Snooker

For other uses, see Snooker (disambiguation).

Snooker (UK /snukr/, US /snkr/)[2][3] is a cue sport
played on a table covered with a green cloth or baize, with
pockets at each of the four corners and in the middle of
each of the long side cushions. A full-size table measures
11 ft 81 2 in 5 ft 10 in (3569 mm x 1778 mm), commonly referred to as 12 6 ft.
The game is played using a cue and 22 snooker balls: one
white cue ball, 15 red balls worth one point each, and six
balls of dierent colours: yellow (2 points), green (3),
brown (4), blue (5), pink (6) and black (7).[4] The red
balls are initially placed in a triangular formation, and
the other coloured balls on marked positions on the table
known as spots. Players execute shots by striking the
cue ball with the cue, causing the cue ball to hit a red or
coloured ball. Points are scored by sinking the red and
coloured balls (knocking them into the pockets, called
potting) in the correct sequence. A player receives additional points if the opponent commits a foul. A player
(or team) wins a frame (individual game) of snooker by
scoring more points than the opponent(s). A player wins
a match when a predetermined number of frames have
been won.

Illustration of a game of three ball pocket billiards in early 19thcentury Tbingen, Germany

for rst-year cadets or inexperienced personnel.[8] One

version of events states that Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain of the Devonshire regiment was playing this new
game when his opponent failed to pot a ball and Chamberlain called him a snooker.[9] It thus became attached to
the billiards game now bearing its name as inexperienced
players were labelled as snookers.[10]
Snooker grew in popularity in England but generally it
was still a game for the gentry, and many well established
gentleman clubs which had a billiards table would not allow nonmembers inside to play. To accommodate the
popularity of the game, smaller and more open snookerspecic clubs started to be formed.

Snooker, generally regarded as having been invented in

India by British Army ocers, is popular in many of the
English-speaking and Commonwealth countries,[5] with
top professional players attaining multi-million-pound career earnings from the game.[6] The sport is now increasingly popular in China.[7] Touring professional players
compete regularly around the world, the premier tournament being the World Championship, held annually in
Sheeld, England.

The game of snooker grew in the later half of the 19th

century and the early 20th century, and by 1927 the rst
World Snooker Championship[8] had been organised by
Joe Davis who, as a professional English billiards and
snooker player, moved the game from a pastime activity into a more professional sphere.[11] Joe Davis won every world championship until 1946 when he retired. The
1 History
game went into a decline through the 1950s and 1960s
with little interest generated outside of those who played.
Main article: History of snooker
Snooker in its modern form originated in the later half In 1959, Davis introduced a variation of the game, known
of the 19th century.[8] Billiards had been a popular ac- as snooker plus, to try to improve the games popularity
tivity amongst British Army ocers stationed in India, by adding two extra colours. However, it never caught on.
and variations on the more traditional billiard games were A major advance occurred in 1969, when David Attendevised. One variation, devised in the ocers mess in borough commissioned the snooker tournament Pot Black
Jabalpur during 1874 or 1875,[8] was to add coloured to demonstrate the potential of colour television, with the
balls in addition to the reds and black which were used green table and multi-coloured balls being ideal for showfor pyramid pool and life pool.[9] The rules were formally ing o the advantages of colour broadcasting.[12][13] The
nalised in 1884 by Sir Neville Chamberlain at Ooty. The TV series became a ratings success and was for a time
word snooker also has military origins, being a slang term the second most popular show on BBC Two.[14] Interest
1

2 THE GAME

in the game increased and the 1978 World Championship

was the rst to be fully televised.[5][15] The game quickly
became a mainstream game[16] in the UK, Ireland and
much of the Commonwealth and has enjoyed much success in the last 30 years, with most of the ranking tournaments being televised. In 1985 a total of 18.5 million
viewers watched the concluding frame of the world championship nal between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis.[17]
The loss of tobacco sponsorship during the 2000s led to
a decrease in the number of professional tournaments, although some new sponsors were sourced;[18] and the popularity of the game in the Far East and China, with emerging talents such as Liang Wenbo and more established
players such as Ding Junhui and Marco Fu, boosted the
sport in that part of the world.[7][19]
In 2010, promoter Barry Hearn gained a controlling interest in World Snooker Ltd, the professional sports commercial arm, pledging to revitalise the moribund professional game. Under his direction, the number of professional tournaments has increased, certain tournament
formats have been changed in an attempt to increase their
appeal, and, as of 2013, total prize money had more than
doubled from 3m to more than 7m.[20][21]

