Was the ref' wrong?

[Billy]

During the match in this year's UK Championship between Mark Williams and Stephen Maguire, an incident occurred in which both commentators and Williams queried a decision made by the ref'.

Maguire was snookered behind the brown ball and had failed to hit a red after two or three attempts. On each occassion the ref called 'foul and a miss' and Williams had the balls replaced. Eventually, Maguire played a 'hit and hope' and made contact with a red, but as he was walking away from the table he turned to the ref and declared a foul on himself, explaining that he'd fouled the brown (it couldn't be detected how he'd fouled the brown exactly - hand, cue or cueball). The ref then announced this, saying 'Foul. Four, Mark Williams'. Mark Williams came to the table and asked the ref if another 'miss' should have been called. The ref could be heard saying that no miss could be given because Maguire had made contact with the ball on (in this case a red).

The commentators, however, were saying that the ref was wrong because a foul had been commited during Maguires attempted escape, and this, therefore should have constituted a 'foul and a miss'.

So who's correct?

[hegeland]

Well I think it's pretty obvious. If Maguire hit the brown with the cue ball before he hit the red, it's a miss. If he touched the brown aft

[dantuck_7]

I've just answered the other thread - so might as well reply here.

It depends on how exactly Maguire fouled the Brown but it does sound as if it is after the red was made contact with.

It's a similar situation to the foul and a miss rule where a decent escape is made but the white heads in-off after hitting the object ball. In those type of situations the miss wouldn't be awarded.

[Semih_Sayginer]

I've just answered the other thread - so might as well reply here.

It depends on how exactly Maguire fouled the Brown but it does sound as if it is after the red was made contact with.

It's a similar situation to the foul and a miss rule where a decent escape is made but the white heads in-off after hitting the object ball. In those type of situations the miss wouldn't be awarded.

the brown ball moved before the white made contact with a red.

it moved during his cuestroke.

the white travelled from baulk to side cushion to about a foot or so to the left of the pink spot (camera view) before it contacted the red.