel it is needed as nothing is worse than playing someone who takes an age for no reason, I find it distracts from my own Rhythm and basically is boring.

However common sense needs to be put in place, as some shout thirty seconds when cueing which is uncalled for IMHO.

I would like to see timing brought into the singles league for the same reason.

[fbi]

Keep it. Not having one tends to create more problems than having one IMHO. Problem is, when cup matches mean teams from different divisions play each other it can cause trouble. If it is not being used in lower divisions (as seems to be the case),then maybe we could look at doing away with it for cup matches. This however can lead to some VERY long doubles frames!.

[kezhills]

We would never finish the games without a timer with rusty in our team
1 minute a shot is plenty of time anyway.
I use this one itunes.apple.com/gb/app/shot-time/id461362566?mt=8
It's good cause it vibrates at 30 secs (good for if you get distracted) it even says "30 seconds" if you turn that function on.

[rusty]

Dec 11, 2013 20:16:36 GMT kezhills said:

We would never finish the games without a timer with rusty in our team

Cheers mate i like to have my time at the table  r u telling me to sod off then    anyone out there want a old slow pool player then 

[smackmyballs]

off topic i know but the results page says you played the isaac on 16th dec.
On another tangent, can we have the ---NO PLAYER--- stats back, the old stats site had him down as winning a few a games, I liked that.

[rusty]

YES we did play Isacc on monday brought the game forward Jake won 2 I won 2 kerry won 2 Liam won 2

[kezhills]

Dec 12, 2013 11:59:55 GMT rusty said:

YES we did play Isacc on monday brought the game forward Jake won 2 I won 2 kerry won 2 Liam won 2

Liam won 1 actually, Paul won 2 and jimbo won 1 not sure why it says the 16th lol

[smackmyballs]

Dec 12, 2013 11:59:55 GMT rusty said:

YES we did play Isacc on monday brought the game forward Jake won 2 I won 2 kerry won 2 Liam won 2

You must have travelled forward in time to have played it on the 16th

[MalteseMauler]

Definitely keep the timer, although its nor frequently used in lower divisions it is a rule and you cant pick and use rules as you wish.

Also i dont know if any current teams do this but i know of a team who purposely played as slow as possible when there was no timer so that they would eventually get there opposition so frustrated it would force silly mistakes etc personally i enjoy playing pool and wouldnt want the few to ruin it for the many so keep the rule without doubt in my opinion

[rusty]

Dec 12, 2013 13:02:52 GMT MalteseMauler said:

Also i dont know if any current teams do this but i know of a team who purposely played as slow as possible when there was no timer so that they would eventually get there opposition so frustrated it would force silly mistakes etc

One off my frames a few weeks ago against Portland B went on for 37 min and we used the timer just think if no timer was being used i would still b playing that frame

[themightymere]

I've been involved in two of these examples - the 37 minute frame and the calling of 30 seconds whilst cueing (as I said at the time, Luke, I wasn't aware of what stage of the shot you were at, as I was looking at the stop-watch).

I would vote for no timer for singles games but use it for doubles/trebles to prevent the players discussing every possible shot to play when it gets a bit tricky.

[Jimbo]

If a timer is used and 30 seconds is reached, it has to be called, no matter what the player is doing/about to do. I hate calling 30 secs, when i can see him about to delivery, but it happens at County also.

[feefyefoefum]

Keep the timer.

It stops some players taking the mick and spending several minutes agonising over what can often be a pretty obvious shot choice. If lengthy thought is required then you have 60 seconds, more than enough to make a decision.

As has been stated here already some teams and players do stretch things out to annoy and frustrate opponents, defo hoping that they will play certain shots to try and speed the frame up, usually to their detriment.

Without the timer a lot more hassle and grief will happen, I am sure of it

FeeFye

[orrible]

i think we should have a 30 second clock with one time out each per frame

[tekno81]

At the AGM someone should suggest that if both teams agree a timer shouldn't be used then that's fine if one says it should then it should be used as per rules, then everyone should be happy???

[James Griffiths]

Dec 28, 2013 14:54:35 GMT tekno81 said:

At the AGM someone should suggest that if both teams agree a timer shouldn't be used then that's fine if one says it should then it should be used as per rules, then everyone should be happy???

Submit your proposal to monkey before the deadline and make sure your there to explain it and people can vote on it.

[Soulman]

An interesting discussion.

One thing that has surprised me is that whereas I would have expected lower division players to take longer over shots, (lack of experience of shot selection), it seems there is a consensus that the higher team players can take longer - partly due to the awareness of more shot options.

The other reason for slow play at the top end surprised me, as I have never encountered it in divs 4-6 - that of deliberate slowness to frustrate an opponent!! This highlights the key difference between the top and the rest - while we love our pool and take winning and losing seriously, if we don't enjoy the night out socially, then there is no point, so it HAS to be played in the right spirit, and kept in perspective - it is after all just a game!!!

At the upper end, some teams seem to take the line that (to paraphrase Bill Shankley) "Some people think Pool is a matter of life and death. We know it is more important than that"

I guess it also depends on your emotional state. I hear players on here complain that someone took two minutes for a shot - I am laid back, so my reaction would be to have a drink and chat to someone for a minute, no big deal, but I can see someone who is on the anxious side would find it very frustrating.

Showing my age, it reminds me of "Steady" Eddie Charlton against Alex Higgins in snooker, with Higgins pacing up and down like a caged animal, twitching all over and repeatedly chalking his cue, as Charlton slowly considered every option several times over, Ha Ha. He could take as long over one shot as a whole frame of pool!!

I am sure (like some of our Prem players allegedly would do!) that it was tactical.

Anyway enough of my ramblings, my conclusion to all this is that to keep everyone happy (Ha ha some hopes!) the Constitution should simply recognise and regularise the current De facto situation.

To do this, Section 14 (14) needs to have the following words added at the end:"(unless both Captains agree before the match starts, to play without a timer)"

N.B. (Current: 14. (14) "Teams not refereeing will provide a timekeeper, who will act as the second referee.")

Can't be controversial, surely? (Where's me tin hat?)

Happy to listen to any comments/suggestions before I propose it at the next AGM/GM