The game

Main article: Rules of snooker

The object of the game is to score more points than ones
opponent by potting object balls in the correct order. At
the start of a frame, the balls are positioned as shown, and
the players then take turns to hit shots by striking the cue
ball with the tip of the cue, their aim being to pot one of
the red balls into a pocket and thereby score a point, or, if Snooker table with balls placed in their starting positions. At the
this is not possible, to at least hit a red ball so as to avoid start of the game, the cue ball (white) may be placed anywhere
making a foul shot. If the striker pots a red ball, he or she in the semicircle, known as the D.
must then pot one of the six colours (in snooker, the
term colour is understood to exclude the red balls). If the
player successfully pots a colour, the value of that ball is
added to the players score, and the ball is returned to its
starting position on the table. After that, the player must
pot another red ball, then another colour, and so on. This
process continues until the striker fails to pot the desired
ball, at which point the opponent comes to the table to
play the next shot.
The game continues in this manner until all the reds are
potted and only the six colours are left on the table. At this
point the colours must be potted in the order from least
to most valuable ball that is, yellow rst (2 points), then
green (3 points), brown (4 points), blue (5 points), pink
(6 points) and nally black (7 points), the balls not being
returned to play. When the nal ball is potted, the player
with more points wins.[4] If the scores are equal when all
the balls have been potted, the black is placed back on its
spot as a tiebreaker. A player may also concede a frame
while on strike if he or she thinks there are not enough
points available on the table to beat the opponents score.

Game in progress on a half-size table. A red ball about to be

potted.

In professional snooker this is a common occurrence.

Points may also be scored in a game when a players opponent fouls. A foul can occur for various reasons, most
commonly for failing to hit the correct ball (e.g. hitting a
colour rst when the player was attempting to hit a red),

3
or for sending the cue ball into a pocket. The former may
occur when the player fails to escape from "a snooker" a
situation in which the previous player leaves the cue ball
positioned such that no legal ball can be struck directly
without obstruction by an illegal ball. Points gained from
a foul vary from a minimum of 4 to a maximum of 7 if
the black ball is involved.[4]
The total number of consecutive points (excluding fouls)
that a player amasses during one visit to the table is known
as a "break". A player attaining a break of 15, for example, could have reached it by potting a red then a black,
then a red then a pink, before failing to pot the next red.
The traditional maximum break in snooker is achieved by
potting all reds with blacks then all colours, yielding 147
points; this is often known as a 147 or a maximum.[22]
The highest possible break is a 155 break, also known
as a super maximum. This is achieved via the opponent
leaving a free ball, with the black being potted as the additional colour, and then potting 15 reds and blacks with An extended spider, which can be used to bridge over balls obthe colours. Jamie Cope has the distinction of being the structing a shot that is too far away to be bridged by hand
rst player in snooker history to post a veried 155 break,
achieved in a practice frame in 2005.
One game, from the balls in their starting position until
the last ball is potted, is called a frame. A match generally consists of a predetermined number of frames and the
player who wins the most frames wins the match. Most
professional matches require a player to win ve frames,
and are called Best of Nine as that is the maximum possible number of frames. Tournament nals are usually
best of 17 or best of 19, while the World Championship
uses longer matches ranging from best of 19 in the qualiers and the rst round proper, up to 35 frames in length
(rst to 18), and is played over two days, extended if necessary until a winner is determined.[23]
Professional and competitive amateur matches are ociated by a referee who is the sole judge of fair play.
The referee also replaces the colours on the table when
necessary and calls out how many points the player has
scored during a break. Professional players usually play
the game in a sporting manner, declaring fouls the referee
has missed, acknowledging good shots from their opponent, or holding up a hand to apologise for fortunate shots,
also known as ukes.

