New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-01-18
Former Amateur Chams;..
Says Ball on the Linz
Should Be "Out.'
MARGIN TOO SLIGHT
FOR FAIR DECISION
Iowa Prodigy Will Be Kent a..
of Amateur Tournaments q
a Professional.

Morris -. Brown the national 49,.
billiard champion Of 1912. is an -.
promising advocate OF rule tn,
provide that In balkline games 49,
amateurs n ball on line shall no 49,.
out ~ tho annual meeting OF IN. y.
tlonal Association of Amateur pm.
Players held AZ The Amateur pss..
Club last Monday night he mad. a.
availing effort Ito have such -.
adopted. Defining lis attitude he a.,
Tho game OF billiards 81 a zen,len.,.
game. essentially so az an anats,, -.
time. Among gentlemen generous. Mas.
usage should prevail Every xen,.m,,
will concede every other gentlems, "A.
benefit Of a doubt There alwass IA,
doubt as 20 whether a ball called o.
line is actually 70 such a position. ro~.
tend that no human eye can accurate
determine the question
"A sphere rests on 50 small a sur.,t.
that when al a line. such as is marss
on billiard table for q balkline gan. \.
centre may be a mere fraction Of an lres
either wav from tho exact centre OF ~
width OF that line, and the variation ca.
not he discerned. Furthermore. a a.
moving slowly will be stopped b. a.
chalk which on a new cloth MARKS n,
line. and after the line has been marks
a few times a slight furrow that viii So,
a slowly moving ball IL made In N. "a,
OF the cloth. I maintain that in any a..
where a ball stops at line il real
leans over il and settles back. Minerva
and varied tests have convinced me
tho correctness Of this proposition.
For the reasons stated consider TIA
the rule defining a bail on the line a. :
is Objectionable. The professional mstA
As fair for one as the other does not ~
neal 10 me. I regard IL as not only d.
courteous but brutal. Ny motion ,
amend the ball on the line was reject,
by my fellow members OF the Ns;isi
Association.
The chief argument against i u
that the rule as IL stood was esaonsat
when balkline was introduced ara "a
ever since applied in both professors
and amateur contests. While that co.
tention satisfied the majority, i made u
minority more determined than ever y
fore 70 continue efforts FOR a change
Personally I do not entertain resso
for beaten paths or venerable e's'a'
when I believe they should o. aosn'''''
or changed
Commenting OF Mr. Browns remsfs
Charles r. Miller vice-presldent " "
Rrunswick- Bake Collender COMPANY, W
reminiscent. The rule in question
said. was adopted in 1885 al 'ai'ae
,hsn the rules for the s-inch 9alliS
game were framed. There naa oes'
many wrangles in contests as 10 "H'A
. hall al a line was a shade IN .r o.
a restricted space that something 'Se1
and explicit to reduce or preve'
sesmlv controversies was des''aoN
"After much discussion and NAM |.
nerlments a suggestion 10 denns
on line as in was adop'ea'
demonstrated that Oh nara SUI
billiard ball rested on point aS"
size OF a pin point and on CIV"
face it settled on space that "''A
not more than did the head OF an
nary pin. "a,
THE championship tournamea'
preceded by preliminary IN ea."
,,ar,ant there was a marker anu
cree The marker was instructeo
In, and out when distinct actio"
n,aoa Inn, 70 not make any call whes'
object ball was not driven across
They players had 10 look ou' "
ou,n interests and the referee sc'ea
on appeal. In case OF a BAH s'0vr
a line and a claim Of not OUT
amy OF the referee to look al Wv
co whether the point OF the ban TOY
or :, or not and decide accordingly
I'm recent tournaments and ma''
tho referee has acted as marker a"'
.raa and has also called fouls sau
a,a .out II in his Judgment o.e
ON q line he was obliged 10 oe'''s !.
:, NOS mot ont. That was the f"N
~ nad no alternative. A bail res''as
a line is in. That is the rue
must be enforced. II may De "1 -,
a ball may be stopped by groove -
Wv n,arking a line. but professional
they must observe the letter o. a
drive A ball across a line or lose '''
inning"