Скачать или смотреть Beautiful but illegal snooker push foul by the Jester Mark Selby, referee oblivious

In snooker, push shots and double contacts are not allowed. This particular double contact was performed by Mark Selby in his recent 2024 Championship League match and it went unnoticed by the referee.

There is a very simple formula that all referees can use to identify a double contact: Quite simply if (A) the distance the cue travels through the white is greater than (B) the distance between the two balls then it has to be a double contact. This is because the white will always slow down when it meets the object ball and this allows the cue to catch up for a second contact. (This all happens in a split second of course.)

In this clip (A) is noticeably greater than (B). This is an obvious double contact. The second contact will also be a push; cue contacts white exactly when white contacts the object ball. We know this because the object ball went in the hole. If it was not a push then the timing would have been off and the ball would have missed.

The 'very fine edge' loophole

From the rule book: "Where the cue-ball and the object ball are almost touching, it shall not be deemed a push stroke if the cue-ball hits a very fine edge of the object ball.” Loophole: As there is no definition in the rule book for a 'very fine edge' the player can define it himself in any way that suits him. So, technically speaking, it is only a foul if the referee says it is (but in this case the referee doesn't seem to be even aware that anything is amiss).

This video is for educational purposes only.