Video of a snooker break-o shot

play) and 4 ft 2 ft. Smaller tables can come in a variety

of styles, such as fold away or dining-table convertible.
A traditional snooker scoreboard resembles an abacus,
and records units, tens and hundreds via horizontal sliding
pointers. [25] They are typically attached to a wall by the
snooker table. A simple scoring bead is also sometimes
used, called a scoring string, or scoring wire. Each bead
(segment of the string) represents a single point. Snooker
players typically move one or several beads with their cue.

Accessories used for snooker include chalk for the tip of

the cue, rests of various sorts (needed often, due to the
length of a full-size table), a triangle to rack the reds, and
a scoreboard. One drawback of snooker on a full-size table is the size of the room (22 by 16 feet (6.7 m 4.9 m)),
which is the minimum required for comfortable cueing
room on all sides.[24] This limits the number of locations 3 Governance and tournaments
in which the game can easily be played. While pool tables
are common to many pubs, snooker tends to be played
either in private surroundings or in public snooker halls. 3.1 Organisation
The game can also be played on smaller tables using fewer
red balls. The variants in table size are: 10 ft 5 ft, 9 ft See also: List of snooker tournaments and Snooker
4.5 ft, 8 ft 4 ft, 6 ft 3 ft (the smallest for realistic organisations

3 GOVERNANCE AND TOURNAMENTS

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA, also known as World Snooker), founded in
1968 as the Professional Billiard Players Association,[26]
is the governing body for the professional game.[27][28][29]
The amateur game is governed by the International Billiards and Snooker Federation (IBSF).[30]

3.2

Tournaments

Professional snooker players can play on the World

Snooker main tour ranking circuit. Ranking points,
earned by players through their performances over the
previous two seasons, determine the current world
ranking.[31] A players ranking determines what level of
qualication he or she requires for ranking tournaments.
The elite of professional snooker is generally regarded
as the Top 16 ranking players,[32] who are not required to pre-qualify for three of the tournaments, namely
the Shanghai Masters, Australian Open and the World
Snooker Championship.[33] The tour contains 96 players
the top 64 from the previous two seasons, the 8 highest
ranked professional players on the Players Tour Championship Order of Merit who are not in the top 64, 12
players from the Q School, and various regional, junior
and amateur champions.[34]
The most important event in professional snooker is the
World Championship,[35] held annually since 1927 (except during World War II and between 1958 and 1963).
The tournament has been held at the Crucible Theatre
in Sheeld, England since 1977, and was sponsored by
Embassy from 1976 to 2005.[18] Since 2005, tobacco
companies have not been allowed to sponsor sporting
events in the United Kingdom, and the World Championship had to nd a new sponsor. It was announced in
January 2006 that the 20062010 world championships
would be sponsored by online casino 888.com. The
Championship is currently sponsored by BetFred.com
after 888.com pulled out of their ve-year sponsorship deal after three years.[36] On 15 April 2009 the
World Snooker Championship website announced that
Betfred.com would be the new sponsor of the World
Championship for the next four years.[37][38]
The status of winning the World Championship is great,
and it is the most highly valued prize in professional
snooker,[39] both in terms of nancial reward (300,000
for the winner, formerly 250,000)[40] as well as ranking points and prestige. The World Championship is televised extensively in the UK by the BBC[41] and gains signicant coverage in Europe on Eurosport[42] and in the
Far East.

World Snooker Championship trophy

World Championship is the UK Championship. Third in

line are the invitational tournaments, to which most of
the highest ranked players are invited. The most important tournament in this category is The Masters,[43] which
to most players is the second or third most sought-after
prize.[44]
In an attempt to answer criticisms that televised matches
can be slow or get bogged down in lengthy safety exchanges and that long matches causes problems for
advertisers,[45] an alternative series of timed tournaments
has been organised by Matchroom Sport Chairman Barry
Hearn. The shot-timed Premier League Snooker was established, with seven players invited to compete at regular
United Kingdom venues, televised on Sky Sports. Players
have twenty-ve seconds to take each shot, with ve timeouts per player per match. While some success has been
achieved with this format, it generally does not receive
the same amount of press attention or status as the regular ranking tournaments. However, this event has been
taken out of the tour since 2013, when the Champion of
Champions was established.

