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{{Short description|Cue sport}} |
{{Short description|Cue sport}} |
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{{Other uses}} |
{{Other uses}} |
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'''Snooker''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|s|n|uː|k|ər}} {{respell|SNOO|kər}}, {{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|s|n|ʊ|k|ər}} {{respell|SNUUK|ər}})<ref name="Macmillan British" /><ref name="Macmillan American" /> is a [[cue sports|cue sport]] played on a rectangular [[Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables|billiards table]] covered with a green cloth called [[baize]], with six [[Billiard table#Pockets 2|pockets]], one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by [[British Army]] officers stationed in [[India]] in the second half of the 19th century, the game is played with twenty-two balls, comprising a white {{cuegloss|cue ball}}, fifteen red balls, and six other balls—a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black—collectively called the colours. Using a [[cue stick]], the individual players or teams take turns to strike the {{cuegloss|cue ball}} to {{cuegloss|pot}} other balls in a predefined sequence, accumulating points for each successful pot and for each time the opposing player or team commits a {{cuegloss|foul}}. An individual {{cuegloss|frame}} of snooker is won by the player who has scored the most points. A snooker {{cuegloss|match}} ends when a player reaches a predetermined number of frames. |
'''Snooker''' (pronounced {{IPAc-en|UK|ˈ|s|n|uː|k|ər}} {{respell|SNOO|kər}}, {{IPAc-en|US|ˈ|s|n|ʊ|k|ər}} {{respell|SNUUK|ər}})<ref name="Macmillan British" /><ref name="Macmillan American" /> is a [[cue sports|cue sport]] played on a rectangular [[Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables|billiards table]] covered with a green cloth called [[baize]], with six [[Billiard table#Pockets 2|pockets]], one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by [[British Army]] officers stationed in [[India]] in the second half of the 19th century, the game is played with twenty-two balls, comprising a white {{cuegloss|cue ball}}, fifteen red balls, and six other balls—a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black—collectively called the colours. Using a [[cue stick]], the individual players or teams take turns to strike the {{cuegloss|cue ball}} to {{cuegloss|pot}} other balls in a predefined sequence, accumulating points for each successful pot and for each time the opposing player or team commits a {{cuegloss|foul}}. An individual {{cuegloss|frame}} of snooker is won by the player who has scored the most points. A snooker {{cuegloss|match}} ends when a player reaches a predetermined number of frames. |
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In 1875, army officer [[Neville Chamberlain (police officer)|Neville Chamberlain]], stationed in [[Ootacamund]], [[Chennai|Madras]], and [[Jabalpur]], devised a set of rules that combined [[black pool]] and [[pyramid pool|pyramids]]. The word ''snooker'' was a well-established derogatory term used to describe inexperienced or first-year military personnel. In the early 20th century, snooker was predominantly played in the United Kingdom where it was considered a "gentleman's sport" until the early 1960s, before growing in popularity as a national pastime and eventually spreading overseas. The standard rules of the game were first established in 1919 when the [[Billiards Association and Control Club]] was formed. As a [[professional sport]], snooker is now governed by the [[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association]]. |
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The [[World Snooker Championship]] first took place in [[1927 World Snooker Championship|1927]]. [[Joe Davis]], a key figure and pioneer in the early growth of the sport, won fifteen successive world championships between 1927 and 1946. The "modern era" of snooker began in 1969 after the broadcaster [[BBC]] commissioned the television series ''[[Pot Black]]'', later airing daily coverage of the World Championship, which was first televised in [[1978 World Snooker Championship|1978]]. Key figures in the game were [[Ray Reardon]] in the 1970s, [[Steve Davis]] in the 1980s, and [[Stephen Hendry]] in the 1990s, each winning the World Championship at least six times. Since 2000, [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]] has won the most world titles. |
The [[World Snooker Championship]] first took place in [[1927 World Snooker Championship|1927]]. [[Joe Davis]], a key figure and pioneer in the early growth of the sport, won fifteen successive world championships between 1927 and 1946. The "modern era" of snooker began in 1969 after the broadcaster [[BBC]] commissioned the television series ''[[Pot Black]]'', later airing daily coverage of the World Championship, which was first televised in [[1978 World Snooker Championship|1978]]. Key figures in the game were [[Ray Reardon]] in the 1970s, [[Steve Davis]] in the 1980s, and [[Stephen Hendry]] in the 1990s, each winning the World Championship at least six times. Since 2000, [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]] has won the most world titles. |
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==History== |
==History== |
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<!-- To be replaced with a definately PD image [[File:Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain.png|thumb|right|upright|alt=Portrait of a British army officer in full dress uniform with aiguillettes and service medals, facing forward with one hand on hip|[[Neville Chamberlain (police officer)|Sir Neville Chamberlain]], a British Army officer who devised the game and its rules in the late 19th century]] --> |
<!-- To be replaced with a definately PD image [[File:Neville Francis Fitzgerald Chamberlain.png|thumb|right|upright|alt=Portrait of a British army officer in full dress uniform with aiguillettes and service medals, facing forward with one hand on hip|[[Neville Chamberlain (police officer)|Sir Neville Chamberlain]], a British Army officer who devised the game and its rules in the late 19th century]] --> |
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Snooker originated in the second half of the 19th century.<ref name="origins" /> In the 1870s, [[English billiards|billiards]] was popular among [[British Army]] officers stationed in [[Jubbulpore]], India, and several variations of the game were devised during this time.<ref name="origins" />{{sfn|Boru|2010|pages=3–4}} A similar game, which originated at the [[Mess|Officers' Mess]] of the 11th [[Devonshire Regiment]] in 1875,<ref name="heritage2008" /><ref name="WST History of Snooker" /> combined the rules of two [[Pool (cue sports)|pool]] games: [[pyramid pool|pyramids]], played with fifteen red balls positioned in a triangle,{{efn|A game called pyramid pool, like pyramids, was also played on a billiard table in England prior to 1850. The rules of these two games were very similar. However, that game of pyramid pool was played at this time in England with fourteen reds instead of fifteen. In both games, each player shared the same cue ball.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kentfield |first1=Edwin |date=1850|title=The Game of Billiards |publisher=Smith, Elder & Co |location=London |pages=49–50 |edition=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gp8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA49 |via=Google Books. Retrieved 8 October 2023}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kentfield |first1=Edwin |date=1850|title=The Game of Billiards |publisher=Smith, Elder & Co |location=London |page=48 |edition=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gp8NAAAAQAAJ |via=Google Books. Retrieved 8 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Billiard Sketches. |newspaper=Liverpool Weekly Courier |date=9 July 1881 |page=6 |via=British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 8 October 2023}}</ref><ref>Ainsworth, Peter.{{cite web |url=https://snooker-forum.com/TheOriginofSnooker.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015165728/https://snooker-forum.com/TheOriginofSnooker.pdf |url-status=live |title=The Origin Of Snooker: The Neville Chamberlain Story |date=10 October 2017 |archive-date=15 October 2023 |page=2 |access-date=8 October 2023}}</ref> and black pool, which involved the potting of designated balls.<ref name="FullHistory" /><ref name="Neville Chamberlain disambiguation" /><ref name="Shamos 1994" /> Snooker was further developed in 1882 when its first set of rules was finalised by British Army officer [[Neville Chamberlain (police officer)|Sir Neville Chamberlain]],{{efn|This is not the former [[Neville Chamberlain|British Prime Minister]] of the same name.<ref name="WST History of Snooker" />}}<ref name="heritage2008" />{{sfn|Boru|2010|p=3}} who helped devise and popularise the game at [[Stone House, Ooty|Stone House]] in [[Ootacamund]] on a table built by [[Burroughes & Watts]] that had been brought to India by boat.<ref name="telegraph2014" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.azbilliards.com/snooker/history.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030306050113/http://www.azbilliards.com/snooker/history.html|title=The History and Development of snooker |work=AZ Billiards|archive-date=6 March 2003}}</ref> The word ''snooker'' was, at the time, a slang term used in the British Army to describe new recruits and inexperienced military personnel; Chamberlain used it to deride the inferior performance of a young fellow officer at the table.{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=48}}{{sfn|Boru|2010|p=3}}{{sfn|McCann|2013|page=1}} |
Snooker originated in the second half of the 19th century in India.<ref name="origins" /> In the 1870s, [[English billiards|billiards]] was popular among [[British Army]] officers stationed in [[Jubbulpore]], India, and several variations of the game were devised during this time.<ref name="origins" />{{sfn|Boru|2010|pages=3–4}} A similar game, which originated at the [[Mess|Officers' Mess]] of the 11th [[Devonshire Regiment]] in 1875,<ref name="heritage2008" /><ref name="WST History of Snooker" /> combined the rules of two [[Pool (cue sports)|pool]] games: [[pyramid pool|pyramids]], played with fifteen red balls positioned in a triangle,{{efn|A game called pyramid pool, like pyramids, was also played on a billiard table in England prior to 1850. The rules of these two games were very similar. However, that game of pyramid pool was played at this time in England with fourteen reds instead of fifteen. In both games, each player shared the same cue ball.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kentfield |first1=Edwin |date=1850|title=The Game of Billiards |publisher=Smith, Elder & Co |location=London |pages=49–50 |edition=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gp8NAAAAQAAJ&pg=PA49 |via=Google Books. Retrieved 8 October 2023}}</ref>}}<ref>{{cite book |last1=Kentfield |first1=Edwin |date=1850|title=The Game of Billiards |publisher=Smith, Elder & Co |location=London |page=48 |edition=5 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gp8NAAAAQAAJ |via=Google Books. Retrieved 8 October 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Billiard Sketches. |newspaper=Liverpool Weekly Courier |date=9 July 1881 |page=6 |via=British Newspaper Archive. Retrieved 8 October 2023}}</ref><ref>Ainsworth, Peter.{{cite web |url=https://snooker-forum.com/TheOriginofSnooker.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231015165728/https://snooker-forum.com/TheOriginofSnooker.pdf |url-status=live |title=The Origin Of Snooker: The Neville Chamberlain Story |date=10 October 2017 |archive-date=15 October 2023 |page=2 |access-date=8 October 2023}}</ref> and black pool, which involved the potting of designated balls.<ref name="FullHistory" /><ref name="Neville Chamberlain disambiguation" /><ref name="Shamos 1994" /> Snooker was further developed in 1882 when its first set of rules was finalised by British Army officer [[Neville Chamberlain (police officer)|Sir Neville Chamberlain]],{{efn|This is not the former [[Neville Chamberlain|British Prime Minister]] of the same name.<ref name="WST History of Snooker" />}}<ref name="heritage2008" />{{sfn|Boru|2010|p=3}} who helped devise and popularise the game at [[Stone House, Ooty|Stone House]] in [[Ootacamund]] on a table built by [[Burroughes & Watts]] that had been brought to India by boat.<ref name="telegraph2014" /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.azbilliards.com/snooker/history.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030306050113/http://www.azbilliards.com/snooker/history.html|title=The History and Development of snooker |work=AZ Billiards|archive-date=6 March 2003}}</ref> The word ''snooker'' was, at the time, a slang term used in the British Army to describe new recruits and inexperienced military personnel; Chamberlain used it to deride the inferior performance of a young fellow officer at the table.{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=48}}{{sfn|Boru|2010|p=3}}{{sfn|McCann|2013|page=1}} |
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Snooker featured in an 1887 issue of the ''[[Sporting Life (British newspaper)|Sporting Life]]'' newspaper in England, which led to a growth in popularity.<ref name="heritage2008" /> Chamberlain was revealed as the game's inventor, 63 years after the fact, in a letter to ''[[The Field (magazine)|The Field]]'' magazine published on 19 March 1938.<ref name="heritage2008" /> Snooker became increasingly popular across the Indian colonies of the [[British Raj]], and in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], but it remained a game mainly for military officers and the [[gentry]];{{sfn|Boru|2010|p=vii}} many [[gentlemen's club]]s that had a snooker table would not allow non-members inside to play.<ref name="heritage2008" /> (Reflecting the game's aristocratic origins, the majority of tournaments on the professional circuit still require players to wear [[waistcoat]]s and [[bow tie]]s, although the necessity for this attire has been questioned.) To cater for the growing interest, smaller and more open snooker clubs were formed.<ref name="heritage2008" /> The Billiards Association (formed 1885) and the Billiards Control Club (formed 1908) merged to form the [[Billiards Association and Control Club]] (BA&CC) and a new, standardised set of rules for snooker was first established in 1919.{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=49}}{{sfn|Gadsby|Williams|2005|p=8}} The possibility of a drawn game was abolished by the use of a {{cuegloss|re-spotted black}} as a tiebreaker.{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=49}} These rules are similar to the ones used today, although rules for a minimal point penalty were imposed later.{{sfn|Everton|1986|pages=49–50}} |
Snooker featured in an 1887 issue of the ''[[Sporting Life (British newspaper)|Sporting Life]]'' newspaper in England, which led to a growth in popularity.<ref name="heritage2008" /> Chamberlain was revealed as the game's inventor, 63 years after the fact, in a letter to ''[[The Field (magazine)|The Field]]'' magazine published on 19 March 1938.<ref name="heritage2008" /> Snooker became increasingly popular across the Indian colonies of the [[British Raj]], and in the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|United Kingdom]], but it remained a game mainly for military officers and the [[gentry]];{{sfn|Boru|2010|p=vii}} many [[gentlemen's club]]s that had a snooker table would not allow non-members inside to play.<ref name="heritage2008" /> (Reflecting the game's aristocratic origins, the majority of tournaments on the professional circuit still require players to wear [[waistcoat]]s and [[bow tie]]s, although the necessity for this attire has been questioned.) To cater for the growing interest, smaller and more open snooker clubs were formed.<ref name="heritage2008" /> The Billiards Association (formed 1885) and the Billiards Control Club (formed 1908) merged to form the [[Billiards Association and Control Club]] (BA&CC) and a new, standardised set of rules for snooker was first established in 1919.{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=49}}{{sfn|Gadsby|Williams|2005|p=8}} The possibility of a drawn game was abolished by the use of a {{cuegloss|re-spotted black}} as a tiebreaker.{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=49}} These rules are similar to the ones used today, although rules for a minimal point penalty were imposed later.{{sfn|Everton|1986|pages=49–50}} |
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Played in 1926 and 1927, the first [[World Snooker Championship]]—then known as the [[1927 World Snooker Championship|Professional Championship of Snooker]]—was won by [[Joe Davis]].{{sfn|Boru|2010|page=4}}<ref name="origins" /><ref name="ProfessionalChampionship" /> A [[Women's Professional Snooker Championship]] (now the [[World Women's Snooker Championship]]) was created in 1934 for top female players.<ref name="EVERTONWTC" /><ref name="wome_Worl" /> As a professional English billiards and snooker player himself, Davis raised the game from a recreational pastime to a professional sporting activity.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=228–229}}{{sfn|Everton|2012|page=2}} Davis won all fifteen tournaments held until 1946, when he retired from the championships.<ref name="5J29x" />{{sfn|Everton|2012|pages=3–4}} However, snooker declined in popularity in the post-war era; the [[1952 World Snooker Championship]] was contested by only two players and was replaced by the [[World Professional Match-play Championship]], which was also discontinued in 1957.{{sfn|Boru|2010|page=4}}<ref name="WST History of Snooker" /> In an effort to boost popularity of snooker, Davis introduced a variation known as "[[1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament#Snooker plus|snooker plus]]" in 1959, which added two extra colours, but this version of the game was short-lived.{{sfn|Fotherington|2006|page=106}} A world championship for top amateur players, now known as the [[IBSF World Snooker Championship]], was founded in 1963,<ref name="f9rUu" /> and the official world championship was revived on a challenge basis in 1964. |
Played in 1926 and 1927, the first [[World Snooker Championship]]—then known as the [[1927 World Snooker Championship|Professional Championship of Snooker]]—was won by [[Joe Davis]].{{sfn|Boru|2010|page=4}}<ref name="origins" /><ref name="ProfessionalChampionship" /> A [[Women's Professional Snooker Championship]] (now the [[World Women's Snooker Championship]]) was created in 1934 for top female players.<ref name="EVERTONWTC" /><ref name="wome_Worl" /> As a professional English billiards and snooker player himself, Davis raised the game from a recreational pastime to a professional sporting activity.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=228–229}}{{sfn|Everton|2012|page=2}} Davis won all fifteen tournaments held until 1946, when he retired from the championships.<ref name="5J29x" />{{sfn|Everton|2012|pages=3–4}} However, snooker declined in popularity in the post-war era; the [[1952 World Snooker Championship]] was contested by only two players and was replaced by the [[World Professional Match-play Championship]], which was also discontinued in 1957.{{sfn|Boru|2010|page=4}}<ref name="WST History of Snooker" /> In an effort to boost popularity of snooker, Davis introduced a variation known as "[[1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament#Snooker plus|snooker plus]]" in 1959, which added two extra colours, but this version of the game was short-lived.{{sfn|Fotherington|2006|page=106}} A world championship for top amateur players, now known as the [[IBSF World Snooker Championship]], was founded in 1963,<ref name="f9rUu" /> and the official world championship was revived on a challenge basis in 1964. |
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The BBC first launched its [[Color television|colour television]] service in July 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-05-10 |title=BBC - The BBC Story - July anniversaries |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/great_moments/archive/july.shtml |access-date=2022-03-01 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510114116/https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/great_moments/archive/july.shtml |archive-date=10 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1969, [[David Attenborough]], then the controller of [[BBC2]], commissioned the snooker tournament television series ''[[Pot Black]]'', primarily to showcase the potential of the [[BBC]]'s new colour television service, as the green table and multi-coloured balls provided an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of the new broadcasting technology.<ref name="WST History of Snooker" /><ref name="news_BBCS" /><ref name="Cue China" /> The series became a ratings success and was, for a time, the second-most popular show on BBC2 behind [[Morecambe and Wise]].<ref name="thet_Whit">{{Cite news |title=White and Pot Black combine in hope of a return to the good old baize |last=Syed |first=Matthew |work=The Times |date=29 October 2005 |access-date=1 August 2021 |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/white-and-pot-black-combine-in-hope-of-a-return-to-the-good-old-baize-xc5zjmzmwwt |url-access=subscription |archive-date=1 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801153235/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/white-and-pot-black-combine-in-hope-of-a-return-to-the-good-old-baize-xc5zjmzmwwt |url-status=live }}</ref> In the same year, the [[1969 World Snooker Championship]] reverted to a knockout tournament format, with eight players competing. Due to these developments, the year 1969 is taken to mark the beginning of snooker's modern era. The World Snooker Championship moved in [[1977 World Snooker Championship|1977]] to the [[Crucible Theatre]] in [[Sheffield]], where it has been staged ever since, and the [[1978 World Snooker Championship]] was the first to receive daily television coverage.<ref name="commonwealth" /> Snooker quickly became a mainstream sport in the [[United Kingdom]],<ref name="theg_‘We’" /><ref name="GuardianThatch" /> [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], and much of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], and has remained consistently popular since the late 1970s,{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} with most of the major tournaments being |
