SBX Alex vs. Earl - foul or no foul

Shermanscs · 2018-04-15T14:05:11+00:00

I was at the Super Billiards Expo this week and I was wondering if anyone else in this forum saw this and has an opinion if it was a foul or not. Before I start, I want to say that I am a fan of both of these players and it is going to sound like I am questioning the ethics of Alex Pagulayan, which I am not. I happen to think he is quite a good ambassador for the sport and I love watching him play. I also think he is one of the most fun, fan friendly players out there. With all those caveats out of the way, here is what happened. Alex was behind in the match to Earl in an elimination round. Earl was on the hill and Alex was coming back & was about 5 or so games behind. Alex breaks and the cue ball comes flying back straight to the left corner pocket. Alex quickly puts his hand inside the corner pocket to catch the cue ball, then just as the cue hits the corner pocket, in an instant, he quickly pulls his hand away. From the stands it gave the illusion that his hand hit the cue ball, preventing it from dropping in the pocket. Earl protested to Alex about him putting his hand in the pocket and claimed he touched the ball, preventing it from scratching. Alex denied touching the ball & continued to play the rack, winning another rack or so. Ultimately, Earl won the match anyway, so it really didn't change the outcome of the game. But I am interested to know if anyone else out there saw that match and has an opinion on whether or not it looked as if Alex interfered with the ball. Nonetheless, it was a very entertaining match and both players played their hearts out. - Steve