LINES CROSSED
‘Goodness me’ gasps commentator after snooker star’s ‘nightmare scenario’ at Northern Ireland Open
Fans were less sympathetic to Lines
OLIVER LINES suffered a "nightmare scenario" in his clash against Mark Allen.
The snooker star was competing in the Northern Ireland Open when disaster struck in the opening frame.
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Lines, 29, was chasing Allen's score of 35 as he had potted his first red of the match.
He set himself up on the black but faced a tricky shot as he required the help of the table rest.
He managed to pot the black but was not able to move his cue and stand away in time before it touched the rebounding white ball.
Commentator Neal Foulds gasped: "Oh goodness me.
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"That is one of those nightmarish scenarios when you can't get the equipment away quick enough.
"Lines is smiling about it but it has made a huge difference as he could have been behind the red.
"A nightmare scenario for anybody."
The clip was shared on social media and fans were less sympathetic to Lines' cause.
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One posted: "He had plenty of time. That’s just poor."
A second wrote: "Been there done that, but really shouldn't happen to a professional!"
Bizarre moment snooker star pots crucial ball while sat in his chair but barely raises an eyebrow
The rules of snooker
THE aim of snooker is to clear the table of all balls - and achieving it in an incredible 147 break is the ultimate goal.
The rectangular table features green baize, a baulk line and semi-circle, known as the D.
It has six pockets, four in each corner and two midway down both long sides.
There are 15 red balls which are arranged in a triangular shape.
There are also six colour balls, and the white cue ball.
Each colour sits on its own designated spot at the start of the game.
While red balls are worth one point when potted, the colours all have a different value.
In ascending order these are:
- Yellow - two points
- Green - three points
- Brown - four points
- Blue - five points
- Pink - six points
- Black - seven points
The first player will cue off and must hit at least one of the red balls in the triangle.
If they pot a red, they can then continue by potting a colour.
However, if no red is potted then their opponent will play the next shot - going for a red first.
Each player must first pot a red ball when it's their turn to play. If nothing is pocketed it is the other player's turn at the table.
After each red is potted they must then follow with a colour, then a red, then a colour, and so on.
Whilst there are still red balls on the table, the potted colour balls are returned to their designated spot.
Once all the red balls are pocketed, the player at the table must pot the colours in the order as outlined above.
If they miss then their opponent will have the opportunity to clear the table.
A 147 is a maximum break when all reds are potted by one player in one stint at the table.
In order to achieve 147, the player must pot all 15 reds with 15 blacks for 120 points.
They must then clear all the colours, concluding with the black for 27 points.
During play the rules state that the cue must only touch the white cue ball.
The cue ball also must hit the correct colour ball - reds or colours in order.
If it hits the incorrect colour then a foul is called.
If the cue ball fails to hit any ball or is pocketed it is also a foul.
The player's turn at the table ends if they play a foul shot.
Players are also penalised if they touch any ball on the table with their person.
A third commented: "It was funny to watch him scramble."
A fourth said: "He had plenty of time."
Another added: "Where did he think the white was going to go?"
Lines did see the bright side as he smiled while returning to his seat after the foul.
He managed to recover to win the first frame after Allen made two mistakes himself.
Lines then went on to win the seven-frame match 4-3 at the Waterfront Hall in Belfast.
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