The BBC first launched its [[Color television|colour television]] service in July 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-05-10 |title=BBC - The BBC Story - July anniversaries |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/great_moments/archive/july.shtml |access-date=2022-03-01 |website= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130510114116/https://www.bbc.co.uk/historyofthebbc/great_moments/archive/july.shtml |archive-date=10 May 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In 1969, [[David Attenborough]], then the controller of [[BBC2]], commissioned the snooker tournament television series ''[[Pot Black]]'', primarily to showcase the potential of the [[BBC]]'s new colour television service, as the green table and multi-coloured balls provided an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of the new broadcasting technology.<ref name="WST History of Snooker" /><ref name="news_BBCS" /><ref name="Cue China" /> The series became a ratings success and was, for a time, the second-most popular show on BBC2 behind [[Morecambe and Wise]].<ref name="thet_Whit">{{Cite news |title=White and Pot Black combine in hope of a return to the good old baize |last=Syed |first=Matthew |work=The Times |date=29 October 2005 |access-date=1 August 2021 |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/white-and-pot-black-combine-in-hope-of-a-return-to-the-good-old-baize-xc5zjmzmwwt |url-access=subscription |archive-date=1 August 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210801153235/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/white-and-pot-black-combine-in-hope-of-a-return-to-the-good-old-baize-xc5zjmzmwwt |url-status=live }}</ref> In the same year, the [[1969 World Snooker Championship]] reverted to a knockout tournament format, with eight players competing. Due to these developments, the year 1969 is taken to mark the beginning of snooker's modern era. The World Snooker Championship moved in [[1977 World Snooker Championship|1977]] to the [[Crucible Theatre]] in [[Sheffield]], where it has been staged ever since, and the [[1978 World Snooker Championship]] was the first to receive daily television coverage.<ref name="commonwealth" /> Snooker quickly became a mainstream sport in the [[United Kingdom]],<ref name="theg_‘We’" /><ref name="GuardianThatch" /> [[Republic of Ireland|Ireland]], and much of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]], and has remained consistently popular since the late 1970s,{{Citation needed|date=March 2023}} with most of the major tournaments being televised.<ref name="FullHistory" /> In [[1985 World Snooker Championship|1985]], an estimated 18.5 million viewers stayed up until the early hours of the morning to watch the conclusion of the [[1985 World Snooker Championship final|World Championship final]] between [[Dennis Taylor]] and [[Steve Davis]], a record viewership in the UK for any broadcast on BBC Two or any broadcast after midnight.<ref name="dsoH1" /><ref name="inde_Grea" /> |
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As professional snooker grew as a mainstream sport, it became heavily dependent on [[tobacco advertising]]. Cigarette brand [[Embassy (cigarette)|Embassy]] sponsored the World Snooker Championship for 30 consecutive years from 1976 to 2005, one of the longest-running deals in British sports sponsorship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Week |first=Marketing |date=2005-04-14 |title=Snooker hunts replacement for Embassy |url=https://www.marketingweek.com/snooker-hunts-replacement-for-embassy/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Marketing Week |language=en}}</ref> In the early 2000s, a ban on tobacco advertising led to a reduction in the number of professional tournaments,<ref name="GuardianSponsor" /><ref name="sponsor" /> which decreased from twenty-two events in 1999 to fifteen in 2003.<ref name="snoo_WWWS" /><ref name="snoo_WWWS_GThzD" /> The sport had become more popular in Asia with the emergence of players such as [[Ding Junhui]] and [[Marco Fu]],<ref name="BeebDing2" /><ref name="BeebDing1" /> and still received significant television coverage in the UK—the BBC dedicated 400 hours to snooker in 2007, compared to just 14 minutes 40 years earlier.<ref name="gE3Ec" /> However, the British public's interest in snooker had waned significantly by the late 2000s. Warning that the sport was "lurching into terminal crisis", ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper predicted in 2010 that snooker would cease to exist as a professional sport within ten years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 January 2010 |title=Why snooker won't survive the decade |url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jan/10/future-of-snooker |access-date=28 February 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In the same year, promoter [[Barry Hearn]] gained a controlling interest in the [[World Snooker Tour]], pledging to revitalise the "moribund" professional game.<ref name="fUEoB" /><ref name="peHgu" /><ref name="GuardianHearn" /> |
As professional snooker grew as a mainstream sport, it became heavily dependent on [[tobacco advertising]]. Cigarette brand [[Embassy (cigarette)|Embassy]] sponsored the World Snooker Championship for 30 consecutive years from 1976 to 2005, one of the longest-running deals in British sports sponsorship.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Week |first=Marketing |date=2005-04-14 |title=Snooker hunts replacement for Embassy |url=https://www.marketingweek.com/snooker-hunts-replacement-for-embassy/ |access-date=2022-03-01 |website=Marketing Week |language=en}}</ref> In the early 2000s, a ban on tobacco advertising led to a reduction in the number of professional tournaments,<ref name="GuardianSponsor" /><ref name="sponsor" /> which decreased from twenty-two events in 1999 to fifteen in 2003.<ref name="snoo_WWWS" /><ref name="snoo_WWWS_GThzD" /> The sport had become more popular in Asia with the emergence of players such as [[Ding Junhui]] and [[Marco Fu]],<ref name="BeebDing2" /><ref name="BeebDing1" /> and still received significant television coverage in the UK—the BBC dedicated 400 hours to snooker in 2007, compared to just 14 minutes 40 years earlier.<ref name="gE3Ec" /> However, the British public's interest in snooker had waned significantly by the late 2000s. Warning that the sport was "lurching into terminal crisis", ''[[The Guardian]]'' newspaper predicted in 2010 that snooker would cease to exist as a professional sport within ten years.<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 January 2010 |title=Why snooker won't survive the decade |url=http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/jan/10/future-of-snooker |access-date=28 February 2022 |website=The Guardian |language=en}}</ref> In the same year, promoter [[Barry Hearn]] gained a controlling interest in the [[World Snooker Tour]], pledging to revitalise the "moribund" professional game.<ref name="fUEoB" /><ref name="peHgu" /><ref name="GuardianHearn" /> |
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Over the following decade, the number of professional tournaments increased, with 44 events held in the [[2019–20 snooker season|2019–20 season]].<ref name="snoo_Cale" /> Snooker tournaments were adapted to make them more suitable for television audiences, with some tournaments being played over a shortened duration,<ref name="bbc._Holt" /> or the [[Snooker Shoot Out]], which is a timed, one-{{cuegloss|frame}} competition.<ref name="worl_2019" /> The prize money for professional events increased, with the top players earning several million pounds over the course of their careers.<ref name="IFuYf" /> However, lower-ranked professional players struggled to make a living from the sport, especially after paying tournament entry fees, travel, and other expenses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-21 |title=The big snooker debate that will not go away: Prize money distribution in a sport that rewards excellence |url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/the-great-snooker-debate-that-will-not-go-away-prize-money-distribution-in-a-sport-that-rewards-exce_sto8855369/story.shtml |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=Eurosport |language=en}}</ref> Players including 2005 world champion [[Shaun Murphy]] have claimed that a 128-player professional tour is financially unsustainable.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 December 2021 |title='30% of players can't afford a loaf of bread' – Elliot Slessor backs Ronnie O'Sullivan in call for cuts to snooker tour |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/scottish-open/2021-2022/30-of-players-cant-afford-a-loaf-of-bread-elliot-slessor-backs-ronnie-o-sullivan-in-call-for-cuts-to_sto8663600/story.shtml |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 January 2017 |title=Neil Robertson: 'I told John Terry how little some snooker players are on, he couldn't believe it' |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/the-masters/2016-2017/neil-robertson-i-told-john-terry-how-little-some-snooker-players-are-on-he-couldn-t-believe-it_sto6020855/story.shtml |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}}</ref> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the professional tour was confined to events played within the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the [[2022–23 snooker season|2022–23 season]], only two professional ranking tournaments were played outside the UK, the [[European Masters (snooker)|European Masters]] in Fürth and the [[German Masters]] in Berlin, while lucrative Chinese events remained off the calendar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caulfield |first=David |date=2023-01-24 |title=What has happened to the international snooker events? |url=https://snookerhq.com/2023/01/24/what-has-happened-to-international-snooker-events/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=SnookerHQ |language=en-GB}}</ref> Stephen Maguire in 2023 criticised the [[World Snooker Tour]] and [[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association]], claiming that "the game is dying right in front of our eyes",<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watson |first=Fraser |date=2023-01-27 |title=Maguire launches blistering attack on snooker bosses in angry rant |url=https://www.express.co.uk/sport/othersport/1727223/Stephen-Maguire-snooker-news |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> and stating that some players ranked within the world's top 30 were seeking jobs outside the sport due to lack of earning potential from tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parsons |first=Ben |date=2023-01-27 |title=Snooker "dying in front of our eyes" as Maguire slams sport's under-fire 'suits' |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/snooker/snooker-stephen-maguire-match-fixing-29072032 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=mirror |language=en}}</ref> |
Over the following decade, the number of professional tournaments increased, with 44 events held in the [[2019–20 snooker season|2019–20 season]].<ref name="snoo_Cale" /> Snooker tournaments were adapted to make them more suitable for television audiences, with some tournaments being played over a shortened duration,<ref name="bbc._Holt" /> or the [[Snooker Shoot Out]], which is a timed, one-{{cuegloss|frame}} competition.<ref name="worl_2019" /> The prize money for professional events increased, with the top players earning several million pounds over the course of their careers.<ref name="IFuYf" /> However, lower-ranked professional players struggled to make a living from the sport, especially after paying tournament entry fees, travel, and other expenses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-03-21 |title=The big snooker debate that will not go away: Prize money distribution in a sport that rewards excellence |url=https://www.eurosport.com/snooker/the-great-snooker-debate-that-will-not-go-away-prize-money-distribution-in-a-sport-that-rewards-exce_sto8855369/story.shtml |access-date=2022-03-28 |website=Eurosport |language=en}}</ref> Players including 2005 world champion [[Shaun Murphy]] have claimed that a 128-player professional tour is financially unsustainable.<ref>{{Cite web |date=8 December 2021 |title='30% of players can't afford a loaf of bread' – Elliot Slessor backs Ronnie O'Sullivan in call for cuts to snooker tour |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/scottish-open/2021-2022/30-of-players-cant-afford-a-loaf-of-bread-elliot-slessor-backs-ronnie-o-sullivan-in-call-for-cuts-to_sto8663600/story.shtml |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=19 January 2017 |title=Neil Robertson: 'I told John Terry how little some snooker players are on, he couldn't believe it' |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/the-masters/2016-2017/neil-robertson-i-told-john-terry-how-little-some-snooker-players-are-on-he-couldn-t-believe-it_sto6020855/story.shtml |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=Eurosport UK |language=en}}</ref> During the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], the professional tour was confined to events played within the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the [[2022–23 snooker season|2022–23 season]], only two professional ranking tournaments were played outside the UK, the [[European Masters (snooker)|European Masters]] in Fürth and the [[German Masters]] in Berlin, while lucrative Chinese events remained off the calendar.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Caulfield |first=David |date=2023-01-24 |title=What has happened to the international snooker events? |url=https://snookerhq.com/2023/01/24/what-has-happened-to-international-snooker-events/ |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=SnookerHQ |language=en-GB}}</ref> Stephen Maguire in 2023 criticised the [[World Snooker Tour]] and [[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association]], claiming that "the game is dying right in front of our eyes",<ref>{{Cite web |last=Watson |first=Fraser |date=2023-01-27 |title=Maguire launches blistering attack on snooker bosses in angry rant |url=https://www.express.co.uk/sport/othersport/1727223/Stephen-Maguire-snooker-news |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=Express.co.uk |language=en}}</ref> and stating that some players ranked within the world's top 30 were seeking jobs outside the sport due to lack of earning potential from tournaments.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Parsons |first=Ben |date=2023-01-27 |title=Snooker "dying in front of our eyes" as Maguire slams sport's under-fire 'suits' |url=https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/other-sports/snooker/snooker-stephen-maguire-match-fixing-29072032 |access-date=2023-01-29 |website=mirror |language=en}}</ref> |
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Snooker referees are an integral part of the sport, and some have become well-known personalities in their own right. [[Len Ganley]], [[John Street (snooker referee)|John Street]], and [[John Williams (snooker referee)|John Williams]] together refereed 17 of the first 20 World Snooker finals held at the Crucible Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 April 2020 |title=Hand In Glove: The Snooker Referees |url=https://wst.tv/hand-in-glove-the-snooker-referees/ |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> Since 2000, non-British and female referees have become more prominent in the sport. Dutch referee [[Jan Verhaas]] became the first non-Briton to referee a World Championship final in [[2003 World Snooker Championship|2003]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jan Verhaas |url=https://wst.tv/corporate/referees/jan-verhaas/ |access-date=28 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> while [[Michaela Tabb]] became the first woman to do so in [[2009 World Snooker Championship|2009]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 April 2015 |title=World Snooker {{!}} About Us {{!}} Referees {{!}} Michaela Tabb {{!}} Michaela Tabb |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/MichaelaTabb/0,,13165~2229999,00.html |website=World Snooker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402215127/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/MichaelaTabb/0,,13165~2229999,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-04-02 |access-date=27 February 2022 }}</ref> Tabb was the only woman refereeing on the professional tour when she joined it in 2002, but tournaments now routinely feature female referees such as [[Desislava Bozhilova]], [[Maike Kesseler]], and [[Tatiana Woollaston]]. |
Snooker referees are an integral part of the sport, and some have become well-known personalities in their own right. [[Len Ganley]], [[John Street (snooker referee)|John Street]], and [[John Williams (snooker referee)|John Williams]] together refereed 17 of the first 20 World Snooker finals held at the Crucible Theatre.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 April 2020 |title=Hand In Glove: The Snooker Referees |url=https://wst.tv/hand-in-glove-the-snooker-referees/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200717201028/https://wst.tv/hand-in-glove-the-snooker-referees/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=17 July 2020 |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> Since 2000, non-British and female referees have become more prominent in the sport. Dutch referee [[Jan Verhaas]] became the first non-Briton to referee a World Championship final in [[2003 World Snooker Championship|2003]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Jan Verhaas |url=https://wst.tv/corporate/referees/jan-verhaas/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200111141719/https://wst.tv/corporate/referees/jan-verhaas/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 January 2020 |access-date=28 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> while [[Michaela Tabb]] became the first woman to do so in [[2009 World Snooker Championship|2009]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 April 2015 |title=World Snooker {{!}} About Us {{!}} Referees {{!}} Michaela Tabb {{!}} Michaela Tabb |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/MichaelaTabb/0,,13165~2229999,00.html |website=World Snooker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402215127/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/MichaelaTabb/0,,13165~2229999,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2015-04-02 |access-date=27 February 2022 }}</ref> Tabb was the only woman refereeing on the professional tour when she joined it in 2002, but tournaments now routinely feature female referees such as [[Desislava Bozhilova]], [[Maike Kesseler]], and [[Tatiana Woollaston]]. |
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==Gameplay== |
==Gameplay== |
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===Equipment=== |
===Equipment=== |
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[[File:Billiards_(24148162622).jpg|thumb|alt=A full-size snooker table in a brightly |
[[File:Billiards_(24148162622).jpg|thumb|alt=A full-size snooker table in a brightly lit room with bookcases and a boardroom table in the background, all cordoned off at the right-hand side as part of an English country house display|A full-size snooker table set up for the start of a game]] |
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[[File:Set_of_Snookerballs.png|thumb|alt=Close-up view of an open snooker ball box with three rows of five red balls to the rear, one row of colour balls towards the front, a white ball to front left corner, a black ball to front right corner, and two chalk cubes at the front between the white and black balls|A complete set of snooker balls]] |
[[File:Set_of_Snookerballs.png|thumb|alt=Close-up view of an open snooker ball box with three rows of five red balls to the rear, one row of colour balls towards the front, a white ball to front left corner, a black ball to front right corner, and two chalk cubes at the front between the white and black balls|A complete set of snooker balls]] |
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[[File:London - Royal Automobile Club - 3024.jpg|thumb|alt=Close-up view of a horizontal scoring band showing the numerals 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, with a ceramic pointer resting above the 10, two cue tips resting against the 12, and a box of chalk sitting on a shelf beneath|A sliding scoreboard, some blocks of cue-tip chalk, white chalk-board chalk, and two cue sticks]] |
[[File:London - Royal Automobile Club - 3024.jpg|thumb|alt=Close-up view of a horizontal scoring band showing the numerals 9, 10, 11, 12, and 13, with a ceramic pointer resting above the 10, two cue tips resting against the 12, and a box of chalk sitting on a shelf beneath|A sliding scoreboard, some blocks of cue-tip chalk, white chalk-board chalk, and two cue sticks]] |
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A standard full-size [[Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables|snooker table]] measures {{convert|12|×|6|ft|cm|abbr=on|1}}, with a rectangular {{cuegloss|playing area|playing surface}} measuring {{convert|356.9|×|177.8|cm|ftin|abbr=on|1|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=227–228}} The playing surface is surrounded by small {{cuegloss|cushion|cushions}} along each side of the table. The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushions is {{convert|86.4|cm|ftin|abbr=on|1|order=flip}}.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 7--> The table has six {{cuegloss|pocket|pockets}}, one at each corner and one at the centre of each of the two longer side cushions.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> One drawback of using a full-size table is the amount of space required to accommodate it, which limits the locations where the game can easily be played. The minimum room size that allows space on all sides for comfortable cueing is {{convert|22|x|16|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}.<ref name="roomsize" /> While [[Billiard table#Pool (pocket billiards) tables|pool tables]] are common to many [[pub]]s, snooker tends to be played either in private settings or in public [[Billiard hall|snooker halls]].<ref name="BBC get inspired" /> The game can also be played on smaller tables,{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=227–228}} with variant table sizes including {{convert|10|×|5|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}, {{convert|9|×|4.5|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}, {{convert|8|×|4|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}, and {{convert|6|×|3|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}<ref name="snoo_Pool" />{{better source needed|date=November 2022}} |
A standard full-size [[Billiard table#Snooker and English billiards tables|snooker table]] measures {{convert|12|×|6|ft|cm|abbr=on|1}}, with a rectangular {{cuegloss|playing area|playing surface}} measuring {{convert|356.9|×|177.8|cm|ftin|abbr=on|1|order=flip}}.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=227–228}} The playing surface is surrounded by small {{cuegloss|cushion|cushions}} along each side of the table. The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushions is {{convert|86.4|cm|ftin|abbr=on|1|order=flip}}.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 7--> The table has six {{cuegloss|pocket|pockets}}, one at each corner and one at the centre of each of the two longer side cushions.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> One drawback of using a full-size table is the amount of space required to accommodate it, which limits the locations where the game can easily be played. The minimum room size that allows space on all sides for comfortable cueing is {{convert|22|x|16|ft|m|abbr=on|1}}.<ref name="roomsize" /> While [[Billiard table#Pool (pocket billiards) tables|pool tables]] are common to many [[pub]]s, snooker tends to be played either in private settings or in public [[Billiard hall|snooker halls]].<ref name="BBC get inspired" /> The game can also be played on smaller tables,{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=227–228}} with variant table sizes including {{convert|10|×|5|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}, {{convert|9|×|4.5|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}, {{convert|8|×|4|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}, and {{convert|6|×|3|ft|cm|abbr=on|0}}<ref name="snoo_Pool" />{{better source needed|date=November 2022}} |
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The [[Billiard table#Cloth|cloth]] on a snooker table is usually a form of tightly woven woollen green [[baize]],{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=14}} with a directional [[Nap (fabric)|nap]] that runs lengthwise from the {{cuegloss|baulk}} end of the table to the far end near the {{cuegloss|black spot|black ball spot}}.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=160}} The nap affects the speed and trajectory of the balls, depending on the direction of the shot and whether any {{cuegloss|side spin}} is placed on the ball.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=160}}{{sfn|Peall|2017|pages=1,5}} Even if the {{cuegloss|cue ball}} is struck in precisely the same manner, the effect of the nap will differ according to whether the ball is directed towards the baulk line or towards the opposite end of the table.<ref name="heritage2008"/>{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=160}}{{sfn|Peall|2017|pages=1,5}} |