The group of tournaments that come next in importance

are the other ranking tournaments. Players in these tournaments score world ranking points. A high ranking ensures qualication for next years tournaments, invitations There are also other tournaments that have less importo invitational tournaments and an advantageous draw in tance, earn no world ranking points and are not televised.
tournaments.[32] The most prestigious of these after the These can change on a year-to-year basis depending on

5
calendars and sponsors.
In 2015, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker
Association submitted a bid for snooker to be played at
the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[46]

3.3

Criticism

the nap. The best method is to brush the cloth in a

straight line from the baulk end to the far end. Multiple brush strokes are ne as long as they are straight
in direction (i.e. not across the table). Some table
men will also then drag a dampened cloth wrapped
around a short piece of board (like a two by four)
to collect any remaining ne dust and help lay the
nap down. Strachan cloth as used in ocial snooker
tournaments is made up of 100% wool. Some other
cloths include a small percentage of nylon.[48][49]

Several players, such as Ronnie O'Sullivan, Mark Allen

and Steve Davis, have warned that there are so many
tournaments that players risk burning out. In 2012, Balls 22 balls (15 red, 6 colour balls and a white cue
O'Sullivan played fewer tournaments in order to spend
ball), 52.5 mm or 21 16 inches in diameter. For furmore time with his children, and ended the 2012/13 seather information see Billiard ball, particularly the
son ranked No. 19 in the world. Furthermore, he did not
section Snooker
play any tournament in 2013 except the World ChampiCue A stick, made of wood or breglass, tapering to a
onship, which he won.[47]
tip, usually ending in leather, which is used to strike
the cue-ball.

Equipment

Cue-tip chalk The tip of the cue is chalked to ensure

good contact between the cue and the cue-ball. This
chalk is generally a silica based compound rather
than actual chalk of the type used used on blackboards.
Extension A shorter baton that ts over, or screws into,
the back end of the cue, eectively lengthening it. Is
used for shots where the cue ball is a long distance
from the player.
Rest A stick with an X-shaped head that is used to support the cue when the cue ball is out of reach at normal extension.

Cue-tip chalk, cue, white chalk-board chalk, and a sliding scorekeeper.

Rest head adaptor An attachment that slips onto a conventional rest head to make a spider or just to give a
slightly dierent bridge.

Hook rest Identical to the normal rest, yet with a hooked

metal end. It is used to set the rest around another
Table The playing surface, 11 feet 8.5 inches by 5 ft 10
ball. The hook rest is the most recent invention in
inches for a standard full-size table, with six pocket
snooker.
holes, one at each corner and one at the center of
each of the longer side cushions. For further in- Spider Similar to the rest but with an arch-shaped head;
it is used to elevate and support the tip of the cue
formation see Billiard table, specically the section
above the height of the cue-ball.
Snooker and English billiards tables.
equipCloth The cloth is usually green, with a directional nap Swan (or swan-neck spider or girae) This
ment, consisting of a rest with a single extended
running from the baulk end of the table towards the
neck and a fork-like prong at the end, is used to give
end with the black ball spot. The cloth is often called
extra cueing distance over a group of balls. If not
baize; however baize is a much inferior type of cloth
available, a regular X rest can be placed on a spider
sometimes used on pool tables. The nap will aect
so it in turn hangs the required distance beyond to
the direction of the cue ball depending on which diprovide similar support.
rection the cue ball is shot and also on whether left or
right side (spin) is placed on the ball. Even if the cue Triangle/Rack The piece of equipment is used for gathball is hit in exactly the same way, the nap will cause
ering the red balls into the formation required for the
a dierent eect depending on whether the ball is
break to start a frame.
hit down table (towards the black ball spot) or up table towards the baulk line. The cloth on a snooker Extended rest Similar to the regular rest, but with a
mechanism at the butt end which makes it possible
table should not be vacuumed, especially if the vacto extend the rest by up to three feet.
uum head has beater brushes, as this can destroy

6 VARIANTS

Extended spider A hybrid of the swan and the spider.

