Let's start with some context about the origins and objective of snooker before delving into the specifics. Snooker first emerged in the latter half of the 19th century in India among British army officers. Over time it gained widespread popularity in Britain and beyond. The name snooker is thought to have its origins from a slang term used for first-year cadets or inexperienced enlisted men. Today, it is established as one of the major international cue sports, governed by the World Snooker Tour.

The objective in a snooker game is to score more points than your opponent by potting the balls in the correct order. There are 22 balls on the table - 15 red balls worth 1 point each and 6 coloured balls (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black) worth 2-7 points respectively based on their colour. To start a frame, the balls are set up in a fixed configuration and the player must pot a red followed by a coloured ball. This is known as a break-off shot and allows the player an early chance to score points. From there, reds and colours must be potted in descending order of value.

Let's dive into the core details about Snooker Rules and Regulations:

snooker table animated

Equipment

● The snooker table measures 12 feet by 6 feet and has six pockets. It has cushings and is covered with a green baize cloth.

● The balls consist of the 15 reds and 6 colours mentioned earlier.

● Cues must not exceed 57 inches in length and have no added weights. They are tapered at one end to allow potting balls.

● Other equipment includes rests, chalk for cues and measures.

Set Up and Break-Off

● At the start of a frame, the balls are placed in a predetermined position on the table - reds arranged in a triangle with the colours in the D shape.

● The break-off shot comes after the balls are racked. The player attempting the break must strike the cue ball from baulk and it must contact a red ball fully.

● If any balls are potted, the breaker continues at the table. If no balls are potted, it becomes their opponent's turn.

Order of Play

● After a ball is potted, the next shot must be played from where the cue ball finished, barring any fouls.

● Reds must always be potted before a colour and in no particular order. But colours must be potted in ball-in-hand order of points - yellow to black.

● The player must nominate the next ball they intend to pot or can announce a safety shot instead to hamper the opponent's chances.

● If reds are cleared from the table, colours are potted in their numerical order based on points value.

Scoring

● Reds are worth 1 point each and colours from 2-7 points based on their hue as mentioned before.

● A player's score keeps accumulating as they continue potting balls in the permitted order during a single visit to the table.

● The first player to reach the predetermined target score wins the frame. In pro matches it's generally 147 points in one frame.

Fouls

● There are various types of fouls that can occur during play like snookering an opponent, foul shots, pushing/nudging balls etc.

● For any foul, the incoming player gets ball-in-hand. They can place the cue ball anywhere on the table except on/near a cushion or touching another ball. This gives them an advantage.

● A player also forfeits their turn if they pot the cue ball or drive it off the table entirely, incurring a foul.

Let's examine some of the key fouls in more detail:

● Snookering - This occurs when a player places the cue ball in a position such that the opponent cannot attempt potting the nominated ball without first hitting another ball. This is not a foul per se but leaves the snookered opponent at a disadvantage.

● Foul Shot - When attempting a pot and any ball other than the nominated one is pocketed, it constitutes a foul. This also happens if the nominated ball is potted but does not hit a cushion first as is compulsory.

● Push Shot - Deliberately moving or nudging any ball with the tip of the cue during execution is not allowed and results in a push shot foul. Care must be taken to avoid this while playing position.

● Jump Shot - Jumping the cue ball over any ball, even lifted slightly above the cloth, is a severe foul. The cue must remain in contact with the cloth during the shot.

● Touching Balls - Any contact between the cue and non-nominated balls or object balls and each other before a shot is deemed a foul and incurs a penalty.

These are some of the common shot fouls that can occur. Players must take utmost care to avoid them as they hand the advantage to their opponent by committing a foul

Read full article at CueBall Chronicles.