14. A life is lost by a ball being pocketed by the player in its proper
turn.
15. The player loses a life by any one of the following means.--By
pocketing his own ball; by running a _coup_; by missing a ball; by forcing
his own ball off the table; by playing with a wrong ball; by playing out of
his turn; by stopping or touching his own ball before it has done rolling;
or by his ball striking another ball before hitting the one he ought to
have played at.
16. If the striker pocket a ball, and by the same stroke lose a life in any
way, the player whose ball is pocketed does not lose a life.
17. A player losing a life in any way pays forfeit to the player whose ball
he plays upon or should have played upon. If a player plays out of turn or
with the wrong ball, he loses a life to the player who precedes him.
18. If the striker miss the ball he ought to play at and strike another
ball and pocket it, he loses a life, and his ball must be taken off the
table, and both balls must remain in hand until it be their turn to play.
19. Fouls are also made thus: striking a ball twice with the cue, lifting
both feet from the floor when striking; touching another ball, either in
the {328} act of striking or before the balls have become stationary, the
penalty being that the player cannot take a life.
20. If the player, either in taking aim or in any manner whatever, except
when in hand, touch his own ball, it is a foul. If the striker pocket a
ball by a foul stroke, the owner of that ball does not lose a life, but the
ball remains in hand until it is his turn to play.
21. If the striker's ball touch the one he has to play at, he is at liberty
either to play at it or at any other ball on the table; and he may take a
life by pocketing any balls so played on.
22. If a ball or balls touch the striker's ball, or be in line between it
and the ball he has to play at, so as to prevent him hitting _any part of
the object ball he wishes_, it or they, whether nearer to the striker's
ball than the object ball or not, may be taken up until the stroke has been
played; and after the balls have ceased running those taken up must be
replaced, but a ball cannot be taken up in order to strike a ball from off
a cushion, except in the case of Rule 24.
23. If the ball or balls be in the way of a striker, or the striker's cue,
so that he cannot play at his ball without a reasonable chance of making a
foul, he can have them taken up.
24. If the corner of the cushion prevent the striker from playing in a
direct line, he can have any ball removed for the purpose of playing at a
cushion first, or he may have the ball moved out a few inches, but cannot
then take a life. If, however, only two players be left in, as in Rule 32,
the ball cannot be moved out. {329}
25. If the striker have a ball removed, and any other than the next
player's ball stop on the spot it occupied, the ball removed must remain in
hand till the one on its place be played, unless it should happen to be the
turn of the one removed to play before the one on its place; in which case
that ball must give place to the one originally taken up; after which it
must be replaced. If two balls were taken up from the same spot, the one
last taken up has to be replaced first.
26. If the striker have the next player's ball removed, and his ball stop
on the spot the other occupied, the next player must give a miss from the
baulk to any part of the table he thinks proper, for which miss he does not
lose a life.
27. If the striker's ball stop on the spot of a ball removed, the ball
which has been removed must remain in hand until the spot is unoccupied,
and then be replaced.
28. If information be required by the player as to which is his ball, or
when it is his turn to play, or which ball he ought to play at, or which
ball is to follow his, he has a right to an answer; should he be
misinformed he does not lose a life; the balls must in this case be
replaced, and the stroke played again.
29. If the player be misled as to which ball is to play on him by a ball
which is dead being wrongly marked on the board as still alive, he does not
lose a life to his player.
30. If the striker force another ball off the table, neither he nor the
owner of that ball loses a life, but the ball remains in hand until it is
the owner's turn to play. {330}
31. If the striker's ball miss the ball played at, no person is allowed to
stop it till it has ceased running, whether it has struck another ball or
not.
32. Should the player preceding the two last players make a miss, _coup_,
or losing hazard, and decline to star, they divide the pool if they have an
equal number of lives. The exception to this rule is when a pool originally
consisted of not more than three players.
33. All disputes must be decided by the referee, whose decision upon being
appealed to by the players is final.
34. The charge for the play is to be taken out of the pool before it is
delivered up to the winners.
* * * * *
{331}