Its purpose is to bridge over large packs of reds. Is
less common these days in professional snooker but
can be used in situations where the position of one
or more balls prevents the spider being placed where
the striker desires.

tively small number of players have succeeded at the top

level.[50] Reaching and maintaining a place amongst the
snooker elite is a tough task, with the standards of the
game being such that it requires many years of dedication and eort as well as natural ability.[51]

Ball marker A multi-purpose instrument with a D

shaped notch, which a referee can (1) place next to
a ball, in order to mark the position of it. They can
then remove the ball to clean it; (2) use to judge if a
ball is preventing a colour from being placed on its
spot; (3) use to judge if the cue ball can hit the extreme edge of a ball on when awarding a free ball
(by placing it alongside the potentially intervening
ball).

Through the decades, certain players have tended to dominate the game. John Pulman is generally regarded as the
principal player through the 1960s, Ray Reardon through
the 1970s, Steve Davis through the 1980s and Stephen
Hendry through the 1990s. Reardon won 6 (1970, 1973
1976 and 1978), Davis also 6 (1981, 1983, 1984 and
19871989) and Hendry 7 (1990, 19921996 and 1999)
World Championships. Ronnie O'Sullivan dominates in
the modern era, having won the title on ve occasions
in the 21st century (2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013).
Mark Williams has won twice (2000, 2003) and John
Higgins four times (1998, 2007, 2009, 2011). By retaining his title in 2013, O'Sullivan became the rst player to
successfully defend the World Championship since 1996
when Hendry won the sixth of his seven titles, his fth in
a row.[52]

6 Variants

Half butt Usually housed underneath the side of the table, the half butt is a combination of a table length
rest and cue which is rarely used unless the cue ball
needs to be struck in such a way that the entire length
of the table is the actual obstacle.

Notable players

See also: Snooker variants

American snooker, a variant dating to 1925, usually played on a 10 by 5 foot table with 2 1 8 inch
balls, and a simpler rule set inuenced by pool (despite its name, American snooker is not governed or
recognised by the United States Snooker Association).
Power Snooker, a variant with only nine reds, in
a diamond-shaped pack, instead of 15 in a triangle,
and matches limited to 30 minutes.
Sinuca brasileira, a Brazilian version with only one
red ball, and divergent rules.
Six-red snooker, a variant played with only six reds
in a triangular pack.
Snookerpool, a variant played on an American pool
table with ten reds in a triangular pack.

Ronnie OSullivan has won the most world titles in the 21st century (in 2001, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2013).

See also: List of snooker players by number of ranking

titles and List of snooker players with over 100 century
breaks
In the professional era that began with Joe Davis in
the 1930s and continues until the present day, a rela-

Snooker plus, a variant with two additional colour

balls (8pt orange and 10pt purple), allowing a
maximum break of 210.[53][54] The variation was
created by Joe Davis in 1959 and used at the 1959
News of the World Snooker Plus Tournament. It
failed to gain popularity.
Snookball, a combination of snooker and
association football played on an oversized
snooker table. Regular snooker rules apply except
footballs are used rather than snooker balls (which

7
resemble regular snooker balls, including the cue
ball) and the cue ball is kicked rather than hit with
a cue stick. The game is based on poolball, a
combination of eight-ball and association football,
where the footballs resemble regular pool balls.
Ten-red snooker, a variant played with only ten
reds in a triangle.
Volunteer snooker, a variant from the early 1900s.