The [[Billiard table#Cloth|cloth]] on a snooker table is usually a form of tightly woven woollen green [[baize]],{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=14}} with a directional [[Nap (fabric)|nap]] that runs lengthwise from the {{cuegloss|baulk}} end of the table to the far end near the {{cuegloss|black spot|black ball spot}}.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=160}} The nap affects the speed and trajectory of the balls, depending on the direction of the shot and whether any {{cuegloss|side spin}} is placed on the ball.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=160}}{{sfn|Peall|2017|pages=1,5}} Even if the {{cuegloss|cue ball}} is struck in precisely the same manner, the effect of the nap will differ according to whether the ball is directed towards the baulk line or towards the opposite end of the table.<ref name="heritage2008"/>{{sfn|Shamos|2002|page=160}}{{sfn|Peall|2017|pages=1,5}} |
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A [[Billiard ball#Snooker|snooker ball]] set consists of twenty-two unmarked balls: fifteen {{cuegloss|red ball|reds}}, six {{cuegloss|colour ball|colour balls}}, and one white cue ball. The six colours are one each of yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black, {{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=227–228}} although the brown and blue balls were not a part of the original rules.{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=48}} Each ball has a diameter of {{convert|52.5|mm|in|1|order=flip|frac=16}}.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 8--> At the start of the game, the red balls are racked into a tightly packed [[equilateral triangle]] and the six colours are positioned at designated {{cuegloss|spot (noun)|spots}} on the table. The cue ball is placed inside [[Glossary of cue sports terms#D|the "D"]] ready for the {{cuegloss|break-off}} shot.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 17--> |
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Each player has a [[cue stick]] (or simply a "cue"), not less than {{convert|91.4|cm|ft|abbr=on|0|order=flip}} in length, which is used to strike the cue ball. The {{cuegloss|cue tip|tip}} of the cue must only make contact with the cue ball and is never used for striking any of the reds or colours directly.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 9--> |
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Snooker accessories include: {{Cuegloss|chalk}} for the tip of the cue, used to help apply {{cuegloss|spin}} on the cue ball; various sorts of {{Cuegloss|rest}}, such as the {{cuegloss|swan}} or {{cuegloss|spider}} for playing shots that are difficult to play by hand; {{Cuegloss|extension|extensions}} for lengthening the cue stick; a {{Cuegloss|triangle}} for {{Cuegloss|rack (verb)|racking}} the reds; and a {{Cuegloss|scoreboard}} which is typically attached to a wall near the snooker table.{{sfn|Boru|2010|loc=Ch. "You can chalk that one up to..."}} A traditional snooker scoreboard resembles an [[abacus]] and records the {{Cuegloss|points}} scored by each player for the current frame in units and twenties, as well as the frame scores. A simple scoring bead is sometimes used, called a "scoring string" or "scoring wire".<ref name="Scorboard" /> Each segment of the string (bead) represents one point as the players can move one or several beads along the string.<ref name="Scorboard" /> |
Snooker accessories include: {{Cuegloss|chalk}} for the tip of the cue, used to help apply {{cuegloss|spin}} on the cue ball; various sorts of {{Cuegloss|rest}}, such as the {{cuegloss|swan}} or {{cuegloss|spider}} for playing shots that are difficult to play by hand; {{Cuegloss|extension|extensions}} for lengthening the cue stick; a {{Cuegloss|triangle}} for {{Cuegloss|rack (verb)|racking}} the reds; and a {{Cuegloss|scoreboard}} which is typically attached to a wall near the snooker table.{{sfn|Boru|2010|loc=Ch. "You can chalk that one up to..."}} A traditional snooker scoreboard resembles an [[abacus]] and records the {{Cuegloss|points}} scored by each player for the current frame in units and twenties, as well as the frame scores. A simple scoring bead is sometimes used, called a "scoring string" or "scoring wire".<ref name="Scorboard" /> Each segment of the string (bead) represents one point as the players can move one or several beads along the string.<ref name="Scorboard" /> |
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====Objective==== |
====Objective==== |
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A player wins a frame by scoring more points than their opponent. At the start of a frame, the {{cuegloss|object balls}} are positioned on the table as shown in illustration A. Starting with the cue ball in the "D", the first player executes a break-off shot by striking the cue ball with the tip of their cue, aiming to hit any of the red balls in the triangular {{cuegloss|pack}}. The players then take alternating {{cuegloss|turn|turns}} at playing shots,{{efn|Snooker is played by two independent players or by more than two players as "sides", e.g. four players constituting two sides of two players.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|16, 33}}}} with the aim of {{cuegloss|pot|potting}} a red ball into a pocket and thereby scoring one point. Failure to make contact with a red ball constitutes a {{cuegloss|foul}}, which results in penalty points being awarded to the opponent.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> At the end of each shot, the cue ball remains in the position where it has come to rest (unless it has entered a pocket, where it is returned to the "D") ready for the next shot.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 19--> If the cue ball finishes in contact with |
A player wins a frame by scoring more points than their opponent. At the start of a frame, the {{cuegloss|object balls}} are positioned on the table as shown in illustration A. Starting with the cue ball in the "D", the first player executes a break-off shot by striking the cue ball with the tip of their cue, aiming to hit any of the red balls in the triangular {{cuegloss|pack}}. The players then take alternating {{cuegloss|turn|turns}} at playing shots,{{efn|Snooker is played by two independent players or by more than two players as "sides", e.g. four players constituting two sides of two players.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|16, 33}}}} with the aim of {{cuegloss|pot|potting}} a red ball into a pocket and thereby scoring one point. Failure to make contact with a red ball constitutes a {{cuegloss|foul}}, which results in penalty points being awarded to the opponent.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> At the end of each shot, the cue ball remains in the position where it has come to rest (unless it has entered a pocket, where it is returned to the "D") ready for the next shot.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 19--> If the cue ball finishes in contact with an object ball, a {{cuegloss|touching ball}} is called.{{efn|since 1927{{sfn|Everton|1986|page=49}}}} The player must then play away from that ball without moving it or else the player will concede penalty points.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> When playing away from a touching ball, the player is not required to strike another object ball. |
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When a red ball enters a pocket, the striker{{efn|The ''striker'' is the person whose ''turn'' it is at the table, either currently in play or about to play.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|11}}}} must then pot a coloured ball (or "colour") of their choice.{{efn|The term ''colour'' is understood to mean one of the six remaining object balls that are not red, i.e. yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|16}}}} If successful, the value of the potted colour is added to the player's score, and the ball is returned to its designated spot on the table. (If a designated spot is unavailable, the colour is respotted on the spot of the highest available colour; if no spots are available, the colour is respotted as close as possible to its own spot without touching the obstructing ball towards the top cushion.) The player must then pot another red ball followed by another colour. The process of alternately potting reds and colours continues until the striker fails to pot the desired object ball or commits a foul—at which point the opponent comes to the table to start the next turn—or when there are no red balls remaining.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> Points accumulated by potting successive object balls are called a "{{cuegloss|break}}" (see [[#Scoring|Scoring]] below).<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> At the start of each player's turn, the objective is to first pot a red ball, unless all reds are off the table, or the player has been awarded a {{cuegloss|free ball}}, which allows them to nominate another object ball instead of a red.<ref name="rule_Snoo" /> The cue ball may contact an object ball directly or it can be made to bounce off one or more cushions before hitting the required object ball.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 12--> |
When a red ball enters a pocket, the striker{{efn|The ''striker'' is the person whose ''turn'' it is at the table, either currently in play or about to play.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|11}}}} must then pot a coloured ball (or "colour") of their choice.{{efn|The term ''colour'' is understood to mean one of the six remaining object balls that are not red, i.e. yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|16}}}} If successful, the value of the potted colour is added to the player's score, and the ball is returned to its designated spot on the table. (If a designated spot is unavailable, the colour is respotted on the spot of the highest available colour; if no spots are available, the colour is respotted as close as possible to its own spot without touching the obstructing ball towards the top cushion.) The player must then pot another red ball followed by another colour. The process of alternately potting reds and colours continues until the striker fails to pot the desired object ball or commits a foul—at which point the opponent comes to the table to start the next turn—or when there are no red balls remaining.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> Points accumulated by potting successive object balls are called a "{{cuegloss|break}}" (see [[#Scoring|Scoring]] below).<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /> At the start of each player's turn, the objective is to first pot a red ball, unless all reds are off the table, or the player has been awarded a {{cuegloss|free ball}}, which allows them to nominate another object ball instead of a red.<ref name="rule_Snoo" /> The cue ball may contact an object ball directly or it can be made to bounce off one or more cushions before hitting the required object ball.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--page 12--> |
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Points in snooker are gained from potting the object balls in the correct sequence. The total number of consecutive points (excluding fouls) that a player amasses during one {{Cuegloss|visit}} to the table is known as a "break".{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=227–228}} A player could achieve a break of 15, for example, by first potting a red followed by a black, then another red followed by a pink, before failing to pot the next red. Breaks of 100 points or more are referred to as a [[century break]], and are recorded over the career of a professional player.<ref name="rise of century">{{Cite AV media |publisher=BBC Sport |first=Steve|last=Davis|title=The rise of snooker's century breaks |date=7 January 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/30599646 |access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> A [[maximum break]] in snooker is achieved by potting all reds with blacks, then potting all six colours, yielding 147 points; this is often known as a "147" or a "maximum".<ref name="BBC147" /> {{As of| |
Points in snooker are gained from potting the object balls in the correct sequence. The total number of consecutive points (excluding fouls) that a player amasses during one {{Cuegloss|visit}} to the table is known as a "break".{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=227–228}} A player could achieve a break of 15, for example, by first potting a red followed by a black, then another red followed by a pink, before failing to pot the next red. Breaks of 100 points or more are referred to as a [[century break]], and are recorded over the career of a professional player.<ref name="rise of century">{{Cite AV media |publisher=BBC Sport |first=Steve|last=Davis|title=The rise of snooker's century breaks |date=7 January 2015 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/snooker/30599646 |access-date=13 January 2015}}</ref> A [[maximum break]] in snooker is achieved by potting all reds with blacks, then potting all six colours, yielding 147 points; this is often known as a "147" or a "maximum".<ref name="BBC147" /> {{As of|2024|1|8|post=,}} there have been 195 officially confirmed maximum breaks achieved in professional competition.<ref name="Official 147s" /> |
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Penalty points are awarded to a player when a foul is committed by the opponent. A foul can occur for various reasons, such as sending the cue ball into a pocket, or failing to hit the object ball. The latter is a common foul committed when a player fails to escape from a "{{Cuegloss|snooker}}", where the previous player has left the cue ball positioned such that no legal ball can be struck directly in a straight line without being wholly or partially obstructed by an illegal ball. Fouls incur a minimum of four penalty points unless a higher-value object ball is involved in the foul,{{efn|An object ball is involved in a foul if it is either the nominated {{cuegloss|ball on}}, or the highest-value ball unintentionally contacted or pocketed as a result of the foul.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|26–28}}}} up to a maximum of seven penalty points where the black ball is concerned.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|26–28}}{{efn|Until the 1920s, there was no minimum penalty, with a foul on a red ball being worth one point in penalties.{{sfn|Everton|1986|pages=49–50}}}} When a foul is committed, the offender's turn ends and the referee announces the penalty. All points scored in the break before the foul was committed are awarded to the striker, but no points are scored for any ball pocketed during the foul shot.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--{{rp|24, 25}}--> |
Penalty points are awarded to a player when a foul is committed by the opponent. A foul can occur for various reasons, such as sending the cue ball into a pocket, or failing to hit the object ball. The latter is a common foul committed when a player fails to escape from a "{{Cuegloss|snooker}}", where the previous player has left the cue ball positioned such that no legal ball can be struck directly in a straight line without being wholly or partially obstructed by an illegal ball. Fouls incur a minimum of four penalty points unless a higher-value object ball is involved in the foul,{{efn|An object ball is involved in a foul if it is either the nominated {{cuegloss|ball on}}, or the highest-value ball unintentionally contacted or pocketed as a result of the foul.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|26–28}}}} up to a maximum of seven penalty points where the black ball is concerned.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" />{{rp|26–28}}{{efn|Until the 1920s, there was no minimum penalty, with a foul on a red ball being worth one point in penalties.{{sfn|Everton|1986|pages=49–50}}}} When a foul is committed, the offender's turn ends and the referee announces the penalty. All points scored in the break before the foul was committed are awarded to the striker, but no points are scored for any ball pocketed during the foul shot.<ref name="wsrulessnooker" /><!--{{rp|24, 25}}--> |
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{{See also|List of snooker tournaments}} |
{{See also|List of snooker tournaments}} |
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[[File:World Snooker Championship Trophy edited.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|alt=A silver cup-shaped trophy with a trumpet base, a Greek shepherdess finial on top, and two deco square-section handles at the sides with green sponsor ribbons tied to them; the trophy is sitting on a green cylindrical plinth|The [[World Snooker Championship]] trophy]] |
[[File:World Snooker Championship Trophy edited.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|alt=A silver cup-shaped trophy with a trumpet base, a Greek shepherdess finial on top, and two deco square-section handles at the sides with green sponsor ribbons tied to them; the trophy is sitting on a green cylindrical plinth|The [[World Snooker Championship]] trophy]] |
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The oldest current professional snooker tournament is the World Snooker Championship,<ref name="BBCWSN1" /> which has taken place as an annual event most years since 1927.<ref name="World Snooker list" /><ref name="vDR55" /> Hosted since 1977 at the [[Crucible Theatre]] in [[Sheffield]], England,<ref name="World Snooker list" /> the championship was sponsored by tobacco company [[Embassy (cigarette)|Embassy]] from 1976 to 2005,<ref name="GuardianSponsor" /> and has since been sponsored by various betting companies after the introduction of an EU-wide ban on advertising tobacco products.<ref name="BBC 4732047" /><ref name="Np1Uq" /><ref name="sbcn_Betf">{{Cite web |title=Betfred extends World Snooker Championship sponsorship |author=Menmuir, Ted |work=SBC News |date=2 May 2019 |access-date=19 August 2021 |url=https://sbcnews.co.uk/europe/uk/2019/05/02/betfred-extends-world-snooker-championship-sponsorship/ |quote= |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726175910/https://sbcnews.co.uk/europe/uk/2019/05/02/betfred-extends-world-snooker-championship-sponsorship/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Triple Crown tournaments are televised in the UK by the BBC,<ref name="bbc_deal" /> while most other tournaments are broadcast on the [[Eurosport]] network,<ref name="eurosport_deal" /> or [[ITV Sport]], as well as numerous other broadcasters internationally.<ref name="worl_Tour" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tournament Broadcasters 2021/22 |url=https://wst.tv/watch-live/tournament-broadcasters/ |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> |
The oldest current professional snooker tournament is the World Snooker Championship,<ref name="BBCWSN1" /> which has taken place as an annual event most years since 1927.<ref name="World Snooker list" /><ref name="vDR55" /> Hosted since 1977 at the [[Crucible Theatre]] in [[Sheffield]], England,<ref name="World Snooker list" /> the championship was sponsored by tobacco company [[Embassy (cigarette)|Embassy]] from 1976 to 2005,<ref name="GuardianSponsor" /> and has since been sponsored by various betting companies after the introduction of an EU-wide ban on advertising tobacco products.<ref name="BBC 4732047" /><ref name="Np1Uq" /><ref name="sbcn_Betf">{{Cite web |title=Betfred extends World Snooker Championship sponsorship |author=Menmuir, Ted |work=SBC News |date=2 May 2019 |access-date=19 August 2021 |url=https://sbcnews.co.uk/europe/uk/2019/05/02/betfred-extends-world-snooker-championship-sponsorship/ |quote= |archive-date=26 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200726175910/https://sbcnews.co.uk/europe/uk/2019/05/02/betfred-extends-world-snooker-championship-sponsorship/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Triple Crown tournaments are televised in the UK by the BBC,<ref name="bbc_deal" /> while most other tournaments are broadcast on the [[Eurosport]] network,<ref name="eurosport_deal" /> or [[ITV Sport]], as well as numerous other broadcasters internationally.<ref name="worl_Tour" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Tournament Broadcasters 2021/22 |url=https://wst.tv/watch-live/tournament-broadcasters/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211211013432/https://wst.tv/watch-live/tournament-broadcasters/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=11 December 2021 |access-date=27 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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The World Championship is the most highly valued title in professional snooker,<ref name="wcvalue" /> both in terms of financial reward (the tournament has carried a £500,000 winner's prize since 2019), ranking points, and prestige.<ref name="wcprizemoney" /><ref name="earnings_and_era_dominance" /> The [[UK Championship]], held annually since 1977, is considered to be the second most important ranking tournament, after the World Championship.<ref name="WST_UKchamp" /> These two events, and the annual non-ranking Masters tournament, make up the [[Triple Crown (snooker)|Triple Crown]] Series;<ref name="dottmasters" /><ref name="TC winners" /> being some of the oldest competitions on the professional circuit, the Triple Crown events are valued by many players as the most prestigious.<ref name="TC winners" /> Only eleven players have won all three Triple Crown events, as of 2022.{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|p=11}}<ref name="BBC20190506" /> |
The World Championship is the most highly valued title in professional snooker,<ref name="wcvalue" /> both in terms of financial reward (the tournament has carried a £500,000 winner's prize since 2019), ranking points, and prestige.<ref name="wcprizemoney" /><ref name="earnings_and_era_dominance" /> The [[UK Championship]], held annually since 1977, is considered to be the second most important ranking tournament, after the World Championship.<ref name="WST_UKchamp" /> These two events, and the annual non-ranking Masters tournament, make up the [[Triple Crown (snooker)|Triple Crown]] Series;<ref name="dottmasters" /><ref name="TC winners" /> being some of the oldest competitions on the professional circuit, the Triple Crown events are valued by many players as the most prestigious.<ref name="TC winners" /> Only eleven players have won all three Triple Crown events, as of 2022.{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|p=11}}<ref name="BBC20190506" /> |
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===Criticism=== |
===Criticism=== |
