What Is Snooker? Rules, Equipment, Scoring & Pro Circuit

Snooker — Cue sport played on a 12×6 ft (3.6×1.8 m) table with 6 pockets, 22 balls, and a cue stick.

Equipment

• Balls: 15 Red (1 pt each), 6 Colors: Yellow (2), Green (3), Brown (4), Blue (5), Pink (6), Black (7), 1 White cue ball.
• Table: Baize cloth, cushions, pockets with rounded jaws (tighter than pool).
• Cue: 57–58", 17–19 oz, 9–10 mm tip.
• Rest / Spider / Extended rest — For difficult reaches.

Gameplay (Frames)

1. Break-off: Cue ball in D; hit reds.
2. Phase 1 — Reds & Colors:
   • Pot a Red (1 pt) → must pot a Color (2–7 pts) → Color re-spotted.
   • Alternate Red → Color until all 15 Reds gone.
3. Phase 2 — Colors in Order: Yellow → Green → Brown → Blue → Pink → Black (not re-spotted).
4. Frame ends: All balls potted; highest score wins.
5. Match: Best of 9, 11, 17, 19, 25, 31, 35 frames (tournament dependent).

Fouls (Penalty = 4+ pts to opponent)

• Miss (fail to hit ball on).
• Pot cue ball (in-off).
• Pot wrong ball first.
• Touch ball with body/clothing.
• Push shot / double hit.

After foul: opponent plays from where balls lie OR requests offender play again (free ball if snookered).

Key Concepts

• Break: Points in one visit; century break = 100+ (elite benchmark).
• Maximum break: 147 (15 Reds + 15 Blacks + all Colors) — "147".
• Snookered: Cue ball cannot hit both sides of ball on directly.
• Free ball: After foul + snookered; any ball = nominated color.
• Safety play: Leave opponent no clear shot; strategic, not offensive.

Pro Circuit

• World Snooker Tour (WST) — Ranking events: UK Championship, Masters, World Championship (Crucible, Sheffield).
• Top players: Ronnie O'Sullivan (7× World), Stephen Hendry (7×), John Higgins, Mark Selby, Judd Trump.
• Global popularity: UK, China, Europe, growing in Middle East/SE Asia.

Precision, patience, psychology. The "chess of cue sports."