See also
Snooker season 2015/2016
Snooker world rankings 2015/2016
Snooker world ranking points 2015/2016
Glossary of cue sports terms includes key snookerspecic terminology

References

[1] Snooker bids to be included in 2020 Olympics in Tokyo,

BBC Sport, 22 January 2015, (Retrieved 28 April 2015)
[2] Pronunciation of snooker". Macmillan Dictionary. London, UK: Macmillan Publishers. Retrieved 19 March
2012.
[3] American pronunciation of snooker". Macmillan Dictionary. op. cit. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
[4] Ocial Rules of the Games of Snooker and English
Billiards (PDF). The World Professional Billiards &
Snooker Association Limited. November 2014. Retrieved May 10, 2015. line feed character in |publisher=
at position 56 (help)

[12] Pot Black returns, BBC Sport, 27 October 2005. Retrieved 24 February 2007
[13] Porter, H. Cue China, Time Magazine, 20 June 2008,
(Retrieved 23 June 2008)
[14] unknown author, Pot Black Ratings Surprisingly, the
programme raced to second place in the BBC2 ratings, unknown date, (Retrieved 24 February 2007) (Archive Version)
[15] unknown author 1978 The World Snooker Championships, By 1977, though, a new lighting system had
been devised, allowing the players to be seen clearly
without problems and, the following year, Aubrey Singer
agreed to cover the World Championships all the way
through, with an hour of highlights every day for 16 days,
unknown date, (Retrieved 24 February 2007), (Archive
Version)
[16] MacInnes, P.Thatch of the day, The Guardian, 10
February 2004, (Retrieved 24 February 2007)
[17] 1985: the black ball nal BBC sport
[18] Anstead, M.Snooker nds sponsor with deep pockets,
The Guardian, 19 January 2006, (Retrieved 24 February
2007), (Archive Version)
[19] Could Ding be snookers saviour?", BBC Sport, 4 April
2005, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)
[20] Barry Hearn wins vote to take control of World Snooker,
BBC Sport, 2 June 2010
[21] Barry Hearn: World Snooker chief on how he saved the
sport, BBC Sport, 27 November 2013
[22] Ding compiles maximum at Masters, BBC Sport, (Retrieved 24 February 2007)
[23] World title victory delights Dott, BBC Sport, (Retrieved
24 February 2007)

[5] Everton, Clive Take snooker to the world, BBC Sport, 5

May 2002, (Retrieved 24 February 2007)

[24] Peter Ietswaart, Thurston Snooker Table makers, Recommended room size for full size table 22 ft 16 ft, unknown date, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)

[6] Reardon, R. Where does Ronnie rank?", BBC Sport, 21

February 2005, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)

[25] What is Scoreboard in Snooker? Denition and Meaning. sportsdenitions.com.

[7] China in Dings hands, BBC Sport, 22 January 2007,

(Retrieved 25 February 2007)
[8] Maume, C.Sporting Vernacular 11. Snooker, The Independent, 26 April 1999, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)

[26] WPBSA v TSN, BBC Sport, 16 February 2001, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)
[27] Snookers biggest break, BBC Sport, 7 December 2000,
(Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)

[9] Shamos, Mike (1993), The Complete Book of Billiards.

ISBN 0-517-20869-5

[28] Snooker authorities survive bid, BBC Sport, 13 November 2002, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)

[10] unknown author Origins of the Game of Snooker, Titan Sports, unknown date, (Retrieved 25 February 2007),
(Archive Version)

[29] Snooker at the crossroads, BBC Sport, 14 November

2002, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)

[11] unknown author Snooker Timeline Joe Davis will reinvent this after-dinner pastime and become world champion, cuesnviews.co.uk, unknown date, (Retrieved 24
February 2007), (Archive Version)

[30] IBSF, (Retrieved 24 February 2007), (Archive Version)

[31] WPBSA Professional Tour ranking points, World
Snooker, (Retrieved 25 January 2010) Archived 5 January
2012 at the Wayback Machine.

