Universal rating system for pocket billiard players

Abstract

A universal ratings system for pocket billiards players uses the break inning as the baseline or foundation for measuring each player's ability and for deriving an average value therefrom that determines a numerical rating for each player, with ratings system applicable to billiard games such as Eight-Ball, Nine-Ball, and Ten-Ball, with the number of scored breaks, and minimum scored breaks, requisite for determining a rating being between 10 and 200, and each particular break inning count resulting and determined from the number of object balls left on the table prior to a miss, scratch, or foul which actions terminate that particular break inning for the respective billiard game.

1 . A method for rating the ability of a pocket billiard player that comprises the steps of:
 arranging a plurality of billiard balls on a table surface of a pocket billiard table in conformity with a specific pocket billiard game;   striking the billiard balls with a cue ball thereby causing the billiard balls to be dispersed about the pocket billiard table;   playing out an inning according to rules of a game;   counting the number of billiard balls remaining on the pocket billiard table at the conclusion of a break inning; and   recording the number of billiard balls remaining on the pocket billiard table at the conclusion of the break inning.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  providing an amended step of counting the number of pocketed billiard balls at the conclusion of a break inning. 
   
   
       3 . A method for rating the ability of a pocket billiard player for the pocket billiard game of Eight-Ball that comprises the steps of:
 arranging a plurality of billiard balls on a table surface of a billiard table in the configuration for the game of Eight-Ball;   striking the billiard balls with a cue ball thereby causing the pocket billiard balls to be scattered about the table surface of the billiard table;   playing out a break inning according to rules of the game;   counting the number of billiard balls remaining on the pocket billiard table at the conclusion of a break inning; and   recording the number of billiard balls remaining on the pocket billiard table at the conclusion of the break inning.   
   
   
       4 . A method for rating the ability of a pocket billiard player for the pocket billiard game of Nine-Ball that comprises the steps of:
 arranging a plurality of billiard balls on a table surface of a pocket billiard table in the configuration for the pocket billiard game of Nine-Ball;   striking the billiard balls with a cue ball thereby causing the billiard balls to be scattered about the billiard table;   playing out a break inning according to rules of the game;   counting the number of billiard balls remaining on the pocket billiard table at the conclusion of the break inning; and   recording the number of billiard balls remaining on the pocket billiard table at the conclusion of the break inning.   
   
   
       5 . A method for rating the ability of a pocket billiard player for the billiard game of Ten-Ball that comprises the steps of:
 arranging a plurality of billiard balls on a table surface of a pocket billiard table in the configuration of the game of Ten-Ball;   striking the billiard balls with a cue ball thereby scattering the billiard balls on the table surface of the pocket billiard table;   playing out a break inning according to rules of the game;   counting the number of billiard balls that remain on the billiard table at the conclusion of a break inning; and   recording the number of billiard balls that remain on the pocket billiard table at the conclusion of the break inning.   
   
   
       6 . A method for rating the playing ability of a pocket billiard player that comprises the steps of:
 arranging a plurality of billiard balls on a table surface of a pocket billiard table in conformity with a pocket billiard game;   striking the billiard balls with a cue ball thereby scattering the billiard balls about the table surface of the billiard table;   playing out a break inning according to rules of the game;   counting the number of billiard balls that remain on the table surface at the conclusion of a break inning;   recording the number of billiard balls that remain on the table surface as a break count for that respective break inning;   calculating a player's current average from a predetermined number of consecutively scored break counts derived from consecutive break innings; determining the player's full average from the predetermined number of consecutively scored break counts derived from the consecutive break innings;   reviewing the player's current average and full average for assigning a partial rating and a full rating to the player;   determining a player's rating by determining the player's best average from the predetermined number of consecutively scored break counts and,   validating the player's partial rating and full rating in order to assign a player status to that player.   
   
   
       7 . A method for determining a pocket billiard partial average for a pocket billiard player by counting the number of billiard balls remaining on a billiard table at an end of a plurality of consecutively recorded break innings defined as consecutively scored break counts that comprises the steps of:
 counting only scored break counts for determining the billiard player's average;   using between a minimum of 10 consecutive scored break counts and a maximum of 100 consecutive scored break counts for determining the player's average;   determining the number of consecutive scored break counts that are to be counted toward the average with the maximum number of allowable counted break counts being 200;   multiplying the Y-percent by the number of scored break counts to be averaged;   dropping any fraction that results from the above equation;   identifying and dropping the worst scored break counts up to and including the whole number remaining from the above equation;   totaling all of the billiard ball counts from the remaining break counts and dividing this total by number of break counts for obtaining the pocket billiard average;   truncating the pocket billiard average to at least one decimal point; and   obtaining the billiard player's partial average from all of the pocket billiard player's scored break counts when the number of scored break counts ranges from the minimum number of break counts to the maximum number of scored break counts minus one scored break count.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the additional step of developing the partial average for a bar pocket billiard table from between 10 and 49 consecutive scored break counts on the bar pocket billiard table. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7  comprising the additional step of developing the partial average for a regulation pocket billiard table from between 10 and 99 consecutive scored break counts on the regulation pocket billiard table. 
   
   
       10 . A method for determining a pocket billiard current average for a pocket billiard player by counting a number of billiard balls remaining on a pocket billiard table at the end of a break inning with all of the break innings defining a plurality of consecutively scored break counts that comprises the steps of:
 counting only the scored break counts for determining the billiard player's current average;   using between a minimum of 10 consecutive scored break counts and a maximum of 100 consecutive scored break counts for determining the billiard player's current average;   determining the number of consecutive scored break counts that are to be counted toward the average with the maximum number of allowable counted break counts being 100;   multiplying the Y-percent by the number of scored breaks to be averaged;   dropping any resulting fraction;   identifying and dropping the worst scored break counts up to and including the whole number from the above equation;   totaling all of the billiard ball counts from the remaining break counts and dividing the resulting number by the number of break counts thereby obtaining a scored break average;   truncating the pocket billiard average to at least one decimal point; and   obtaining the billiard player's current average from the most recent number of consecutive maximum allowable number of scored break counts.   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  comprising the further step of developing a full average for the pocket billiard player from the maximum allowable number of consecutively scored break counts. 
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  comprising the further step of developing a best full average for a bar billiard table from 50 consecutive scored break counts on the bar billiard table. 
   
   
       13 . The method f of  claim 12  comprising the further step of developing the best full average for a regulation billiard table from 100 consecutive scored break counts on the regulation billiard table.