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TABLE TALK 4/13/2026: WEEK #14

OUT AT THE PARK: 42 tickets were sold and we have 8 more available. Contact Russ Mortenson-Boyd to purchase from the 8 available. We will send tickets and further instructions in the coming days.

A REMINDER: The friendship and respect of teammates and opponents are more valuable than being right or winning the point. Be competitive yet gracious when you win and supportive when opponents are having an off night. Be a good sport. We’re all here to play pool, have fun, and make friends.

CAPTAINS MEETING SUNDAY APRIL 26^TH: Reminder the Captain meeting is Sunday April 26^th, 10:00am at The Break Room on Convoy Street. Every team must have a captain or co-captain in attendance. The Captain’s tournament will immediately follow the Captains Meeting.

Stats Reporting: You will find this week's results, this week's 4-0s, and the Top 20. The results are organized by each division.

5. Rule 1.31 DOUBLE HIT: This rule is one of the most challenging to understand and judge if a foul occurred. The rule itself in the SDPL and BCAPL is basic because it’s difficult to write out the many different scenarios that can happen. Here’s the rule.

1. It is a foul if your cue tip strikes the cue ball more than once on the same stroke.

2. It is a foul if your cue tip is still in contact with the cue ball when the cue ball strikes an object ball. However, if the cue ball and object ball are in close proximity to each other and the cue ball strikes the object ball at a very slight angle, the shot will be considered legal https://www.sdpool.org/5116ca2d-e4c1-42db-9b7a-44c4a0d45a85" alt="A diagram of a circle and a ball AI-generated content may be incorrect." width="157" height="142" />provided no other foul is committed. During a play-off match, the referee is the sole judge of whether the angle taken results in a legal shot. The referee may not advise you concerning the angle taken for the shot.
3. Close proximity is defined as a chalk's width or less in length.

Tips to avoid a problem during the match

1. Educate yourself on how to detect a DOUBLE HIT FOUL.Dr. Dave has a good video on this. How to Easily Detect a Double Hit Foul.
2. Educate yourself on how to avoid a Double Hit Foul.Again, Dr. Dave has a good video on this. 10 Useful Ways to Avoid a Double Hit Foul.
3. If the object ball is within a chalk width from the cue ball, ask an impartial player familiar with the rule to watch the shot.His/her ruling on the shot is binding.

Summary: As the videos show, this is one of the more difficult shots to legally make, and to truly assess if a foul, or not. Having a trusted player watch the shot is one way to avoid an argument.

6. Two Proposed Rule Changes for Captains meeting April 26^th at The Break Room

1. 1.4 CUE STICK REQUIREMENTS: Captains will be asked to approve two changes to this rule to align with BCAPL:
  1. Add length of cue stick to be 40” minimum, no maximum
  2. Add Cue Ball specifications to: All balls will have a diameter of 2¼” ± .005”. The weight of the balls will be between 5½ and 6 ounces.

Why?

- Current SDPL rules do not specify a minimum length of cue stick.This primarily affects “jump cues”.
- We use a red dot/red circle out of habit.But SDPL does not officially require use of a specific brand of cue ball. Cue balls such as black diamond, red circle and red “measles” by Aramith are all legal as they conform to the diameter and weight in the BCAPL rules.

1. 8.0 TOURNAMENTS: Captains will be asked to approve a change to this rule to align with current & past practices.
  1. Add language to define tournament seeding.“Seeding & bracket placement for Open Individuals, Women’s, and Rising Star based on 1) percent of wins then 2) number of wins. See 7.3.1 TIES for resolving individual player ties.”

Why?

- Simply formalizing in writing how we’ve seeded these tournaments in the past and intend to going forward.

TABLE TALK 4/6/2026: WEEK #13

1. OUT AT THE PARK: Padres orders due tonight for OUT AT THE PARK on May 1st. Please pay $50/ ticket to your captain or Treasurer Russ Mortenson (venmo @Russm92107).

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2. REMINDER: For end of season team playoffs & tournaments, players must play the following games.

Division	Team Playoffs 25%	Tournaments 50%
A	21	42
B	21	42
C	20	40

3. Shut the Fuck Up Rule: During match play, each game is a contest between the two players. Teammates from either side are not to comment, engage in discussions or attempt to influence decisions at the table. Any play related comments that can be heard by the shooter from the sidelines is a foul to be called by the opposing player. The only exceptions are 1) if the player requests coaching, 2) if the players request an observer for a close shot, or 3) if the captains are called to assist with a rules dispute.

Example 1, if Player 1 fails to hit a rail and Player 2’s teammate calls the foul before Player 2, that also is a foul. Player 1’s turn ends and Player 2 takes over but forfeits the ball in hand. In short, the second foul cancels the first foul and play continues as if the original foul did not occur. Example 2. If a teammate makes noises or actions with the purpose or effect of causing the player to consider a line of play, the teammate is guilty of a foul. The player does not forfeit his/her turn, but they are barred from following the advice. Any efforts to prompt a Player to call a foul, to accept a foul, or that would otherwise influence the play of the game will not be permitted. In other words: 1) it is the player’s responsibility to know the rules, watch the game, and call the fouls; and 2) comments from the peanut gallery are not tolerated and will penalize your teammate.

What’s prompting this? Unsolicited comments, particularly regarding fouls, are the principal cause of player arguments and have resulted in players resigning this season. These situations reflect badly on the offending players, offending teams and the League. This is not a new rule but rather the Board sharing guidance on existing rules to nip the problem in the bud. The teams must keep their players in check, lest their own players are disadvantaged. If it’s not your game, shut the fuck up!

4. Stats Reporting: You will find this week's results, this week's 4-0s, and the Top 20. The results are organized by each division.
click here to see the stats

Curtis Moore
President,
San Diego Pool League