The Fourteen

4. 14.1 INFINITE

14.1 Infinite, also known as fourteen, is played with fifteen numbered balls and a white playing ball. Each ball sunk in a legal announced push counts as one point and the first player to reach the required number of points wins the match. The fourteen is infinite because after fourteen balls are sunk, the triangle is re-established and the player at the table continues.

 

4.1 Determination of the shootout

Players play tempo to determine who will shoot first (See 1.2 Determining the Shootout - Tempo)

 

4.2 Building balls on the fourteen

For the water shootout, fifteen balls are placed in a triangle with a ball on the tip on the back point. When the balls are rebuilt, the ball on the point is omitted if only fourteen balls are rebuilt. The drawn outline of the triangle is used to determine whether the intended shootout ball is in the triangle. If the table is tapped, the outline of the triangle is still drawn on the fourteen to decide if the ball is in the triangle.

 

4.3 Initial Shootout

The following rules apply for the initial shootout:

a) White starts behind the shooting line.

b) If no announced ball is sunk, White and the two balls in play must hit the rim after White hits the triangle or the push is a foul from the shootout. (See 8.4 Touching the Mantle) The penalty for this is a deduction of two points from the player's score. /See 4.10 Shootout Fouls) The non-shooting player may accept the balls in the position they are in, or may require the shooting player to shoot again until he has met the requirements for the initial shootout or the non-shooting player accepts the table in position. (See 4.11 Major Fouls).

 

4.4 Continuing the game and winning

The player at the table remains at the table as long as he continues to legally sink the announced balls into his pockets, or until he wins the match by accumulating the prescribed number of points. When fourteen balls from a triangle have been legally sunk into the pockets, play is suspended until a new triangle is constructed.

 

4.5 Strings to be reported

Strk must be reported as explained in 1.6 Standard Reported Strk. A player may report a "surety" in which case play passes to the opponent at the end of the shove and any balls played that were sunk during the surety are re-set on the table.

 

4.6 Setting the balls back on the table

All balls sunk in pockets on fouls or safeties, or when a reported ball was not sunk, and all balls knocked from the table are re-set on the table. (See 1.4)

Setting the balls back on the table). If the fifteenth ball from the triangle needs to be re-set and the remaining fourteen balls have not been hit, the fifteenth ball is returned to the table at the apex of the triangle on the point and the referee may use the triangle to ensure the tightest possible position.

 

4.7 Scoring

The player at the table is awarded one point for a validly sunk announced shove. Each additional ball sunk in such a push also counts as one point. Points for fouls are deducted from the offending player's score. Foul penalties may result in a negative score.

 

4.8 Special situations when building a triangle

When the white or fifteenth ball played collides with the placement of fourteen balls in a new triangle, the following special rules apply. A ball is considered to interfere with a triangle if it is inside or overlaps the marked triangle. When asked, the referee will announce if a ball is interfering with the triangle.

a) If the fifteenth ball was sunk in the shot that counted the fourteenth ball, all fifteen balls are placed in the triangle.

b) If both balls are in the way, all fifteen balls are placed in a triangle and White is in the hand behind the shooting line.

c) If only the square ball is in the way, it is placed on the head point or the centre point if White is blocking the head point.

d) If only white is in the way, then it is placed as follows: if the played ball is in front of or on the line of scrimmage, white is in the hand behind the line of scrimmage; if the played ball is behind the line of scrimmage, white is placed on the head point, or on the centre point if the head point is blocked.

Either way, there is no restriction on which square ball a player can play on the first push of a new triangle.

If the cue or game ball is just outside the marked triangle and it is time to set up a new triangle, the referee should mark the position of the ball so that it can be accurately rolled back if the referee accidentally moves it while setting up the ball.

 

 

4.9 Standard fouls

If a player at the table commits a standard foul, one point is deducted from his score, the ball is returned to the table as needed, and play passes to his opponent. White remains in position, except in the following cases. Below are the standard fouls in the fourteen:

6.1 White in the pocket or stamped from the table. White is in hand behind the line of scrimmage (see 1.5 White in hand)

6.3 After contact without a boundary

6.4 Without feet on the ground

6.5 A ball knocked off the table. (All balls that are knocked off the table are set back on the table.)

6.6 Player touches the ball

6.7 Double Hit / Sleeping Ball

6.8 Pushed push (space)

6.9 Balls still in motion

6.10 Poor placement of white

6.11 Poor play from behind the line of scrimmage. On a foul under the second paragraph of 6.11, the player coming to the table has white in his hand behind the line of scrimmage.

6.12 Tágo on the table

6.13 Playing out of turn

6.15 Stalling

6.16 Foul with a sluice

 

4.10 Foul in a shootout

The penalty for a foul in a shootout is the loss of two points as described in 4.3 Initial Shootout and a possible new shootout. If a standard foul and a shootout foul occur on the same shot, it is considered a shootout foul.

 

4.11 Serious fouls

For Rule 6.14 Three consecutive fouls, only standard fouls count, so a foul from a shootout does not count as one of the three fouls. For the third foul, one point shall be deducted as usual and then an additional penalty of fifteen points shall be deducted and the number of consecutive fouls by the offending player shall be reset to zero. All fifteen balls are placed in a triangle and the fouling player must make a new initial shootout.

For 6.17 Unsportsmanlike Conduct, the referee shall choose the penalty according to the nature of the offence.

 

4.12 Pat

If a stalemate occurs (See 1.12 Pat), the players will play the tempo again to determine who will make the initial shootout.