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Several players, including [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]], [[Mark Allen (snooker player)|Mark Allen]] and Steve Davis, have claimed that there are too many tournaments in the season, causing [[occupational burnout|burnout]] of players.<ref name="JrHL1" /> O'Sullivan played only a subset of tournaments in 2012, so he could spend more time with his children; as a result he ended the 2012–13 season ranked 19th in the world despite being the world champion. O'Sullivan played only one tournament in 2013, the [[2013 World Snooker Championship|World Championship]], which he won.<ref name="theg_Ronn">{{Cite web |title=Ronnie O'Sullivan bounces back to win world snooker title for fifth time |author=Glendenning, Brenda |work=The Guardian |date=6 May 2013 |access-date=19 August 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/06/ronnie-osullivan-wins-world-snooker-fifth |quote= |archive-date=6 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606194502/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/06/ronnie-osullivan-wins-world-snooker-fifth |url-status=live }}</ref> He suggested that a "breakaway tour" with fewer events would be beneficial to the sport, but none was organised.<ref name="bbc._Ronn" /> The number of ranking events on the [[World Snooker Tour]] has continued to increase, from eight in [[2002–03 snooker season| |
Several players, including [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]], [[Mark Allen (snooker player)|Mark Allen]] and Steve Davis, have claimed that there are too many tournaments in the season, causing [[occupational burnout|burnout]] of players.<ref name="JrHL1" /> O'Sullivan played only a subset of tournaments in 2012, so he could spend more time with his children; as a result he ended the 2012–13 season ranked 19th in the world despite being the world champion. O'Sullivan played only one tournament in 2013, the [[2013 World Snooker Championship|World Championship]], which he won.<ref name="theg_Ronn">{{Cite web |title=Ronnie O'Sullivan bounces back to win world snooker title for fifth time |author=Glendenning, Brenda |work=The Guardian |date=6 May 2013 |access-date=19 August 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/06/ronnie-osullivan-wins-world-snooker-fifth |quote= |archive-date=6 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200606194502/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/may/06/ronnie-osullivan-wins-world-snooker-fifth |url-status=live }}</ref> He suggested that a "breakaway tour" with fewer events would be beneficial to the sport, but none was organised.<ref name="bbc._Ronn" /> The number of ranking events on the [[World Snooker Tour]] has continued to increase, from eight in [[2002–03 snooker season|2002–03]], to eleven in [[2012–13 snooker season|2012–13]], and fifteen in [[2022–23 snooker season|2022–23]]. |
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Some leagues have allowed clubs to exclude female players from tournaments.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="bIhfn" /> A committee member of the Keighley league defended allowing such teams in the league as necessity: "If we lose two of these clubs [with the men-only policies] we would lose four teams and we can't afford to lose four teams otherwise we would have no league."<ref name=":0" /> A World Women's Snooker spokesperson commented, "It is disappointing and unacceptable that in 2019 that {{Sic|}} players such as [[Rebecca Kenna]] have been the victim of antiquated discriminatory practices."<ref name=":1" /> The [[All-Party Parliamentary Group]] for Snooker said, "The group believes that being prevented from playing in a club because of gender is archaic."<ref name=":1" /> |
Some leagues have allowed clubs to exclude female players from tournaments.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="bIhfn" /> A committee member of the Keighley league defended allowing such teams in the league as necessity: "If we lose two of these clubs [with the men-only policies] we would lose four teams and we can't afford to lose four teams otherwise we would have no league."<ref name=":0" /> A World Women's Snooker spokesperson commented, "It is disappointing and unacceptable that in 2019 that {{Sic|}} players such as [[Rebecca Kenna]] have been the victim of antiquated discriminatory practices."<ref name=":1" /> The [[All-Party Parliamentary Group]] for Snooker said, "The group believes that being prevented from playing in a club because of gender is archaic."<ref name=":1" /> |
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==Important players== |
==Important players== |
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{{See also|List of snooker players by number of ranking titles|Century break# |
{{See also|List of snooker players by number of ranking titles|Century break#Players with 500 or more|l2=List of snooker players with over 500 century breaks|List of World Snooker Championship winners}} |
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<!-- Need guaranteed PD image [[File:Joe Davis.jpg|thumb|alt=A black and white photograph of a man with Brylcreemed black hair, white shirt, black waistcoat, and black bow tie, holding a snooker cue in front of him; his autograph is visible in bottom right corner of photo|English player [[Joe Davis]], founder of the [[World Snooker Championship]], won 15 consecutive world titles between 1927 and 1946.]] --> |
<!-- Need guaranteed PD image [[File:Joe Davis.jpg|thumb|alt=A black and white photograph of a man with Brylcreemed black hair, white shirt, black waistcoat, and black bow tie, holding a snooker cue in front of him; his autograph is visible in bottom right corner of photo|English player [[Joe Davis]], founder of the [[World Snooker Championship]], won 15 consecutive world titles between 1927 and 1946.]] --> |
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[[File:Wiki_stevedavis_upload.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Headshot of a man wearing an open-necked black shirt, not smiling or looking directly at camera|[[Steve Davis]] won the World Championship six times in the 1980s.]] |
[[File:Wiki_stevedavis_upload.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Headshot of a man wearing an open-necked black shirt, not smiling or looking directly at camera|[[Steve Davis]] won the World Championship six times in the 1980s.]] |
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[[File:Stephen Maguire, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Michaela Tabb at German Masters Snooker Final (DerHexer) 2012-02-05 05 cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Headshot of a dark-haired man smiling at the camera, with black shirt, black waistcoat, and black bow tie visible|[[Ronnie O'Sullivan]] has won the World Championship seven times in the 21st century.]] |
[[File:Stephen Maguire, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Michaela Tabb at German Masters Snooker Final (DerHexer) 2012-02-05 05 cropped.jpg|thumb|upright|alt=Headshot of a dark-haired man smiling at the camera, with black shirt, black waistcoat, and black bow tie visible|[[Ronnie O'Sullivan]] has won the World Championship seven times in the 21st century.]] |
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After the creation of the World Snooker Championship, snooker overcame billiards as the most popular cue sport in the United Kingdom.<ref name="hist_Hist" /> Joe Davis was world champion for twenty years, retiring unbeaten from the event after claiming his fifteenth world title in 1946 when the tournament was reinstated after the Second World War.<ref name="Joe Davis" /> He was only beaten on level terms by his brother [[Fred Davis (snooker player)|Fred Davis]], all coming after his retirement from the game.<ref name="Joe Davis" /> He did lose matches in [[Handicapping|handicapped]] tournaments, but on level terms these defeats were the only losses of his entire career.<ref name="2QWfZ" /><ref name="Joe Davis" />{{sfn|Gadsby|Williams|2005|page=17}} |
After the creation of the World Snooker Championship, snooker overcame billiards as the most popular cue sport in the United Kingdom.<ref name="hist_Hist" /> [[Joe Davis]] was world champion for twenty years, retiring unbeaten from the event after claiming his fifteenth world title in 1946 when the tournament was reinstated after the Second World War.<ref name="Joe Davis" /> He was only beaten on level terms by his brother [[Fred Davis (snooker player)|Fred Davis]], all coming after his retirement from the game.<ref name="Joe Davis" /> He did lose matches in [[Handicapping|handicapped]] tournaments, but on level terms these defeats were the only losses of his entire career.<ref name="2QWfZ" /><ref name="Joe Davis" />{{sfn|Gadsby|Williams|2005|page=17}} |
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By 1947, Fred Davis was deemed ready by his brother to become world champion,<ref name="Joe Davis" /> but lost the world final to [[Walter Donaldson (snooker player)|Walter Donaldson]].<ref name="Western Daily Press" /><ref>{{cite news|title=New snooker champion|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26431753|access-date=23 May 2012|newspaper=The Mercury|date=27 October 1947|archive-date=29 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429235706/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26431753|url-status=live}}</ref> Fred Davis and Donaldson would contest the next four finals. After the abandonment of the World Championship in 1953, with the 1952 event boycotted by British professionals, the World Professional Match-play Championship became the unofficial world championship.{{sfn|Gadsby|Williams|2005|page=47}} Fred Davis won the tournament every year from 1952 to 1956, but did not enter the [[1957 World Professional Match-play Championship|1957 event]].<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk" /> [[John Pulman]] won the 1957 event and was the most successful player of the 1960s, won the event seven times between April 1964 and March 1968 when the [[1964–68 World Snooker Championships|World Championship]] was contested on a challenge basis.<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk"/>{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|page=144}} This [[winning streak]] ended when the tournament reverted to a [[Single-elimination tournament|knockout format]] in 1969.<ref name="TIMES23NOV" /><ref name="SjlVi" /> [[Ray Reardon]] was the dominant force in the 1970s, winning six world titles ([[1970 World Snooker Championship|1970]], [[1973 World Snooker Championship|1973]]–[[1976 World Snooker Championship|1976]], and 1978), and [[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]] won three ([[1969 World Snooker Championship|1969]], [[1971 World Snooker Championship|1971]] and [[1977 World Snooker Championship|1977]]).<ref name="Inside Snooker" /><ref name="Times_24Apr1976" /> |
By 1947, Fred Davis was deemed ready by his brother to become world champion,<ref name="Joe Davis" /> but lost the world final to [[Walter Donaldson (snooker player)|Walter Donaldson]].<ref name="Western Daily Press" /><ref>{{cite news|title=New snooker champion|url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article26431753|access-date=23 May 2012|newspaper=The Mercury|date=27 October 1947|archive-date=29 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210429235706/https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/26431753|url-status=live}}</ref> Fred Davis and Donaldson would contest the next four finals. After the abandonment of the World Championship in 1953, with the 1952 event boycotted by British professionals, the World Professional Match-play Championship became the unofficial world championship.{{sfn|Gadsby|Williams|2005|page=47}} Fred Davis won the tournament every year from 1952 to 1956, but did not enter the [[1957 World Professional Match-play Championship|1957 event]].<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk" /> [[John Pulman]] won the 1957 event and was the most successful player of the 1960s, won the event seven times between April 1964 and March 1968 when the [[1964–68 World Snooker Championships|World Championship]] was contested on a challenge basis.<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk"/>{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|page=144}} This [[winning streak]] ended when the tournament reverted to a [[Single-elimination tournament|knockout format]] in 1969.<ref name="TIMES23NOV" /><ref name="SjlVi" /> [[Ray Reardon]] was the dominant force in the 1970s, winning six world titles ([[1970 World Snooker Championship|1970]], [[1973 World Snooker Championship|1973]]–[[1976 World Snooker Championship|1976]], and 1978), and [[John Spencer (snooker player)|John Spencer]] won three ([[1969 World Snooker Championship|1969]], [[1971 World Snooker Championship|1971]] and [[1977 World Snooker Championship|1977]]).<ref name="Inside Snooker" /><ref name="Times_24Apr1976" /> |
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Steve Davis (no relation to Joe or Fred) won his first World Championship in 1981, becoming the 11th world champion since 1927.<ref name="Times_21Apr1981" /><ref name="Times_07Apr1981" /> He won six world titles ([[1981 World Snooker Championship|1981]], [[1983 World Snooker Championship|1983]], [[1984 World Snooker Championship|1984]], and [[1987 World Snooker Championship|1987]]–[[1989 World Snooker Championship|1989]]) and competed in the most-watched snooker match, the 1985 World Snooker Championship final, which he lost to Dennis Taylor.<ref name="dsoH1" /> [[Stephen Hendry]] became the 14th world champion in [[1990 World Snooker Championship|1990]], aged 21 years and 106 days; he is the youngest player ever to have lifted the world title.<ref name="WST History of Snooker" /> Hendry dominated the sport through the 1990s,{{sfn|McCann|2013|page=3}} winning the World Championship seven times (1990, [[1992 World Snooker Championship|1992]]–[[1996 World Snooker Championship|1996]], and [[1999 World Snooker Championship|1999]]).<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk" /><ref name="Global Snooker" /> |
Steve Davis (no relation to Joe or Fred) won his first World Championship in 1981, becoming the 11th world champion since 1927.<ref name="Times_21Apr1981" /><ref name="Times_07Apr1981" /> He won six world titles ([[1981 World Snooker Championship|1981]], [[1983 World Snooker Championship|1983]], [[1984 World Snooker Championship|1984]], and [[1987 World Snooker Championship|1987]]–[[1989 World Snooker Championship|1989]]) and competed in the most-watched snooker match, the 1985 World Snooker Championship final, which he lost to Dennis Taylor.<ref name="dsoH1" /> [[Stephen Hendry]] became the 14th world champion in [[1990 World Snooker Championship|1990]], aged 21 years and 106 days; he is the youngest player ever to have lifted the world title.<ref name="WST History of Snooker" /> Hendry dominated the sport through the 1990s,{{sfn|McCann|2013|page=3}} winning the World Championship seven times (1990, [[1992 World Snooker Championship|1992]]–[[1996 World Snooker Championship|1996]], and [[1999 World Snooker Championship|1999]]).<ref name="cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk" /><ref name="Global Snooker" /> |
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Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the most world titles since 2000, having done so on seven occasions ([[2001 World Snooker Championship|2001]], [[2004 World Snooker Championship|2004]], [[2008 World Snooker Championship|2008]], [[2012 World Snooker Championship|2012]], [[2013 World Snooker Championship|2013]], [[2020 World Snooker Championship|2020]] and [[2022 World Snooker Championship|2022]]), while [[John Higgins]] and Selby have both won four times (Higgins in [[1998 World Snooker Championship|1998]], [[2007 World Snooker Championship|2007]], [[2009 World Snooker Championship|2009]], and [[2011 World Snooker Championship|2011]]; Selby in [[2014 World Snooker Championship|2014]], [[2016 World Snooker Championship|2016]], [[2017 World Snooker Championship|2017]], and [[2021 World Snooker Championship|2021]]), and [[Mark Williams (snooker player)|Mark Williams]] three times ([[2000 World Snooker Championship|2000]], [[2003 World Snooker Championship|2003]], and [[2018 World Snooker Championship|2018]]).<ref name="acad_comp" /><ref name="WSC Roll of Honour" /> O'Sullivan is the only player to have made 1,000 career century breaks, and holds the record for the most maximum breaks compiled in professional competition, having achieved his 15th in October 2018.<ref name="Millennial Man" /> O'Sullivan also holds the record for the most ranking titles (39) and most Triple Crown titles (21) achieved in the sport.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ronnie O'Sullivan |url=https://wst.tv/players/ronnie-osullivan/ |access-date=28 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> |
Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the most world titles since 2000, having done so on seven occasions ([[2001 World Snooker Championship|2001]], [[2004 World Snooker Championship|2004]], [[2008 World Snooker Championship|2008]], [[2012 World Snooker Championship|2012]], [[2013 World Snooker Championship|2013]], [[2020 World Snooker Championship|2020]] and [[2022 World Snooker Championship|2022]]), while [[John Higgins]] and Selby have both won four times (Higgins in [[1998 World Snooker Championship|1998]], [[2007 World Snooker Championship|2007]], [[2009 World Snooker Championship|2009]], and [[2011 World Snooker Championship|2011]]; Selby in [[2014 World Snooker Championship|2014]], [[2016 World Snooker Championship|2016]], [[2017 World Snooker Championship|2017]], and [[2021 World Snooker Championship|2021]]), and [[Mark Williams (snooker player)|Mark Williams]] three times ([[2000 World Snooker Championship|2000]], [[2003 World Snooker Championship|2003]], and [[2018 World Snooker Championship|2018]]).<ref name="acad_comp" /><ref name="WSC Roll of Honour" /> O'Sullivan is the only player to have made 1,000 career century breaks, and holds the record for the most maximum breaks compiled in professional competition, having achieved his 15th in October 2018.<ref name="Millennial Man" /> O'Sullivan also holds the record for the most ranking titles (39) and most Triple Crown titles (21) achieved in the sport.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Ronnie O'Sullivan |url=https://wst.tv/players/ronnie-osullivan/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200112181145/https://wst.tv/players/ronnie-osullivan/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=12 January 2020 |access-date=28 February 2022 |website=World Snooker |language=en-US}}</ref> |
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==Variants== |
==Variants== |
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Geographic variations exist in the United States and Brazil, while speed versions of the standard game have been developed in the United Kingdom. [[American snooker]] is an amateur version of the game played almost exclusively in the United States.{{sfn|Collender|1925|pages=40–48}} With simplified rules and generally played on smaller tables, this variant dates back to 1925.{{efn|Despite its name, American snooker is not governed or recognised by the [[United States Snooker Association]], but by the [[Billiard Congress of America]].<ref name="BCA 2008" />}}{{sfn|Collender|1925|pages=40–48}} ''[[Sinuca brasileira]]'' (or "Brazilian snooker") is a variant of snooker played exclusively in Brazil, with fully divergent rules from the standard game, and using only one red ball instead of fifteen. At the start of the game, the single red is positioned halfway between the pink ball and the side cushion and the break-off shot cannot be used to pot the red or place the opponent in a snooker.<ref name="sinu_Hist">{{Cite web |title=História da Sinuca – Conheça as Origens do Jogo de Bilhar e da Sinuca no Brasil |trans-title=Brazilian Snooker and Pool Origins |website=sinucasinuca.com.br |date= |access-date=19 August 2021 |url=http://www.sinucasinuca.com.br/historia/ |language= |quote= |archive-date=30 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630033732/http://www.sinucasinuca.com.br/historia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Snooker Shoot Out is a variant snooker tournament, first staged in 1990, featuring single-frame matches for an accelerated format. The idea was resurrected in 2011 with a modified version that was added to the professional tour in the [[2010–11 snooker season|2010–11 season]] and upgraded to a ranking event in [[2017 Snooker Shoot Out|2017]].<ref name="Eurosport shoot out" /><ref name="7DxzR" /> |
Geographic variations exist in the United States and Brazil, while speed versions of the standard game have been developed in the United Kingdom. [[American snooker]] is an amateur version of the game played almost exclusively in the United States.{{sfn|Collender|1925|pages=40–48}} With simplified rules and generally played on smaller tables, this variant dates back to 1925.{{efn|Despite its name, American snooker is not governed or recognised by the [[United States Snooker Association]], but by the [[Billiard Congress of America]].<ref name="BCA 2008" />}}{{sfn|Collender|1925|pages=40–48}} ''[[Sinuca brasileira]]'' (or "Brazilian snooker") is a variant of snooker played exclusively in Brazil, with fully divergent rules from the standard game, and using only one red ball instead of fifteen. At the start of the game, the single red is positioned halfway between the pink ball and the side cushion and the break-off shot cannot be used to pot the red or place the opponent in a snooker.<ref name="sinu_Hist">{{Cite web |title=História da Sinuca – Conheça as Origens do Jogo de Bilhar e da Sinuca no Brasil |trans-title=Brazilian Snooker and Pool Origins |website=sinucasinuca.com.br |date= |access-date=19 August 2021 |url=http://www.sinucasinuca.com.br/historia/ |language= |quote= |archive-date=30 June 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200630033732/http://www.sinucasinuca.com.br/historia/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The Snooker Shoot Out is a variant snooker tournament, first staged in 1990, featuring single-frame matches for an accelerated format. The idea was resurrected in 2011 with a modified version that was added to the professional tour in the [[2010–11 snooker season|2010–11 season]] and upgraded to a ranking event in [[2017 Snooker Shoot Out|2017]].<ref name="Eurosport shoot out" /><ref name="7DxzR" /> |
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Other games were designed with an increased number of object balls in play. One example is "snooker plus", which included two additional colours: an orange ball worth eight points positioned between pink and blue, and a purple ball worth 10 points positioned between brown and blue, increasing the maximum possible break to 210.<ref name="8NWyU" /> Introduced at the [[1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament]], this variant failed to gain popularity and is no longer played.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=140–150}} [[Power Snooker]] was a short-lived cue sport based on aspects of snooker and pool, which was first played competitively as the [[2010 Power Snooker Masters Trophy]] and again in [[2011 Power Snooker Masters Trophy|2011]], but the format failed to gain widespread appeal and was discontinued.<ref name="Eurosport shoot out" /> Using nine red balls racked in a diamond-shaped pack at the start of the game, the matches were limited to a fixed game-play period of 30 minutes.<ref name="GuardianPower" /> [[Tenball]] was a snooker variant designed specifically for the television show of the same name, presented by [[Phillip Schofield]], which lasted for one series. A yellow and black ball worth ten points was added between the blue and pink, and the game had a slightly revised set of rules.<ref name="ukgameshow" /> Snookerpool is a variant of snooker that is played with traditional snooker balls on an American pool table with the larger pockets ( |
