Yapp’s Controversial Tournament-Winning Shot in the 8-Ball World Championship … Was it a Foul?

dr_dave

dr_dave

Instructional Author
Gold Member
Silver Member
FYI, I just posted a new video with a thorough analysis of the call on the final shot in the 2026 8-Ball World Championship. The shot was taken by Aloysius Yapp against Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (FSR). The shot, which was called good, gave Yapp the title and $90,000. Conclusive proof the shot was a foul is provided along with advice on how to judge wrong-ball-first shots like this accurately. Check it out:


Contents:
Supporting Resources:
As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments, questions, complaints, and requests.

Enjoy!
 
After watching, I do not see how you can say any different than the call on the table. There is no new viewpoint or footage.
 
I wasn't watching the match, so this is my first look at the final shot.

While I figured this was a foul based on cue ball direction, I don't think it was as obvious at the Capito foul vs Lechner in 2025. It's bizarre that referees don't understand the principles governing good and bad hits when two object balls are near each other. So often, cue ball direction and/or speed will make the call obvious, but referees need better training. In the end, the referee clearly lacked the needed understanding to call a foul, and given this, could not logically call a foul here. I view this as a "lack of knowledge" situation, not a "grossly mistaken call" situation. Based on the referee's knowledge, the right call was made. Still, referees who don't have the knowledge to judge these situations should not get the nod in the final of a world championship.
 
Last edited:
dr_dave said:
FYI, I just posted a new video with a thorough analysis of the call on the final shot in the 2026 8-Ball World Championship. The shot was taken by Aloysius Yapp against Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (FSR). The shot, which was called good, gave Yapp the title and $90,000. Conclusive proof the shot was a foul is provided along with advice on how to judge wrong-ball-first shots like this accurately. Check it out:


Contents:
Supporting Resources:
As always, I look forward to your feedback, comments, questions, complaints, and requests.

Enjoy!
Click to expand...

straightline said:
Besides foul, I'd say the way to shoot that is into the right tit. I have explained debatable hits to the bar rules crowd by calling the OB direction - an element most of them get. Know your buckets. Have to mention that most of the good hits went off the right facing. Haven't you done a clip on how much pocket you actually have?
Click to expand...
 
GideonF said:
If you watched the video, I don’t see how you can not call it a foul. As Dr Dave says, the action of the CB tells the tale.
Click to expand...

I agree 100%. Any pool player who watches the entire video and still thinks the shot could have been good needs to learn a little more about fouls and how to judge them.
 
sjm said:
While I figured this was a foul based on cue ball direction, I don't think it was as obvious at the Capito foul vs Lechner in 2025. It's bizarre that referees don't understand the principles governing good and bad hits when two object balls are near each other. So often, cue ball direction and/or speed will make the call obvious, but referees need better training. In the end, the referee clearly lacked the needed understanding to call a foul, and given this, could not logically call a foul here. I view this as a "lack of knowledge" situation, not a "grossly mistaken call" situation.
Click to expand...

As always, well stated.

sjm said:
... referees who don't have the knowledge to judge these situations should not get the nod in the final of a world championship.
Click to expand...

Everybody makes mistakes. Some top referees have made many. All we can ask is that they all learn from these mistakes.
 
in many situation like this, refs need to be able to anticipate the foul when players prepare for the shot.

we can see many of them are focused, cannot say they are not, but they dont or not able to anticipate the foul

for shots like jump shots, the anticipation of cueball hitting obstable ball or like finger touching balls, it is easier to anticipate than object balls close to each other or object ball close to rails and anticipating which was hit first

and that anticipation requires playing background, i think.
 
ctran said:
in many situation like this, refs need to be able to anticipate the foul when players prepare for the shot.

we can see many of them are focused, cannot say they are not, but they dont or not able to anticipate the foul

for shots like jump shots, the anticipation of cueball hitting obstable ball or like finger touching balls, it is easier to anticipate than object balls close to each other or object ball close to rails and anticipating which was hit first

and that anticipation requires playing background, i think.
Click to expand...
Do you think they should intervene - if only for a better look?
 
Two things I disagree with, you said if you were FSR you would be challenging the call, but his view of the table was blocked by Yapp who was directly infront of him as he played the shot so realistically FSR didn't know what happened so was never going to say anything. Wonder what he thinks of it now.

And you think the ref should have taken longer, but someone announced over the tannoy that Yapp was champion almost as soon as the black went in, so that opportunity was taken out of her hands. I feel like the person on the tannoy is partially responsible for it not to have been properly reviewed, pretty hard to roll back a decision after you've publicly announced the champion.
 
Dr Dave your previous instructional videos in this area have helped immensely in determining "bad/questionable" hits on balls. Whether video was available, the reaction of the cueball following the path of the eight ball should have been the determining factor for the referee to call a bad hit. Here's where referee's training and general knowledge is most important in their roles as "judges." Thank you.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top