Free ball

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A free ball is a situation in the game of snooker or pool.

It occurs after a foul shot where the resultant layout of the table leaves the opponent snookered - unable to hit any legitimate ball on either side. The opponent of the player who committed the foul can choose any other ball on the table as a replacement for the ball in question, and pot this as of it were the intended ball. If this was a red, they then pot a colour before continuing the break. This makes it possible to compile a break higher than the normal maximum of 147; in theory a break of 161 could be played, but this has never been achieved in a professional tournament.

It is allowed to play a snooker using the free ball, providing the snooker is not behind the ball which has just been used as the ball 'on'. It is allowed to cannon a ball nominated as a red into another red, so as to pot this (a plant)

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