Other games were designed with an increased number of object balls in play. One example is "snooker plus", which included two additional colours: an orange ball worth eight points positioned between pink and blue, and a purple ball worth 10 points positioned between brown and blue, increasing the maximum possible break to 210.<ref name="8NWyU" /> Introduced at the [[1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament]], this variant failed to gain popularity and is no longer played.{{sfn|Shamos|2002|pp=140–150}} [[Power Snooker]] was a short-lived cue sport based on aspects of snooker and pool, which was first played competitively as the [[2010 Power Snooker Masters Trophy]] and again in [[2011 Power Snooker Masters Trophy|2011]], but the format failed to gain widespread appeal and was discontinued.<ref name="Eurosport shoot out" /> Using nine red balls racked in a diamond-shaped pack at the start of the game, the matches were limited to a fixed game-play period of 30 minutes.<ref name="GuardianPower" /> [[Tenball]] was a snooker variant designed specifically for the television show of the same name, presented by [[Phillip Schofield]], which lasted for one series. A yellow and black ball worth ten points was added between the blue and pink, and the game had a slightly revised set of rules.<ref name="ukgameshow" /> Snookerpool is a variant of snooker that is played with traditional snooker balls on an American pool table with the larger pockets ({{cvt|11|x|5.5|ft|m|disp=or}}). |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{portal|Cue sports}} |
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* [[Timeline of snooker on UK television]] |
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== Notes == |
== Notes == |
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<ref name="origins">{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/sporting-vernacular-11-snooker-1089731.html |first=Chris |last=Maume |title=Sporting Vernacular 11. Snooker |work=The Independent |date=25 April 1999 |access-date=25 February 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208184559/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/sporting-vernacular-11-snooker-1089731.html |archive-date=8 February 2021}}</ref> |
<ref name="origins">{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/sporting-vernacular-11-snooker-1089731.html |first=Chris |last=Maume |title=Sporting Vernacular 11. Snooker |work=The Independent |date=25 April 1999 |access-date=25 February 2007 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210208184559/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/sporting-vernacular-11-snooker-1089731.html |archive-date=8 February 2021}}</ref> |
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<ref name="heritage2008">{{cite web |url=http://www.snookerheritage.co.uk/normans-articles/days-of-old/origins-of-snooker/ |title=Origins of Snooker |first=Peter |publisher=E. A. Clare & Son Limited |last=Clare |date=2008 |website=snookerheritage.co.uk |access-date=8 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103150005/http://snookerheritage.co.uk/normans-articles/days-of-old/origins-of-snooker/ |archive-date=3 January 2017}}</ref> |
<ref name="heritage2008">{{cite web |url=http://www.snookerheritage.co.uk/normans-articles/days-of-old/origins-of-snooker/ |title=Origins of Snooker |first=Peter |publisher=E. A. Clare & Son Limited |last=Clare |date=2008 |website=snookerheritage.co.uk |access-date=8 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170103150005/http://snookerheritage.co.uk/normans-articles/days-of-old/origins-of-snooker/ |archive-date=3 January 2017}}</ref> |
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<ref name="WST History of Snooker">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ |title=History of Snooker |last1=Nunns |first1=Hector |last2=Hendon |first2=David |publisher=World Snooker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815075857/https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ |archive-date=15 August 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="WST History of Snooker">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ |title=History of Snooker |last1=Nunns |first1=Hector |last2=Hendon |first2=David |publisher=World Snooker |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815075857/https://wst.tv/wpbsa/history-of-snooker/ |archive-date=15 August 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 February 2021}}</ref> |
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<ref name="telegraph2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/articles/Ooty-India-back-in-time-to-the-birthplace-of-snooker/ |title=Ooty, India: back in time to the birthplace of snooker |date=16 June 2014 |newspaper=The Telegraph |first=Martin |last=Hughes-Games |access-date=8 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321074803/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/articles/Ooty-India-back-in-time-to-the-birthplace-of-snooker/ |archive-date=21 March 2017}}</ref> |
<ref name="telegraph2014">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/articles/Ooty-India-back-in-time-to-the-birthplace-of-snooker/ |title=Ooty, India: back in time to the birthplace of snooker |date=16 June 2014 |newspaper=The Telegraph |first=Martin |last=Hughes-Games |access-date=8 February 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170321074803/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/asia/india/articles/Ooty-India-back-in-time-to-the-birthplace-of-snooker/ |archive-date=21 March 2017}}</ref> |
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<ref name="news_BBCS">{{Cite news |title=Pot Black returns |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 October 2005 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4382776.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117104945/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4382776.stm |archive-date=17 November 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="news_BBCS">{{Cite news |title=Pot Black returns |publisher=BBC Sport |date=27 October 2005 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4382776.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061117104945/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4382776.stm |archive-date=17 November 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="rule_Snoo">{{Cite web |title=Snooker for beginners |author=Puddy, David |work=Snooker rules and refereeing |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://www.rulesofsnooker.com/snooker-for-beginners.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201013735/http://www.rulesofsnooker.com/snooker-for-beginners.html |archive-date=1 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="rule_Snoo">{{Cite web |title=Snooker for beginners |author=Puddy, David |work=Snooker rules and refereeing |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://www.rulesofsnooker.com/snooker-for-beginners.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190201013735/http://www.rulesofsnooker.com/snooker-for-beginners.html |archive-date=1 February 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="BBC147">{{Cite news |title=Ding compiles maximum at Masters |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 January 2007 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/6260923.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207225605/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/6260923.stm |archive-date=7 February 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="BBC147">{{Cite news |title=Ding compiles maximum at Masters |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 January 2007 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/6260923.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070207225605/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/6260923.stm |archive-date=7 February 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="Official 147s">{{cite web |url=https:// |
<ref name="Official 147s">{{cite web |url=https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/147-breaks/ |title=147 Breaks (full list) |website=WPBSA |publisher=World Snooker |date=8 January 2024 |access-date=9 January 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240109092923/https://wpbsa.com/about-us/history/147-breaks/ |archive-date=9 January 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="belf_Alex">{{Cite news |title=Alex Higgins: A 155 break impossible? Not for Higgy |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph |date=26 July 2010 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/alex-higgins/alex-higgins-a-155-break-impossible-not-for-higgy-28548775.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508102333/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/alex-higgins/alex-higgins-a-155-break-impossible-not-for-higgy-28548775.html |archive-date=8 May 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="belf_Alex">{{Cite news |title=Alex Higgins: A 155 break impossible? Not for Higgy |newspaper=Belfast Telegraph |date=26 July 2010 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/alex-higgins/alex-higgins-a-155-break-impossible-not-for-higgy-28548775.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190508102333/https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/alex-higgins/alex-higgins-a-155-break-impossible-not-for-higgy-28548775.html |archive-date=8 May 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="BBCWSN1">{{Cite news |title=World title victory delights Dott |first=Saj |last=Chowdhury |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2 May 2006 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4963842.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307030914/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4963842.stm |archive-date=7 March 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="BBCWSN1">{{Cite news |title=World title victory delights Dott |first=Saj |last=Chowdhury |publisher=BBC Sport |date=2 May 2006 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4963842.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070307030914/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/4963842.stm |archive-date=7 March 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="ibsf">{{cite web |url=http://www.ibsf.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=120 |title=About Us |publisher=International Billiards and Snooker Federation |date=2017 |access-date=13 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812003050/http://www.ibsf.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=120 |archive-date=12 August 2017}}</ref> |
<ref name="ibsf">{{cite web |url=http://www.ibsf.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=120 |title=About Us |publisher=International Billiards and Snooker Federation |date=2017 |access-date=13 November 2017 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812003050/http://www.ibsf.info/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=18&Itemid=120 |archive-date=12 August 2017}}</ref> |
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<ref name="WPBSA Rankings FAQ">{{Cite web |title=Rankings FAQ |url=https://wpbsa.com/rankings/rankings-faq/ |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |language=en-GB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107025129/https://wpbsa.com/rankings/rankings-faq/ |archive-date=7 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="WPBSA Rankings FAQ">{{Cite web |title=Rankings FAQ |url=https://wpbsa.com/rankings/rankings-faq/ |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |language=en-GB |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107025129/https://wpbsa.com/rankings/rankings-faq/ |archive-date=7 January 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="RankingPointsSchedule">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Tour-Prize-Money-Ranking-Points-Schedule-2019-20-v2.pdf |title=Prize Money World Rankings Schedule 2019/2020 Season |date=2 October 2019|publisher=World Snooker |access-date=5 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220173631/https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Tour-Prize-Money-Ranking-Points-Schedule-2019-20-v2.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="RankingPointsSchedule">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Tour-Prize-Money-Ranking-Points-Schedule-2019-20-v2.pdf |title=Prize Money World Rankings Schedule 2019/2020 Season |date=2 October 2019|publisher=World Snooker |access-date=5 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220173631/https://wst.tv/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Tour-Prize-Money-Ranking-Points-Schedule-2019-20-v2.pdf |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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<ref name="top16-1">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/5234798.stm |title=Swail targeting place in top 16 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=1 August 2006 |access-date=25 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602205029/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/5234798.stm |archive-date=2 June 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="top16-1">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/5234798.stm |title=Swail targeting place in top 16 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=1 August 2006 |access-date=25 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130602205029/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/other_sports/snooker/5234798.stm |archive-date=2 June 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="top16-2">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/uk_championship_snooker/1039775.stm |title=The seeds of success |last=Everton |first=Clive |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 November 2000 |access-date=25 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031018072104/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/uk_championship_snooker/1039775.stm |archive-date=18 October 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="top16-2">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/uk_championship_snooker/1039775.stm |title=The seeds of success |last=Everton |first=Clive |publisher=BBC Sport |date=24 November 2000 |access-date=25 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031018072104/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/in_depth/2000/uk_championship_snooker/1039775.stm |archive-date=18 October 2003 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="GuardianPower">{{Cite web |title=Power Snooker launch will be at O2 arena |last=Goodley |first=Simon |work=The Guardian |date=24 October 2010 |access-date=26 September 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/oct/24/power-snooker-twenty20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926084337/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/oct/24/power-snooker-twenty20 |archive-date=26 September 2019 |url-status=live |url-access=registration}}</ref> |
<ref name="GuardianPower">{{Cite web |title=Power Snooker launch will be at O2 arena |last=Goodley |first=Simon |work=The Guardian |date=24 October 2010 |access-date=26 September 2019 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/oct/24/power-snooker-twenty20 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190926084337/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/oct/24/power-snooker-twenty20 |archive-date=26 September 2019 |url-status=live |url-access=registration}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="BBC Super 6">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/8015414.stm |title=Knowles is crowned Super 6 king |publisher=BBC Sport |date=23 April 2009 |access-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426111745/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/8015414.stm |archive-date=26 April 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="BBC Super 6">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/8015414.stm |title=Knowles is crowned Super 6 king |publisher=BBC Sport |date=23 April 2009 |access-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090426111745/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/8015414.stm |archive-date=26 April 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="WST Six Red History">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/six-red-history/ |title=Six Red History |publisher=World Snooker |date=30 August 2019 |access-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220221250/https://wst.tv/six-red-history/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="WST Six Red History">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/six-red-history/ |title=Six Red History |publisher=World Snooker |date=30 August 2019 |access-date=27 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220221250/https://wst.tv/six-red-history/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="snoo_Cale">{{Cite web |title=Calendar 2019/2020 |work=snooker.org |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2019&template=2 }}</ref> |
<ref name="snoo_Cale">{{Cite web |title=Calendar 2019/2020 |work=snooker.org |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?season=2019&template=2 }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="worl_2019">{{Cite web |title=2019 BetVictor Shoot Out |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=1 February 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/tickets/2019-snooker-shoot-out/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220181810/https://wst.tv/tickets/2019-snooker-shoot-out/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="worl_2019">{{Cite web |title=2019 BetVictor Shoot Out |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=1 February 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/tickets/2019-snooker-shoot-out/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220181810/https://wst.tv/tickets/2019-snooker-shoot-out/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="5J29x">{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=7 October 1946 |page=8 |title=Billiards and Snooker – J Davis retires}}</ref> |
<ref name="5J29x">{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=7 October 1946 |page=8 |title=Billiards and Snooker – J Davis retires}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="Shamos 1994">{{cite book |last1=Shamos |first1=Michael I. |title=Pool: History, Strategies, and Legends |url=https://archive.org/details/poolhistorystrat0000sham |url-access=registration |date=1994 |publisher=Friedman Fairfax |location=New York City |ref=Shamos 1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/poolhistorystrat0000sham/page/50 50] |isbn=978-1-56799-061-4}}</ref> |
<ref name="Shamos 1994">{{cite book |last1=Shamos |first1=Michael I. |title=Pool: History, Strategies, and Legends |url=https://archive.org/details/poolhistorystrat0000sham |url-access=registration |date=1994 |publisher=Friedman Fairfax |location=New York City |ref=Shamos 1994 |page=[https://archive.org/details/poolhistorystrat0000sham/page/50 50] |isbn=978-1-56799-061-4}}</ref> |
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Line 250: | Line 255: | ||
<ref name="survival">{{cite web |url=https://wpbsa.com/tour-survival-2020/ |title=Tour Survival 2020 |date=13 February 2020 |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |access-date=6 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921034537/https://wpbsa.com/tour-survival-2020/ |archive-date=21 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="survival">{{cite web |url=https://wpbsa.com/tour-survival-2020/ |title=Tour Survival 2020 |date=13 February 2020 |publisher=World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association |access-date=6 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200921034537/https://wpbsa.com/tour-survival-2020/ |archive-date=21 September 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="World Snooker list">{{cite web |title=History of the World Snooker Championship |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0,,13165~2306123,00.html |publisher=World Snooker |date=2 March 2011 |access-date=30 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315202302/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0%2C%2C13165~2306123%2C00.html |archive-date=15 March 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
<ref name="World Snooker list">{{cite web |title=History of the World Snooker Championship |url=http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0,,13165~2306123,00.html |publisher=World Snooker |date=2 March 2011 |access-date=30 April 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110315202302/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/BetfredcomWorldChampionshipTournamentsArticle/0%2C%2C13165~2306123%2C00.html |archive-date=15 March 2011 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="worl_Tour">{{Cite web |title=Tournament Broadcasters 2019–20 |publisher=World Snooker |date=28 June 2019 |access-date=1 February 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/tournaments-broadcasters-2019-20/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113221936/https://wst.tv/tournaments-broadcasters-2019-20/ |archive-date=13 January 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="worl_Tour">{{Cite web |title=Tournament Broadcasters 2019–20 |publisher=World Snooker |date=28 June 2019 |access-date=1 February 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/tournaments-broadcasters-2019-20/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200113221936/https://wst.tv/tournaments-broadcasters-2019-20/ |archive-date=13 January 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="en.e_O'Su">{{Cite web |title=O'Sullivan excited by new Champion of Champions event |work=ESPN.co.uk |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/snooker/sport/story/258923.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721145126/http://en.espn.co.uk/snooker/sport/story/258923.html |archive-date=21 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="en.e_O'Su">{{Cite web |title=O'Sullivan excited by new Champion of Champions event |work=ESPN.co.uk |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=http://en.espn.co.uk/snooker/sport/story/258923.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190721145126/http://en.espn.co.uk/snooker/sport/story/258923.html |archive-date=21 July 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="cham_Cham">{{Cite web |title=Champion of Champions Qualifying Criteria Confirmed |work=Champion of Champions Snooker |date=15 February 2018 |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=http://www.championofchampionssnooker.co.uk/champion-champions-qualifying-criteria-confirmed/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013150233/http://www.championofchampionssnooker.co.uk/champion-champions-qualifying-criteria-confirmed/ |archive-date=13 October 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="cham_Cham">{{Cite web |title=Champion of Champions Qualifying Criteria Confirmed |work=Champion of Champions Snooker |date=15 February 2018 |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=http://www.championofchampionssnooker.co.uk/champion-champions-qualifying-criteria-confirmed/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181013150233/http://www.championofchampionssnooker.co.uk/champion-champions-qualifying-criteria-confirmed/ |archive-date=13 October 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="eN7hQ">{{cite web |title=Snooker Results (Men) |url=http://sports123.com/snk/results/mwg-2001.html |website=Sports123.com |access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222050119/http://sports123.com/snk/results/mwg-2001.html |archive-date=22 February 2009}}</ref> |
<ref name="eN7hQ">{{cite web |title=Snooker Results (Men) |url=http://sports123.com/snk/results/mwg-2001.html |website=Sports123.com |access-date=23 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090222050119/http://sports123.com/snk/results/mwg-2001.html |archive-date=22 February 2009}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="LANCS">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Women's Billiards. Association Formed to Control the Championships. |magazine=Lancashire Evening Post |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000711/19311001/359/0010 |page=10 |date=1 October 1931 |via=The British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=21 August 2019 }}</ref> |
