What is a defensive shot?
A defensive shot is a shot where the shooter deliberately misses so as to pass his turn at the table. A safety (see WHAT IS A SAFETY below) is a defensive shot because the shooter had no intention of making a ball of his category. Intention is the key word. Sometimes intent can be a matter of opinion and judgment, but the scorekeeper’s judgment must be accepted by the opposing player. Remember that defensive means deliberately missed. Players with integrity call all safeties and intentionally missed shots. Besides being good sportsmanship, there will be fewer differences on the two scoresheets. The failure to mark defensive shots allows players and teams to advance with inaccurate skill levels. Play Honest! Do not pad innings! If a player has a nearly impossible shot and does the best he can, but still fails to even hit his ball, it does not fall into the category of defensive shots as defined here.
