Mosconi Cup – New Breaking Rules in Place

Matchroom Sport can announce that they have imposed some new rules on the break shot for the 14th annual PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup which takes place at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas from Thursday 13 – Friday 16 December.

With the soft break starting to dominate under present racking conditions, it was felt that a change was required in order to bring back the power break, for so long one of the biggest and best parts of the game.

After consultation with both teams, the following conditions will apply on all break shots in all matches at the Mosconi Cup:

1. The balls will be racked higher up the table with the 9 ball resting on the spot.

2. The cue ball must be struck from within a break box in the centre of the table.

3. On completion of the break shot, three balls must pass the headstring. This does not include the cue ball. Pocketed balls count, therefore if a breaking player made one ball on the break, only two would be required to pass the headstring. Balls are not required to come to rest past the headstring so a ball that strikes the rail and returns across the head string back down table would be a legal ball.

4. The rack will be lightly tapped in as per WPA guidelines.

The penalty for not making a legal break shot under the above conditions will be loss of visit with the incoming player or team playing the table as it lies.

Commented a spokesman for Matchroom Sport, “All the players are in favour of this development as it will bring back more skill and power to the break.

“The soft break itself is highly skillful but a little too predictable to give fans and viewers the true 9 ball experience.

“With tight pockets too, an automatic ball on the break will be no certainty. I'm sure all the players will be studying the best way to break and some will be more successful than others.”

The PartyPoker.net Mosconi Cup features two five-man teams representing the USA and Europe doing battle in a Ryder Cup-style series of singles and doubles matches to determine the destination of the historic trophy.

The official sponsors of the 2007 Mosconi Cup are PartyPoker.net, Brunswick Tables, Simonis Cloth, Super Aramith Pro Balls, Predator Cues and the Flexi-Rest.

The event's official website is www.mosconicup.com