Ssb - wpbsa inquiry into red or pink controversy

[ferret]

The WPBSA are to launch an inquiry into the incident in frame 17 of the Shanghai Masters final which Mark Williams has blamed for him losing the match.

A statement read: "The match was stopped for several minutes while referee Eirian Williams had to make a difficult call as to whether Selby had hit a red or the pink first when escaping from a snooker.

WPBSA Chairman Jason Fergsuon called for the inquiry following comments made by both players after the match.

The inquiry will be led by Ferguson and former referee Alan Chamberlain and will include statements from both players and the match referee.

Ferguson said: "I want to make very clear from the outset that this inquiry is not part of any disciplinary procedure and has no effect on the outcome of the match. Mark Selby is a deserving champion and won the match fair and square. Our rules state that any decision by the referee is final.

"However, through this inquiry we will look to establish tighter guidelines for referees when such difficult decisions need to be made.

"A further statement will be released once the inquiry is complete."

I'm pleased to hear no disciplinary charges will be brought against (Mark) Williams for what were heartfelt but heat of the moment comments immediately after the match.

Mark still believes it was pink first and still believes the incident cost him the title. Whether others agree with that or not, he is entitled to believe it.

Certainly, the incident did swing the momentum Selby's way but it was a very difficult decision for the referee, Eirian Williams, as indeed it would have been for any official in the same situation.

I also credit Ferguson for not just brushing all this under the carpet and for releasing a statement immediately, which certainly wouldn't have happened in days gone by.

However, whatever the result of the inquiry, it won't change the result.


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[jrc750]

"Mark still believes it was pink first and still believes the incident cost him the title"
This is a little unfair of Mark, even with the slow motion it is still very difficult to see which ball was hit first, altho i would go with red for sure. If unsure isn't the ref supposed to give the striker the benefit of the doubt anyway ???
Very very difficult call to make, but i think the correct decision was made, after-all that incident didn't cost him the title at all, there were other chances in the next few frames for him !!

[The Statman]

"Mark still believes it was pink first and still believes the incident cost him the title"
This is a little unfair of Mark, even with the slow motion it is still very difficult to see which ball was hit first, altho i would go with red for sure. If unsure isn't the ref supposed to give the striker the benefit of the doubt anyway ???
Very very difficult call to make, but i think the correct decision was made, after-all that incident didn't cost him the title at all, there were other chances in the next few frames for him !!

Well quite.

And, as has been said in other threads on the subject, if it was such a close call that there isn't 100% certainty after watching replays numerous times, how could Mark Williams have been so sure that the pink was struck first, at the time?

I don't exactly know what an inquiry will achieve. It looks like the referee handled the situation pretty well; one player who fell the right side of the decision went on to win the title; the other player thought the decision was wrong and feels hard done by. Surely in any other situation where a call is disputed, there isn't much more that will occur.

One thing I think is the case, is that replays or stills are actually only allowed for replacement of balls after a Miss. So you could argue that Eirian Williams used the technology inappropriately but you also have to commend him for using whatever was available to ensure a correct call was made at a juncture which was very important in the match.

And as you say, if the referee is uncertain, he should always give the benefit of the doubt to the striker. He cannot call a foul that he hasn't definitely seen.

[ADR147]

the white hits the red first. the end.

[jim evans]

hi all i agree red first but you cant blame ref it was that fast,its only in slow mo you can tell

[Rane]

This situation is a bit like Swail - Wenbo two years ago, except at that time Swail didn´t bother to check the position, but the result was the same he lost momentum and in the end the match. Such things are very hard to handle.

[2man]

well, don't blame Eirian anymore in this incident, no one can 100% sure red or pink first by human eyes, especially you only view it in your own angle, first of all, no one realized that selby will hit it in that speed.
however, it's time for snooker sport to have an evolution, hi-tech monitor device, such as zoomable HD freeze frame video, like other sports.
btw, i viewed it in my hi-res LED monitor many many times, it's very clear that it hit red first, but just hair line thin cut the red, and the cue ball keep forward to the pink.
snooker is a mental sport, most top 16 players have same ability to take 1 chance for clearance, the only difference is how to concentrate & back to the table in few seconds, that's the point to make you deserve to be No.1.