A stroke where the cue tip does not hit the cue ball squarely enough and glances off without driving the cue ball on its desired course, often caused by not enough chalk on the tip, an improperly shaped tip or an attempt at too much English. Miscuing is not illegal unless the shooter is deliberately miscuing to scoop the cue ball over a ball that is in the shooter's way. Sometimes a miscue may result in a foul because the cue ball strikes the 8-ball or one of the opponent's balls first. It wasn't the miscue that was a foul, however, it was the fact that the cue ball struck the wrong category of balls that become the foul.