<ref name="LANCS">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Women's Billiards. Association Formed to Control the Championships. |magazine=Lancashire Evening Post |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000711/19311001/359/0010 |page=10 |date=1 October 1931 |via=The British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=21 August 2019 }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="worl_WPBS">{{Cite web |title=WPBSA World Seniors Tour |publisher=World Snooker |date=3 May 2018 |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=https://wst.tv/wpbsa-world-seniors-tour/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220185646/https://wst.tv/wpbsa-world-seniors-tour/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="worl_WPBS">{{Cite web |title=WPBSA World Seniors Tour |publisher=World Snooker |date=3 May 2018 |access-date=16 September 2019 |url=https://wst.tv/wpbsa-world-seniors-tour/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220185646/https://wst.tv/wpbsa-world-seniors-tour/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="J3Vse">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=No interference |magazine=Gloucestershire Echo |page=5 |date=30 November 1933 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000320/19331130/108/0005?browse=true |via=The British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=21 August 2019 }}</ref> |
<ref name="J3Vse">{{cite magazine |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=No interference |magazine=Gloucestershire Echo |page=5 |date=30 November 1933 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/BL/0000320/19331130/108/0005?browse=true |via=The British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=21 August 2019 }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="trib_Muha">{{Cite web |title=Muhammad Asif victorious in World Snooker Championship final |work=The Express Tribune |date=2 December 2012 |access-date=17 February 2021 |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/474104/muhammad-asif-victorious-in-world-snooker-championship-finals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204020239/http://tribune.com.pk/story/474104/muhammad-asif-victorious-in-world-snooker-championship-finals/ |archive-date=4 December 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="trib_Muha">{{Cite web |title=Muhammad Asif victorious in World Snooker Championship final |work=The Express Tribune |date=2 December 2012 |access-date=17 February 2021 |url=https://tribune.com.pk/story/474104/muhammad-asif-victorious-in-world-snooker-championship-finals |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121204020239/http://tribune.com.pk/story/474104/muhammad-asif-victorious-in-world-snooker-championship-finals/ |archive-date=4 December 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="bbc._Wome">{{Cite web |title=Reanne Evans: Women's number one two wins away from reaching Crucible |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 April 2017 |access-date=17 February 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39510641 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221050934/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39510641 |archive-date=21 February 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="bbc._Wome">{{Cite web |title=Reanne Evans: Women's number one two wins away from reaching Crucible |publisher=BBC Sport |date=5 April 2017 |access-date=17 February 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39510641 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180221050934/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/39510641 |archive-date=21 February 2018 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="wst._Hanc">{{Cite web |title=Hancorn Wins Historic Amateur Final |publisher=World Snooker |date=8 February 2020 |access-date=17 February 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/hancorn-wins-historic-amateur-final/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220213003/https://wst.tv/hancorn-wins-historic-amateur-final/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="wst._Hanc">{{Cite web |title=Hancorn Wins Historic Amateur Final |publisher=World Snooker |date=8 February 2020 |access-date=17 February 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/hancorn-wins-historic-amateur-final/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200220213003/https://wst.tv/hancorn-wins-historic-amateur-final/ |archive-date=20 February 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="EVERTONWTC">{{cite news |last=Everton |first=Clive |date=6 April 1976 |title=Women Take Cue |work=The Guardian |page=27 |via=ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Guardian and The Observer. Retrieved 31 August 2019}}</ref> |
<ref name="EVERTONWTC">{{cite news |last=Everton |first=Clive |date=6 April 1976 |title=Women Take Cue |work=The Guardian |page=27 |via=ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Guardian and The Observer. Retrieved 31 August 2019}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="wome_Worl">{{Cite web |title=World Champions |author= |work=World Women's Snooker |date= |access-date=22 July 2021 |url=https://www.womenssnooker.com/history/world-champions/ |quote= |archive-date=11 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711101126/https://www.womenssnooker.com/history/world-champions/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
<ref name="wome_Worl">{{Cite web |title=World Champions |author= |work=World Women's Snooker |date= |access-date=22 July 2021 |url=https://www.womenssnooker.com/history/world-champions/ |quote= |archive-date=11 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210711101126/https://www.womenssnooker.com/history/world-champions/ |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="theg_‘We’">{{Cite web |title='We've earned this': Hearn savours return of 'special' Crucible crowd |author=Bower, Aaron |work=The Guardian |date=16 April 2021 |access-date=22 July 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/16/world-snooker-championship-is-reward-for-incredibly-loyal-fans |quote= |url-access=registration |archive-date=22 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722150737/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/16/world-snooker-championship-is-reward-for-incredibly-loyal-fans |url-status=live }}</ref> |
<ref name="theg_‘We’">{{Cite web |title='We've earned this': Hearn savours return of 'special' Crucible crowd |author=Bower, Aaron |work=The Guardian |date=16 April 2021 |access-date=22 July 2021 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/16/world-snooker-championship-is-reward-for-incredibly-loyal-fans |quote= |url-access=registration |archive-date=22 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722150737/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2021/apr/16/world-snooker-championship-is-reward-for-incredibly-loyal-fans |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="bbc._Holt">{{Cite web |title=Holt has faith in Hearn approach |author= |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 December 2011 |access-date=22 July 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/16092271 |quote= |archive-date=22 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722151146/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/16092271 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
<ref name="bbc._Holt">{{Cite web |title=Holt has faith in Hearn approach |author= |publisher=BBC Sport |date=8 December 2011 |access-date=22 July 2021 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/16092271 |quote= |archive-date=22 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210722151146/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/16092271 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="wst._Worl">{{Cite web |title=World Snooker Challenge Tour 2018/19 |author= |publisher=World Snooker |date=7 February 2018 |access-date=23 July 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/world-snooker-challenge-tour-201819/ |quote= |archive-date=5 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305021057/https://wst.tv/world-snooker-challenge-tour-201819/ |url-status= |
<ref name="wst._Worl">{{Cite web |title=World Snooker Challenge Tour 2018/19 |author= |publisher=World Snooker |date=7 February 2018 |access-date=23 July 2021 |url=https://wst.tv/world-snooker-challenge-tour-201819/ |quote= |archive-date=5 March 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200305021057/https://wst.tv/world-snooker-challenge-tour-201819/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="BusinessLive">{{cite web |url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/technology/big-break-creative-agency-snookers-18727246 |title=Big break for creative agency as snooker's governing body website build is pocketed |date=6 August 2020 |last=Laister |first=David |website=BusinessLive |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=3 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203195438/https://www.business-live.co.uk/technology/big-break-creative-agency-snookers-18727246 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
<ref name="BusinessLive">{{cite web |url=https://www.business-live.co.uk/technology/big-break-creative-agency-snookers-18727246 |title=Big break for creative agency as snooker's governing body website build is pocketed |date=6 August 2020 |last=Laister |first=David |website=BusinessLive |access-date=29 January 2021 |archive-date=3 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210203195438/https://www.business-live.co.uk/technology/big-break-creative-agency-snookers-18727246 |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="BBC 4732047">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4732047.stm |title=Law ends UK tobacco sponsorship |date=31 July 2005 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=29 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060205091917/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4732047.stm |archive-date=5 February 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="BBC 4732047">{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4732047.stm |title=Law ends UK tobacco sponsorship |date=31 July 2005 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=29 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060205091917/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4732047.stm |archive-date=5 February 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="WST_UKchamp">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/tournaments/betway-uk-championship-2019/ |title=Betway UK Championship |date=2020 |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=29 March 2021 |archive-date=29 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329104550/https://wst.tv/tournaments/betway-uk-championship-2019/ |url-status= |
<ref name="WST_UKchamp">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/tournaments/betway-uk-championship-2019/ |title=Betway UK Championship |date=2020 |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=29 March 2021 |archive-date=29 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210329104550/https://wst.tv/tournaments/betway-uk-championship-2019/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="TC winners">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/triple-crown-winners-to-wear-new-icon/ |title=Triple Crown winners to wear new icon |date=11 January 2020 |publisher=World Snooker |quote=Triple Crown events remain the most prestigious and historic in snooker, and they are the titles the players covet most. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221185012/https://wst.tv/triple-crown-winners-to-wear-new-icon/ |archive-date=21 February 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="TC winners">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/triple-crown-winners-to-wear-new-icon/ |title=Triple Crown winners to wear new icon |date=11 January 2020 |publisher=World Snooker |quote=Triple Crown events remain the most prestigious and historic in snooker, and they are the titles the players covet most. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200221185012/https://wst.tv/triple-crown-winners-to-wear-new-icon/ |archive-date=21 February 2020 |url-status=dead |access-date=11 February 2021}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="BBC20190506">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/48181533 |title=World Championship: Judd Trump begins 'new era of dominance' after stunning victory |last=Hafez |first=Shamoon |date=6 May 2019 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=11 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102162409/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/48181533 |archive-date=2 November 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="BBC20190506">{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/48181533 |title=World Championship: Judd Trump begins 'new era of dominance' after stunning victory |last=Hafez |first=Shamoon |date=6 May 2019 |publisher=BBC Sport |access-date=11 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102162409/https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/48181533 |archive-date=2 November 2020 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="hist_Hist">{{Cite web |title=History of Snooker and Pool |author= |work=Sky History |date= |access-date=25 July 2021 |url=https://www.history.co.uk/history-of-sports/history-of-snooker-and-pool |quote= |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724093513/https://www.history.co.uk/history-of-sports/history-of-snooker-and-pool |url-status=live }}</ref> |
<ref name="hist_Hist">{{Cite web |title=History of Snooker and Pool |author= |work=Sky History |date= |access-date=25 July 2021 |url=https://www.history.co.uk/history-of-sports/history-of-snooker-and-pool |quote= |archive-date=24 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724093513/https://www.history.co.uk/history-of-sports/history-of-snooker-and-pool |url-status=live }}</ref> |
||
<ref name="TIMES23NOV">{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=23 November 1968 |page=5 |title=Spencer beats Pulman}}</ref> |
<ref name="TIMES23NOV">{{cite news |newspaper=The Times |date=23 November 1968 |page=5 |title=Spencer beats Pulman}}</ref> |
||
<ref name="acad_comp">{{Cite journal |title=Complex networks approach to ranking professional Snooker players |last1=O'Brien |first1=Joseph D. |last2=Gleeson |first2=James P. |journal=Journal of Complex Networks |volume=8 |issue=6 |date=1 December 2020 |access-date=25 July 2021 |url=https://academic.oup.com/comnet/article/8/6/cnab003/6161497 |quote= |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725131957/https://academic.oup.com/comnet/article/8/6/cnab003/6161497 |url-status=live |doi=10.1093/comnet/cnab003|hdl=10344/9873 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> |
<ref name="acad_comp">{{Cite journal |title=Complex networks approach to ranking professional Snooker players |last1=O'Brien |first1=Joseph D. |last2=Gleeson |first2=James P. |journal=Journal of Complex Networks |volume=8 |issue=6 |date=1 December 2020 |access-date=25 July 2021 |url=https://academic.oup.com/comnet/article/8/6/cnab003/6161497 |quote= |archive-date=25 July 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210725131957/https://academic.oup.com/comnet/article/8/6/cnab003/6161497 |url-status=live |doi=10.1093/comnet/cnab003|hdl=10344/9873 |hdl-access=free }}</ref> |
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<ref name="WSC Roll of Honour">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/tournaments/betfred-world-championship-2020/ |title=World Championship Roll of Honour |date=9 October 2020 |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=18 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110140640/https://wst.tv/tournaments/betfred-world-championship-2020/ |archive-date=10 January 2021 |url-status= |
<ref name="WSC Roll of Honour">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/tournaments/betfred-world-championship-2020/ |title=World Championship Roll of Honour |date=9 October 2020 |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=18 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110140640/https://wst.tv/tournaments/betfred-world-championship-2020/ |archive-date=10 January 2021 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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<ref name="Millennial Man">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/ronnie-osullivan-the-millennial-man/ |title=Ronnie O'Sullivan – The Millennial Man |date=10 March 2019 |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=18 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124123255/https://wst.tv/ronnie-osullivan-the-millennial-man/ |archive-date=24 November 2020 |url-status= |
<ref name="Millennial Man">{{cite web |url=https://wst.tv/ronnie-osullivan-the-millennial-man/ |title=Ronnie O'Sullivan – The Millennial Man |date=10 March 2019 |publisher=World Snooker |access-date=18 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201124123255/https://wst.tv/ronnie-osullivan-the-millennial-man/ |archive-date=24 November 2020 |url-status=dead}}</ref> |
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<ref name="BCA 2008">{{Cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |chapter=Snooker Games |title=Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book |date=2008 |publisher=Billiard Congress of America |location=Colorado Springs, Colorado |isbn=978-187849-318-7 |at="American Snooker" entry, pp. 118–121 |ref=Reference-BCA-2008}}</ref> |
<ref name="BCA 2008">{{Cite book |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |chapter=Snooker Games |title=Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book |date=2008 |publisher=Billiard Congress of America |location=Colorado Springs, Colorado |isbn=978-187849-318-7 |at="American Snooker" entry, pp. 118–121 |ref=Reference-BCA-2008}}</ref> |
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<ref name="Eurosport shoot out">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/shoot-out/2020-2021/snooker-shoot-out-what-is-it-why-are-ronnie-o-sullivan-judd-trump-and-neil-robertson-missing_sto8095085/story.shtml |title=Snooker Shoot Out 2021: What is it? Why are Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump missing? |publisher=Eurosport |date=2 February 2021 |last=Kane |first=Desmond |access-date=14 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718162455/https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/shoot-out/2020-2021/snooker-shoot-out-what-is-it-why-are-ronnie-o-sullivan-judd-trump-and-neil-robertson-missing_sto8095085/story.shtml |archive-date=18 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
<ref name="Eurosport shoot out">{{cite web |url=https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/shoot-out/2020-2021/snooker-shoot-out-what-is-it-why-are-ronnie-o-sullivan-judd-trump-and-neil-robertson-missing_sto8095085/story.shtml |title=Snooker Shoot Out 2021: What is it? Why are Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump missing? |publisher=Eurosport |date=2 February 2021 |last=Kane |first=Desmond |access-date=14 February 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210718162455/https://www.eurosport.co.uk/snooker/shoot-out/2020-2021/snooker-shoot-out-what-is-it-why-are-ronnie-o-sullivan-judd-trump-and-neil-robertson-missing_sto8095085/story.shtml |archive-date=18 July 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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*{{Cite news |title=Snooker authorities survive bid |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 November 2002 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2459069.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040526051838/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2459069.stm |archive-date=26 May 2004 |url-status=live}} |
*{{Cite news |title=Snooker authorities survive bid |publisher=BBC Sport |date=13 November 2002 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2459069.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040526051838/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2459069.stm |archive-date=26 May 2004 |url-status=live}} |
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*{{Cite news |title=Snooker at the crossroads |last=Everton |first=Clive |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 November 2002 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2478413.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040711122138/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2478413.stm |archive-date=11 July 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
*{{Cite news |title=Snooker at the crossroads |last=Everton |first=Clive |publisher=BBC Sport |date=14 November 2002 |access-date=31 January 2019 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2478413.stm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040711122138/http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_sports/snooker/2478413.stm |archive-date=11 July 2004 |url-status=live}}</ref> |
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<ref name="QbFUx">{{Cite web |title=About us |url=https://wst.tv/corporate/about-us/ |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=World Snooker |language=en-US |archive-date=10 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510044539/https://wst.tv/corporate/about-us/ |url-status= |
<ref name="QbFUx">{{Cite web |title=About us |url=https://wst.tv/corporate/about-us/ |access-date=25 January 2021 |publisher=World Snooker |language=en-US |archive-date=10 May 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200510044539/https://wst.tv/corporate/about-us/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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* [https://wst.tv/ World Snooker Limited] |
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080520211323/http://wst.tv/ World Snooker Limited] |
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* [https://wpbsa.com/ World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association] |
* [https://wpbsa.com/ World Professional Billiards & Snooker Association] |
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* [https://www.ibsf.info/ International Billiards & Snooker Federation] |
* [https://www.ibsf.info/ International Billiards & Snooker Federation] |
Revision as of 01:23, 12 April 2024
Highest governing body | WPBSA IBSF |
---|---|
First played | 1875 in India |
Characteristics | |
Contact | No |
Type | Cue sport |
Equipment | Snooker table, snooker balls, cue, triangle, chalk, rests, scoreboard |
Presence | |
Olympic | IOC recognition |
World Games | 2001–present |
Snooker (pronounced UK: /ˈsnuːkər/ SNOO-kər, US: /ˈsnʊkər/ SNUUK-ər)[1][2] is a cue sport played on a rectangular billiards table covered with a green cloth called baize, with six pockets, one at each corner and one in the middle of each long side. First played by British Army officers stationed in India in the second half of the 19th century, the game is played with twenty-two balls, comprising a white cue ball, fifteen red balls, and six other balls—a yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black—collectively called the colours. Using a cue stick, the individual players or teams take turns to strike the cue ball to pot other balls in a predefined sequence, accumulating points for each successful pot and for each time the opposing player or team commits a foul. An individual frame of snooker is won by the player who has scored the most points. A snooker match ends when a player reaches a predetermined number of frames.
