14 and 1 endless
14 and 1 endless (short: 14/1 or 14 / 1e ; in English: Straight Pool ) is a discipline of pool where fifteen object balls ( the colored ones ) and one game ball ( the white ones ) are played on a pool table.
It is a points game where the goal is to get a certain number of points. You can pocket any object ball and you always get one point for it, one point is deducted for a foul. Negative points are possible.
The name 14 and 1 endless comes from the fact that all but one of the object balls is sunk. This remains and the rack is rebuilt (the space on the base remains free) and you can continue playing. This last object ball should be in such a way that you can then sink it and at the same time loosen the rack in order to continue playing.
history
The development of pool billiards ( pocket billiards ) in the USA, the country of origin, first brought about the 61 pool in the 1870s , whereby the numbers on the balls that were pocketed were added (1 to 15, together = 120), with which the player, whichever reached 61 first won the game. The first US pocket billiards championships in 1878 were held in the 61 pool. The winner was the Canadian Cyrille Dion .
In the further development, Continuous Pool developed , which was already very similar to the later 14/1: All balls had the value of one point - the winner of a game was the player who had more balls sunk in his account at the end. The game was played towards a specific goal (number of games won). For tactical reasons, however, this variant quickly turned into a purely defensive game.
Jerome Keogh , multiple continuous pool champion, then suggested leaving the last ball remaining on the table there, building the remaining 14 balls back into the triangle and successfully pushing (sinking the "remaining ball") the triangle at the same time as the Blast open the ball to stay at the table. Defensive play was still possible, but attacking play outweighed by far ("endless" sinking of balls up to a certain target, for example 150 balls).
14/1 endless became the “Champion's Game” in the USA in 1912 - and at the same time it was raised to the status of a world championship in the same year. Edward Ralph went down in history as the first 14/1 master .
The World Cup 14/1 was held in the USA until 1990, and was finally replaced in the same year by 9-ball, which had dominated for some time, as a World Cup pool variant. In 2006, 14/1 experienced a renaissance. Mainly because of the popularity that this variant had been given in Europe since the 1970s, it was reissued as a world championship . It has been held annually since then.
regulate
14/1, like 8-ball, is an announcement game. This means that you have to say in advance which ball will be played in which pocket if it is not obvious. According to the official rules, the game of bands and combinations is never obvious and must always be announced. If one does not announce such balls, it leads to loss of intake .
A player can continue to play as long as he “punches” the announced ball with a “correct push” (see below).
If a player sinks other object balls in addition to the ball that is actually announced in a regular shot, he receives an additional point for each ball.
Build up and break
The balls are built in a triangle at the beginning. The arrangement is freely selectable, whereby the 1 is often placed on the left corner of the triangle as seen by the player and the 5 on the right corner of the triangle as seen by the player. The starting player has the right to choose the position of the “white” within the head field (upper quarter of the table).
At the kick-off, the so-called break , at least two of the object balls and the “white” must touch a board, or an object ball must be pocketed (correctly announced). If both of these are not the case, the player taking the game receives two penalty points and the opponent can either take over the position or demand that the player be rebuilt (and also decide on the right to kick). If the opponent requests that the player take a new opening shot, it is still the same shot .
The obligation to announce the ball and bag at the 14/1 break often leads to security issues in practice. Calling a certain ball into a certain pocket on the break is a trick.
If the match ball falls on an otherwise correct opening kick, this is punished as a regular foul and punished with a minus point. In this case, the opponent gets "ball in hand" out of the head field, but may only play the object balls whose center is outside the head field, unless all object balls remaining on the table are in the head field. The object balls remain unchanged, but incorrectly sunk object balls are taken out of the pocket and set up at the base. If the foot point is occupied, the ball is placed on the next free space on the direct line from foot point to foot board.
Reconstruction of the balls
When the 14th ball is pocketed, the game is stopped. The 14 object balls are rebuilt, only the space on the base remains free. The player then continues by sinking the 15th ball (the breakball ) in such a way that the “white” then runs into the “rack” (the 14 rebuilt balls) and loosens the balls so that he has a continuation. However, the player does not necessarily have to play on the 15th ball, but can also announce any ball in the rack or take a safety kick.
If the cue ball or the 15th object ball is in the place where the triangle should normally be set up before the rack is rebuilt, they are put back on according to the following system:
| Position of the 15th ball | Position of the game ball | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| In the triangle | Neither in the triangle nor on the head point |
On the head point | |
| In the triangle | 15. Ball: foot point cue ball: head field |
15. Ball: Head point cue ball: stays where it is |
15. Ball: center of the game ball: remains lying |
| sunk | 15. Ball: foot point cue ball: head field |
15. Ball: at the foot of the cue ball: stays where it is |
15. Ball: at the foot of the cue ball: stays where it is |
| In the head field, but not on the head point |
15. Ball: remains lying . Game ball: head point |
||
| Neither in the header nor in the triangle |
15. Ball: remains lying . Game ball: head field |
||
| On the head point | 15. Ball: remains lying. Game ball: center point |
||
Correct thrust
For a correct shot it is sufficient to play any object ball on the table and after the collision with any ball to run into or punch at least one band.
A foul occurs when:
- the "white" is sunk;
- the "white" does not touch an object ball;
- no ball touches or sinks a board after the first collision;
- a ball falls off the table (or remains on the board);
- a ball is touched or moved with the cue;
- the player touches a ball with his body or clothing.
If several fouls are committed in one shot, this is still only counted as one foul.
If the “white” ball or another ball remains directly on the edge (on the board) of the table, there is also a foul. The ball is then considered to have "fallen off the table" because the boards do not belong to the playing area, but merely demarcate it. However, if a ball rolls briefly over the board and comes back onto the playing surface, the shot is correct.
If only unannounced object balls fall, they are put back on. There is no punishment.
Rating
Subtracting points can result in a negative score ( -1 , -2 , -15 etc.). If a player sinks an object ball and commits a foul, it is put back on without counting and a point is deducted from the score before the shot.
If a player commits 3 fouls in a row or an intentional foul, he receives an additional 15 penalty points. As a deliberate foul within the meaning of this rule, z. B. deliberately hindering a ball when falling by holding your hand or similar. - tactical fouls such as z. B. the deliberate missing of the crowd are part of the game and therefore count only one penalty point.
Highest series
Willie Mosconi holds the record for the highest series in 14 and 1 with 526 balls in a row, set up on March 20, 1954 during an exhibition match on an 8-foot table in Springfield , Ohio (USA). In contrast to series of this magnitude by other players, Mosconi had this performance certified by all witnesses present by signature.