World Snooker Championship: Referee uses fan's phone to reset balls in bizarre Judgment Day incident
Published 15/04/2025 at 15:59 GMT+1
David Gilbert and Aaron Hill's World Championship qualification match on Tuesday required the intervention of a fan to help referee Leo Scullion reset the table after a foul. A member of the audience passed their phone to Gilbert, displaying a photo of the table before the foul had been made. You can watch the incident below, and the World Championship Snooker qualifying tournament on discovery+.
Watch: Snooker ref uses fan’s phone to replace balls after bizarre foul
Video credit: TNT Sports
David Gilbert’s World Snooker Championship qualification match with Aaron Hill required the timely intervention of a fan to help the referee reset the table after a foul.
The World Snooker Championship qualifying tournament has seen 128 hopefuls whittled down to 32, with a final round of qualifiers set to determine which players will join the likes of Ali Carter, Shaun Murphy and Judd Trump at the Crucible.
Among those hoping to make it to the World Snooker Championship proper, which will be live on TNT Sports and discovery+, is last year’s semi-finalist, Gilbert.
The 43-year-old, who has endured a patchy season so far, took on Ireland’s Hill on Judgment Day, with a place at the Crucible at stake.
And their encounter featured one of the most peculiar moments likely to take place in the entire championship.
In the opening frame, Hill fouled on the brown, with referee Leo Scullion subsequently calling for the shot to be retaken.
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Video credit: TNT Sports
But upon putting the white back in place, Scullion, with Hill’s consultation, spent some two minutes attempting to reset the balls from memory.
After much deliberation, a member of the audience passed their phone to Gilbert, with it seemingly displaying a picture of the balls before the foul had taken place.
To smatterings of applause and laughter, Gilbert handed the phone to Scullion, who cross-referenced the table with the picture to ensure the ball had been reset properly.
The pair are competing for a spot at the Crucible, where they will face the top 16 seeds.
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Snooker legend and seven-time world champion Ronnie O’Sullivan is among those scheduled to compete at this year’s tournament, though his involvement will be decided at the last moment.
The Rocket, who has not missed the tournament since making his debut at the age of 17 in 1993, has been absent from a spate of competitions this year due to medical issues.
Watch and stream top snooker action, including the World Championship, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+
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