In 1875, army officer Neville Chamberlain, stationed in Ootacamund, Madras, and Jabalpur, devised a set of rules that combined black pool and pyramids. The word snooker was a well-established derogatory term used to describe inexperienced or first-year military personnel. In the early 20th century, snooker was predominantly played in the United Kingdom where it was considered a "gentleman's sport" until the early 1960s, before growing in popularity as a national pastime and eventually spreading overseas. The standard rules of the game were first established in 1919 when the Billiards Association and Control Club was formed. As a professional sport, snooker is now governed by the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association.
The World Snooker Championship first took place in 1927. Joe Davis, a key figure and pioneer in the early growth of the sport, won fifteen successive world championships between 1927 and 1946. The "modern era" of snooker began in 1969 after the broadcaster BBC commissioned the television series Pot Black, later airing daily coverage of the World Championship, which was first televised in 1978. Key figures in the game were Ray Reardon in the 1970s, Steve Davis in the 1980s, and Stephen Hendry in the 1990s, each winning the World Championship at least six times. Since 2000, Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the most world titles.
Top professional players compete in regular tournaments around the world, earning millions of pounds on the World Snooker Tour, a circuit of international events featuring competitors of many different nationalities. The World Championship, the UK Championship, and the Masters together make up the Triple Crown Series, considered by many players to be the most highly valued titles. Although the main professional tour is open to women, female players also compete on a separate women's tour organised by World Women's Snooker. Competitive snooker is also available to non-professional players, including seniors and people with disabilities. The popularity of snooker has led to the creation of many variations based on the standard game, but using different rules or equipment, including six-red snooker, the short-lived "snooker plus", and the more recent Snooker Shoot Out version.
History
Snooker originated in the second half of the 19th century in India.[3] In the 1870s, billiards was popular among British Army officers stationed in Jubbulpore, India, and several variations of the game were devised during this time.[3][4] A similar game, which originated at the Officers' Mess of the 11th Devonshire Regiment in 1875,[5][6] combined the rules of two pool games: pyramids, played with fifteen red balls positioned in a triangle,[a][8][9][10] and black pool, which involved the potting of designated balls.[11][12][13] Snooker was further developed in 1882 when its first set of rules was finalised by British Army officer Sir Neville Chamberlain,[b][5][14] who helped devise and popularise the game at Stone House in Ootacamund on a table built by Burroughes & Watts that had been brought to India by boat.[15][16] The word snooker was, at the time, a slang term used in the British Army to describe new recruits and inexperienced military personnel; Chamberlain used it to deride the inferior performance of a young fellow officer at the table.[17][14][18]
Snooker featured in an 1887 issue of the Sporting Life newspaper in England, which led to a growth in popularity.[5] Chamberlain was revealed as the game's inventor, 63 years after the fact, in a letter to The Field magazine published on 19 March 1938.[5] Snooker became increasingly popular across the Indian colonies of the British Raj, and in the United Kingdom, but it remained a game mainly for military officers and the gentry;[19] many gentlemen's clubs that had a snooker table would not allow non-members inside to play.[5] (Reflecting the game's aristocratic origins, the majority of tournaments on the professional circuit still require players to wear waistcoats and bow ties, although the necessity for this attire has been questioned.) To cater for the growing interest, smaller and more open snooker clubs were formed.[5] The Billiards Association (formed 1885) and the Billiards Control Club (formed 1908) merged to form the Billiards Association and Control Club (BA&CC) and a new, standardised set of rules for snooker was first established in 1919.[20][21] The possibility of a drawn game was abolished by the use of a re-spotted black as a tiebreaker.[20] These rules are similar to the ones used today, although rules for a minimal point penalty were imposed later.[22]
Played in 1926 and 1927, the first World Snooker Championship—then known as the Professional Championship of Snooker—was won by Joe Davis.[23][3][24] A Women's Professional Snooker Championship (now the World Women's Snooker Championship) was created in 1934 for top female players.[25][26] As a professional English billiards and snooker player himself, Davis raised the game from a recreational pastime to a professional sporting activity.[27][28] Davis won all fifteen tournaments held until 1946, when he retired from the championships.[29][30] However, snooker declined in popularity in the post-war era; the 1952 World Snooker Championship was contested by only two players and was replaced by the World Professional Match-play Championship, which was also discontinued in 1957.[23][6] In an effort to boost popularity of snooker, Davis introduced a variation known as "snooker plus" in 1959, which added two extra colours, but this version of the game was short-lived.[31] A world championship for top amateur players, now known as the IBSF World Snooker Championship, was founded in 1963,[32] and the official world championship was revived on a challenge basis in 1964.
The BBC first launched its colour television service in July 1967.[33] In 1969, David Attenborough, then the controller of BBC2, commissioned the snooker tournament television series Pot Black, primarily to showcase the potential of the BBC's new colour television service, as the green table and multi-coloured balls provided an ideal opportunity to demonstrate the advantages of the new broadcasting technology.[6][34][35] The series became a ratings success and was, for a time, the second-most popular show on BBC2 behind Morecambe and Wise.[36] In the same year, the 1969 World Snooker Championship reverted to a knockout tournament format, with eight players competing. Due to these developments, the year 1969 is taken to mark the beginning of snooker's modern era. The World Snooker Championship moved in 1977 to the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, where it has been staged ever since, and the 1978 World Snooker Championship was the first to receive daily television coverage.[37] Snooker quickly became a mainstream sport in the United Kingdom,[38][39] Ireland, and much of the Commonwealth, and has remained consistently popular since the late 1970s,[citation needed] with most of the major tournaments being televised.[11] In 1985, an estimated 18.5 million viewers stayed up until the early hours of the morning to watch the conclusion of the World Championship final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis, a record viewership in the UK for any broadcast on BBC Two or any broadcast after midnight.[40][41]
As professional snooker grew as a mainstream sport, it became heavily dependent on tobacco advertising. Cigarette brand Embassy sponsored the World Snooker Championship for 30 consecutive years from 1976 to 2005, one of the longest-running deals in British sports sponsorship.[42] In the early 2000s, a ban on tobacco advertising led to a reduction in the number of professional tournaments,[43][44] which decreased from twenty-two events in 1999 to fifteen in 2003.[45][46] The sport had become more popular in Asia with the emergence of players such as Ding Junhui and Marco Fu,[47][48] and still received significant television coverage in the UK—the BBC dedicated 400 hours to snooker in 2007, compared to just 14 minutes 40 years earlier.[49] However, the British public's interest in snooker had waned significantly by the late 2000s. Warning that the sport was "lurching into terminal crisis", The Guardian newspaper predicted in 2010 that snooker would cease to exist as a professional sport within ten years.[50] In the same year, promoter Barry Hearn gained a controlling interest in the World Snooker Tour, pledging to revitalise the "moribund" professional game.[51][52][53]
Over the following decade, the number of professional tournaments increased, with 44 events held in the 2019–20 season.[54] Snooker tournaments were adapted to make them more suitable for television audiences, with some tournaments being played over a shortened duration,[55] or the Snooker Shoot Out, which is a timed, one-frame competition.[56] The prize money for professional events increased, with the top players earning several million pounds over the course of their careers.[57] However, lower-ranked professional players struggled to make a living from the sport, especially after paying tournament entry fees, travel, and other expenses.[58] Players including 2005 world champion Shaun Murphy have claimed that a 128-player professional tour is financially unsustainable.[59][60] During the COVID-19 pandemic, the professional tour was confined to events played within the United Kingdom and Ireland. In the 2022–23 season, only two professional ranking tournaments were played outside the UK, the European Masters in Fürth and the German Masters in Berlin, while lucrative Chinese events remained off the calendar.[61] Stephen Maguire in 2023 criticised the World Snooker Tour and World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, claiming that "the game is dying right in front of our eyes",[62] and stating that some players ranked within the world's top 30 were seeking jobs outside the sport due to lack of earning potential from tournaments.[63]
Snooker referees are an integral part of the sport, and some have become well-known personalities in their own right. Len Ganley, John Street, and John Williams together refereed 17 of the first 20 World Snooker finals held at the Crucible Theatre.[64] Since 2000, non-British and female referees have become more prominent in the sport. Dutch referee Jan Verhaas became the first non-Briton to referee a World Championship final in 2003,[65] while Michaela Tabb became the first woman to do so in 2009.[66] Tabb was the only woman refereeing on the professional tour when she joined it in 2002, but tournaments now routinely feature female referees such as Desislava Bozhilova, Maike Kesseler, and Tatiana Woollaston.
Gameplay
Equipment
A standard full-size snooker table measures 12 ft × 6 ft (365.8 cm × 182.9 cm), with a rectangular playing surface measuring 11 ft 8.5 in × 5 ft 10.0 in (356.9 cm × 177.8 cm).[67] The playing surface is surrounded by small cushions along each side of the table. The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushions is 2 ft 10.0 in (86.4 cm).[68] The table has six pockets, one at each corner and one at the centre of each of the two longer side cushions.[68] One drawback of using a full-size table is the amount of space required to accommodate it, which limits the locations where the game can easily be played. The minimum room size that allows space on all sides for comfortable cueing is 22 ft × 16 ft (6.7 m × 4.9 m).[69] While pool tables are common to many pubs, snooker tends to be played either in private settings or in public snooker halls.[70] The game can also be played on smaller tables,[67] with variant table sizes including 10 ft × 5 ft (305 cm × 152 cm), 9 ft × 4.5 ft (274 cm × 137 cm), 8 ft × 4 ft (244 cm × 122 cm), and 6 ft × 3 ft (183 cm × 91 cm)[71][better source needed]
The cloth on a snooker table is usually a form of tightly woven woollen green baize,[72] with a directional nap that runs lengthwise from the baulk end of the table to the far end near the black ball spot.[73] The nap affects the speed and trajectory of the balls, depending on the direction of the shot and whether any side spin is placed on the ball.[73][74] Even if the cue ball is struck in precisely the same manner, the effect of the nap will differ according to whether the ball is directed towards the baulk line or towards the opposite end of the table.[5][73][74]
A snooker ball set consists of twenty-two unmarked balls: fifteen reds, six colour balls, and one white cue ball. The six colours are one each of yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black, [67] although the brown and blue balls were not a part of the original rules.[17] Each ball has a diameter of 2+1⁄16 inches (52.5 mm).[68] At the start of the game, the red balls are racked into a tightly packed equilateral triangle and the six colours are positioned at designated spots on the table. The cue ball is placed inside the "D" ready for the break-off shot.[68]
Each player has a cue stick (or simply a "cue"), not less than 3 ft (91.4 cm) in length, which is used to strike the cue ball. The tip of the cue must only make contact with the cue ball and is never used for striking any of the reds or colours directly.[68]
Snooker accessories include: chalk for the tip of the cue, used to help apply spin on the cue ball; various sorts of rest, such as the swan or spider for playing shots that are difficult to play by hand; extensions for lengthening the cue stick; a triangle for racking the reds; and a scoreboard which is typically attached to a wall near the snooker table.[75] A traditional snooker scoreboard resembles an abacus and records the points scored by each player for the current frame in units and twenties, as well as the frame scores. A simple scoring bead is sometimes used, called a "scoring string" or "scoring wire".[76] Each segment of the string (bead) represents one point as the players can move one or several beads along the string.[76]
Rules
Objective
A player wins a frame by scoring more points than their opponent. At the start of a frame, the object balls are positioned on the table as shown in illustration A. Starting with the cue ball in the "D", the first player executes a break-off shot by striking the cue ball with the tip of their cue, aiming to hit any of the red balls in the triangular pack. The players then take alternating turns at playing shots,[c] with the aim of potting a red ball into a pocket and thereby scoring one point. Failure to make contact with a red ball constitutes a foul, which results in penalty points being awarded to the opponent.[68] At the end of each shot, the cue ball remains in the position where it has come to rest (unless it has entered a pocket, where it is returned to the "D") ready for the next shot.[68] If the cue ball finishes in contact with an object ball, a touching ball is called.[d] The player must then play away from that ball without moving it or else the player will concede penalty points.[68] When playing away from a touching ball, the player is not required to strike another object ball.
When a red ball enters a pocket, the striker[e] must then pot a coloured ball (or "colour") of their choice.[f] If successful, the value of the potted colour is added to the player's score, and the ball is returned to its designated spot on the table. (If a designated spot is unavailable, the colour is respotted on the spot of the highest available colour; if no spots are available, the colour is respotted as close as possible to its own spot without touching the obstructing ball towards the top cushion.) The player must then pot another red ball followed by another colour. The process of alternately potting reds and colours continues until the striker fails to pot the desired object ball or commits a foul—at which point the opponent comes to the table to start the next turn—or when there are no red balls remaining.[68] Points accumulated by potting successive object balls are called a "break" (see Scoring below).[68] At the start of each player's turn, the objective is to first pot a red ball, unless all reds are off the table, or the player has been awarded a free ball, which allows them to nominate another object ball instead of a red.[77] The cue ball may contact an object ball directly or it can be made to bounce off one or more cushions before hitting the required object ball.[68]
The game continues until every red ball has been potted and only the six colours and the cue ball are left on the table.[68] The colours must next be potted in the ascending order of their values, from lowest to highest, i.e. yellow first (worth two points), then green (three points), brown (four points), blue (five points), pink (six points), and finally black (seven points); each colour remains in the pocket after being potted.[68] When the final ball is potted, the player with the most points wins the frame.[68][g] If there are not enough points remaining on the table for a player to win the frame, that player may offer to concede the frame while at the table (but not while their opponent is still at the table); a frame concession is a common occurrence in professional snooker.[68][77] Players will often play on even when there are not enough points available for them to win, hoping to force their opponent into playing foul shots by laying snookers.[68][77] These are shots that are designed to make playing a legal shot harder, such as leaving another ball between the cue ball and the object ball.[78]
If the scores are equal when all of the object balls have been potted, the black is used as a tiebreaker. In this situation, called a "re-spotted black", the black ball is returned to its designated spot and the cue ball is played in-hand, meaning that it may be placed anywhere on or within the lines of the "D" to start the tiebreak. The referee then tosses a coin and the winner of the toss decides who takes the first strike. The game continues until one of the players either pots the black ball to win the frame, or commits a foul (losing the frame).[68]
Professional and competitive amateur matches are officiated by a referee, who is charged with ensuring the proper conduct of players and making decisions "in the interests of fair play". The responsibilities of the referee include announcing the points scored during a break, determining when a foul has been committed and awarding penalty points and free balls accordingly, replacing colours onto their designated spots after they are potted, restoring the balls to their previous positions after the "miss" rule has been invoked (see Scoring), and cleaning the cue ball or any object ball upon request by the striker.[68]: 39 Another duty of the referee is to recognise and declare a stalemate when neither player is able to make any progress in the frame. If both players agree, the balls are returned to their starting positions and the frame is restarted (known as a "re-rack"), with the same player taking the break-off shot as before.[68]: 33 Professional players usually play the game in a sporting manner, declaring fouls they have committed which the referee has not noticed,[79] acknowledging good shots from their opponent, and holding up a hand to apologise for a fortunate shot, known as a "fluke".[79][80]
Scoring
Colour | Value |
---|---|
Red | 1 point |
Yellow | 2 points |
Green | 3 points |
Brown | 4 points |
Blue | 5 points |
Pink | 6 points |
Black | 7 points |
Points in snooker are gained from potting the object balls in the correct sequence. The total number of consecutive points (excluding fouls) that a player amasses during one visit to the table is known as a "break".[67] A player could achieve a break of 15, for example, by first potting a red followed by a black, then another red followed by a pink, before failing to pot the next red. Breaks of 100 points or more are referred to as a century break, and are recorded over the career of a professional player.[81] A maximum break in snooker is achieved by potting all reds with blacks, then potting all six colours, yielding 147 points; this is often known as a "147" or a "maximum".[82] As of 8 January 2024, there have been 195 officially confirmed maximum breaks achieved in professional competition.[83]
Penalty points are awarded to a player when a foul is committed by the opponent. A foul can occur for various reasons, such as sending the cue ball into a pocket, or failing to hit the object ball. The latter is a common foul committed when a player fails to escape from a "snooker", where the previous player has left the cue ball positioned such that no legal ball can be struck directly in a straight line without being wholly or partially obstructed by an illegal ball. Fouls incur a minimum of four penalty points unless a higher-value object ball is involved in the foul,[h] up to a maximum of seven penalty points where the black ball is concerned.[68]: 26–28 [i] When a foul is committed, the offender's turn ends and the referee announces the penalty. All points scored in the break before the foul was committed are awarded to the striker, but no points are scored for any ball pocketed during the foul shot.[68]
If dissatisfied with the position left after a foul, the next player may nominate the opponent who committed the foul to play again from where the balls have come to rest. If the referee has also called a "miss"—meaning that the referee has deemed the opponent not to have made their best possible attempt to hit the object ball—the player has the option of having the balls replaced to their original positions and forcing the opponent to play the shot again. If, after a foul, the next player cannot cleanly strike both sides of the object ball, the referee may call a free ball, allowing the player to nominate any other ball in place of the object ball they might normally have played.[68] If a player is awarded a free ball with all 15 red balls still in play, they can potentially make a break exceeding 147, with the highest possible being a 155 break, achieved by nominating the free ball as an extra red, then potting the black as the additional colour after potting the free-ball red, followed by the 15 reds with blacks, and finally the colours. Jamie Cope was the first player to achieve a verified 155 break during a practice frame in 2005, with other players such as Alex Higgins claiming to have made a similar break.[84]
One game of snooker is called a "frame". A snooker match generally consists of a predetermined number of frames. Most matches in current professional tournaments are played as the best of 7, 9, or 11 frames, with finals usually the best of 17 or 19 frames. The World Championship uses a longer format, with matches ranging from the best of 19 frames in the first round to best of 35 for the final, which is played over four sessions of play held over two days.[85] Some early world finals had much longer matches, such as the 1947 World Snooker Championship, which was played over the best of 145 frames.[86][87]
Governance and tournaments
Professional
Professional snooker players compete on the World Snooker Tour, which is a circuit of world ranking tournaments and invitational events held throughout the snooker season. All competitions are open to professional players who have qualified for the tour, and selected amateur players, but most events include a separate qualification stage. Players can qualify for the tour by virtue of their position in the world rankings from prior seasons, by winning continental championships, or through the Challenge Tour or Q School events.[88] Players on the World Snooker Tour generally gain a two-year "tour card" for participation in the events.[88] Beginning in the 2014–15 season, some players have also received invitational tour cards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the sport; these cards are issued at the discretion of the World Snooker Board, and have been awarded to players including Steve Davis, James Wattana, Jimmy White, and Stephen Hendry.[89] Some additional secondary tours have been contested over the years. A two-tier structure was adopted for the 1997–98 snooker season; comprising six tournaments known as the WPBSA Minor Tour was open to all professionals, but only ran for one season.[90][91] A similar secondary UK Tour was first played from the 1997–98 season, which was renamed the Challenge Tour in 2000, Players Tour Championship in 2010 and returned as the Challenge Tour in 2018.[92][91][93]
The global governing body for professional snooker is the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), founded as the Professional Billiard Players' Association.[94] The WPBSA owns and publishes the official rules of snooker,[95] and has overall responsibility for policy-making in the professional sport of snooker.[96] World Snooker Ltd is responsible for the professional tour which is owned by both the WPBSA and Matchroom Sport.[97]
World rankings
Every player on the World Snooker Tour is assigned a position on the WPBSA's official world ranking list, which is used to determine the seedings and the level of qualification each player requires for the tournaments on the professional circuit.[98] The current world rankings are determined using a two-year rolling points system, where points are allocated to the players according to the prize money earned at designated tournaments.[99] This "rolling" list is maintained and updated throughout the season, with points from tournaments played in the current season replacing points earned from the corresponding tournaments of two seasons ago. Additionally, "one-year" and "two-year" ranking lists are compiled at the end of every season, after the World Championship; these year-end lists are used for pre-qualification at certain tournaments and for tour-card guarantees.[98]
The top 16 players in the world ranking list, generally regarded as the "elite" of the professional snooker circuit,[100] are not required to pre-qualify for some of the tournaments, such as the Shanghai Masters, the Masters and the World Snooker Championship.[101] Certain other events, such as those in the Players Series, use the one-year ranking list to qualify; these use the results of the current season to denote participants.[102] As of the 2020–21 season, there are 128 places available on the World Snooker Tour,[103] with players either in the top 64 on the official ranking list, or finishing as one of the top eight prize money earners during the most recent season, guaranteed a tour place for the next season, this being assessed after the World Championship.[104]
Tournaments
The oldest current professional snooker tournament is the World Snooker Championship,[85] which has taken place as an annual event most years since 1927.[105][106] Hosted since 1977 at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England,[105] the championship was sponsored by tobacco company Embassy from 1976 to 2005,[43] and has since been sponsored by various betting companies after the introduction of an EU-wide ban on advertising tobacco products.[107][108][109] The Triple Crown tournaments are televised in the UK by the BBC,[110] while most other tournaments are broadcast on the Eurosport network,[111] or ITV Sport, as well as numerous other broadcasters internationally.[112][113]
The World Championship is the most highly valued title in professional snooker,[114] both in terms of financial reward (the tournament has carried a £500,000 winner's prize since 2019), ranking points, and prestige.[115][116] The UK Championship, held annually since 1977, is considered to be the second most important ranking tournament, after the World Championship.[117] These two events, and the annual non-ranking Masters tournament, make up the Triple Crown Series;[118][119] being some of the oldest competitions on the professional circuit, the Triple Crown events are valued by many players as the most prestigious.[119] Only eleven players have won all three Triple Crown events, as of 2022.[120][121]
Snooker has faced criticism for matches taking too long.[122] In response, Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn introduced a series of timed tournaments. The shot-timed Premier League Snooker was held between 1987 and 2012, with seven players invited to compete at regular United Kingdom venues, and was televised on Sky Sports.[116] Players had twenty-five seconds to take each shot, with five time-outs per player per match. Although some success was achieved with this format, it did not receive the same amount of press attention or status as the regular ranking tournaments.[122] This event has been taken out of the tour since 2013, when the Champion of Champions was established.[123] The event saw players qualify by virtue of winning other events in the season, with 16 champions competing.[124][j]
In 2015, the WPBSA submitted an unsuccessful bid for snooker to be played at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan.[125][126] Another bid has been put forward for the 2024 Summer Olympics through the World Snooker Federation, founded in 2017.[127][128] A trial for the format for cue sports to be played at the 2024 games was put forward at the 2019 World Team Trophy, also featuring nine-ball and carom billiards.[129] Snooker has been contested at the World Games since 2001, and was included as an event at the 2019 African Games.[130][131][132]
Amateur
Non-professional snooker (including youth competition) is governed by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF).[133] Events held specifically for seniors are handled by the WPBSA under the World Seniors Tour.[134][135][136] World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) is a WPBSA subsidiary that organises events and playing aids in snooker and other cue sports for people with disabilities.[70] Snooker is a mixed gender sport that affords men and women the same opportunities to progress at all levels of the game. While the main professional tour is open to female players, there is also a separate women's tour organised by World Women's Snooker (formerly the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association) that encourages female players to participate in the sport.[70] The winner of the World Women's Snooker Championship now receives a two-year tour card to the main professional tour.
The highest competition in the amateur sport is the IBSF World Snooker Championship,[137] while the highest level of the senior sport is the World Seniors Championship.[136] On the women's tour, the leading tournament is the World Women's Snooker Championship. The reigning champion is Reanne Evans who has held the women's world title twelve times since first winning the championship in 2005. Evans has also participated on the World Snooker Tour and has taken part in the qualifying rounds of the main world championship on five occasions, reaching the second round in 2017.[138] The most prestigious amateur event in England is the English Amateur Championship; first held in 1916, this is the oldest snooker competition still being played in the world.[139]
Criticism
Several players, including Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Allen and Steve Davis, have claimed that there are too many tournaments in the season, causing burnout of players.[140] O'Sullivan played only a subset of tournaments in 2012, so he could spend more time with his children; as a result he ended the 2012–13 season ranked 19th in the world despite being the world champion. O'Sullivan played only one tournament in 2013, the World Championship, which he won.[141] He suggested that a "breakaway tour" with fewer events would be beneficial to the sport, but none was organised.[142] The number of ranking events on the World Snooker Tour has continued to increase, from eight in 2002–03, to eleven in 2012–13, and fifteen in 2022–23.
Some leagues have allowed clubs to exclude female players from tournaments.[143][144] A committee member of the Keighley league defended allowing such teams in the league as necessity: "If we lose two of these clubs [with the men-only policies] we would lose four teams and we can't afford to lose four teams otherwise we would have no league."[143] A World Women's Snooker spokesperson commented, "It is disappointing and unacceptable that in 2019 that [sic] players such as Rebecca Kenna have been the victim of antiquated discriminatory practices."[145] The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Snooker said, "The group believes that being prevented from playing in a club because of gender is archaic."[145]
Important players
After the creation of the World Snooker Championship, snooker overcame billiards as the most popular cue sport in the United Kingdom.[146] Joe Davis was world champion for twenty years, retiring unbeaten from the event after claiming his fifteenth world title in 1946 when the tournament was reinstated after the Second World War.[147] He was only beaten on level terms by his brother Fred Davis, all coming after his retirement from the game.[147] He did lose matches in handicapped tournaments, but on level terms these defeats were the only losses of his entire career.[148][147][149]
By 1947, Fred Davis was deemed ready by his brother to become world champion,[147] but lost the world final to Walter Donaldson.[150][151] Fred Davis and Donaldson would contest the next four finals. After the abandonment of the World Championship in 1953, with the 1952 event boycotted by British professionals, the World Professional Match-play Championship became the unofficial world championship.[152] Fred Davis won the tournament every year from 1952 to 1956, but did not enter the 1957 event.[153] John Pulman won the 1957 event and was the most successful player of the 1960s, won the event seven times between April 1964 and March 1968 when the World Championship was contested on a challenge basis.[153][87] This winning streak ended when the tournament reverted to a knockout format in 1969.[154][155] Ray Reardon was the dominant force in the 1970s, winning six world titles (1970, 1973–1976, and 1978), and John Spencer won three (1969, 1971 and 1977).[156][157]
Steve Davis (no relation to Joe or Fred) won his first World Championship in 1981, becoming the 11th world champion since 1927.[158][159] He won six world titles (1981, 1983, 1984, and 1987–1989) and competed in the most-watched snooker match, the 1985 World Snooker Championship final, which he lost to Dennis Taylor.[40] Stephen Hendry became the 14th world champion in 1990, aged 21 years and 106 days; he is the youngest player ever to have lifted the world title.[6] Hendry dominated the sport through the 1990s,[160] winning the World Championship seven times (1990, 1992–1996, and 1999).[153][161]
Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the most world titles since 2000, having done so on seven occasions (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012, 2013, 2020 and 2022), while John Higgins and Selby have both won four times (Higgins in 1998, 2007, 2009, and 2011; Selby in 2014, 2016, 2017, and 2021), and Mark Williams three times (2000, 2003, and 2018).[162][163] O'Sullivan is the only player to have made 1,000 career century breaks, and holds the record for the most maximum breaks compiled in professional competition, having achieved his 15th in October 2018.[164] O'Sullivan also holds the record for the most ranking titles (39) and most Triple Crown titles (21) achieved in the sport.[165]
Variants
Some versions of snooker, such as six-red or ten-red snooker, are played with almost identical rules but with fewer object balls, reducing the time taken to play each frame.[166][167] The Six-red World Championship, contested annually in Bangkok, Thailand, has been a regular fixture on the World Snooker Tour since 2012.[168] The ten-red game has had a World Women's 10-Red Championship held annually in Leeds, England, from 2017 to 2019.[169][170][171]
Geographic variations exist in the United States and Brazil, while speed versions of the standard game have been developed in the United Kingdom. American snooker is an amateur version of the game played almost exclusively in the United States.[172] With simplified rules and generally played on smaller tables, this variant dates back to 1925.[k][172] Sinuca brasileira (or "Brazilian snooker") is a variant of snooker played exclusively in Brazil, with fully divergent rules from the standard game, and using only one red ball instead of fifteen. At the start of the game, the single red is positioned halfway between the pink ball and the side cushion and the break-off shot cannot be used to pot the red or place the opponent in a snooker.[174] The Snooker Shoot Out is a variant snooker tournament, first staged in 1990, featuring single-frame matches for an accelerated format. The idea was resurrected in 2011 with a modified version that was added to the professional tour in the 2010–11 season and upgraded to a ranking event in 2017.[175][176]
Other games were designed with an increased number of object balls in play. One example is "snooker plus", which included two additional colours: an orange ball worth eight points positioned between pink and blue, and a purple ball worth 10 points positioned between brown and blue, increasing the maximum possible break to 210.[177] Introduced at the 1959 News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament, this variant failed to gain popularity and is no longer played.[178] Power Snooker was a short-lived cue sport based on aspects of snooker and pool, which was first played competitively as the 2010 Power Snooker Masters Trophy and again in 2011, but the format failed to gain widespread appeal and was discontinued.[175] Using nine red balls racked in a diamond-shaped pack at the start of the game, the matches were limited to a fixed game-play period of 30 minutes.[179] Tenball was a snooker variant designed specifically for the television show of the same name, presented by Phillip Schofield, which lasted for one series. A yellow and black ball worth ten points was added between the blue and pink, and the game had a slightly revised set of rules.[180] Snookerpool is a variant of snooker that is played with traditional snooker balls on an American pool table with the larger pockets (11 ft × 5.5 ft or 3.4 m × 1.7 m).
See also
Notes
- ^ A game called pyramid pool, like pyramids, was also played on a billiard table in England prior to 1850. The rules of these two games were very similar. However, that game of pyramid pool was played at this time in England with fourteen reds instead of fifteen. In both games, each player shared the same cue ball.[7]
- ^ This is not the former British Prime Minister of the same name.[6]
- ^ Snooker is played by two independent players or by more than two players as "sides", e.g. four players constituting two sides of two players.[68]: 16, 33
- ^ since 1927[20]
- ^ The striker is the person whose turn it is at the table, either currently in play or about to play.[68]: 11
- ^ The term colour is understood to mean one of the six remaining object balls that are not red, i.e. yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, and black.[68]: 16
- ^ When black is the only object ball remaining on the table, the striker can claim the frame if more than seven points ahead of the opponent.[68]
- ^ An object ball is involved in a foul if it is either the nominated ball on, or the highest-value ball unintentionally contacted or pocketed as a result of the foul.[68]: 26–28
- ^ Until the 1920s, there was no minimum penalty, with a foul on a red ball being worth one point in penalties.[22]
- ^ Under certain circumstances, some runners-up participate at the event.[124]
- ^ Despite its name, American snooker is not governed or recognised by the United States Snooker Association, but by the Billiard Congress of America.[173]
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