[32] Swail targeting place in top 16, BBC Sport, 1 August

2006, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)
[33] The Seeds of Success, BBC Sport, 24 November 2000,
(Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)
[34] The Tour 2010/2011 Season Provisional Qualifying Criteria. worldsnooker.com. World Professional Billiards
and Snooker Association. Archived from the original on
6 January 2011. Retrieved 4 December 2010.
[35] World title victory delights Dott, BBC Sport, 2 May
2006, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)
[36] Huge nancial blow hits snooker, BBC Sport, 6 August
2008, (Retrieved 6 August 2008)
[37] Crucible event gets new sponsor, BBC Sport, 15 January
2006, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)
[38] World Snooker Announcements: Betfred.com Named
Title Sponsor for the World Snooker Championship
Archived 19 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine.
[39] Doherty sets out to regain greatest prize, The Independent, 20 April 2001, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)
[40] Worlds best ready for Crucible, BBC Sport, 13 April
2006, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)
[41] Snooker signs ve-year BBC deal, BBC Sport, 26 October 2005, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)
[42] Eurosport pots TV snooker rights, The Guardian, 27
April 2006, (Retrieved 25 February 2007, registration or
BugMeNot required)
[43] Snooker nds new Masters sponsor, BBC Sport, 13 January 2006, (Retrieved 25 February 2007, (Archive Version)
[44] Harris, N. An email conversation with Graeme Dott: 'We
need an Abramovich to take the game to a new level,
The Independent, 15 January 2007, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)
[45] Ronay, B. Too dull to miss, The Guardian, 27 October
2006, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)
[46] Snooker bids to be included in 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.
BBC Sport. 23 January 2015. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
[47] Snooker: Ronnie O'Sullivan warns of players burning out,
The Independent, 7 May 2012.
[48] Milliken Industrials Limited - Woollen Speciality Products. Strachan snooker cloths - WSP Textiles - Billiard
and Tennis cloths.
[49] [Snooker], Cues Cues, 10 July 2013, (Retrieved 20 July
2013), ()
[50] O'Sullivan in exalted company, BBC Sport, 10 May
2002, (Retrieved 25 February 2007), (Archive Version)
[51] Hunter, P. Putting in the practice, BBC Sport, 5 November 2004, (Retrieved 25 February 2007)

EXTERNAL LINKS

[52] World Snooker Championship History, World

Snooker Ocial Site, (Retrieved 9 April 2010) Archived
13 May 2013 at the Wayback Machine.
[53] Denitions of terms used in Snooker and English Billiards (search for snooker plus)". snookergames.co.uk.
Snooker Games. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
[54] Snooker Plus. The Glasgow Herald. 27 October 1959.
p. 10. Retrieved 9 April 2011.

9 External links
World Snooker Association
International Billiards & Snooker Federation
European Billiards & Snooker Association
Scottish Snooker NGB for Snooker & Billiards in
Scotland
LASE - Spanish Amateur League of Snooker

10
10.1

Text and image sources, contributors, and licenses

Text

Snooker Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snooker?oldid=707211365 Contributors: The Epopt, Bryan Derksen, Jeronimo, Andre
Engels, Scipius, William Avery, Imran, Heron, Camembert, Nommonomanac, Cyde, Rochus, Pcb21, Ahoerstemeier, Arwel Parry, Angela, , Julesd, Cimon Avaro, Trontonian, Havardk, DJ Clayworth, Maximus Rex, Jerey Smith, Gutsul, Jni, Robbot, Moriori,
Naddy, Robinh, MykReeve, Hig Herteneurst, SoLando, SimonMayer, Marnanel, Jao, KelvSYC, Elf, Angmering, Dissident, Koyn~enwiki,
Bradeos Graphon, Snowdog, David Johnson, Zaphod Beeblebrox, Dav4is, Duncharris, Yekrats, Solipsist, Deus Ex, Mooquackwooftweetmeow, Toby Woodwark, Wmahan, ChicXulub, Auximines, Geni, Stevenhasty, Sonjaaa, Bob.v.R, Lesgles, Narya, Tom french~enwiki,
Thincat, Xadai~enwiki, Photonix, Ukexpat, Picapica, Grstain, Mike Rosoft, Duja, Bornintheguz, Brianhe, Solitude, Rich Farmbrough,
Florian Blaschke, Bambers, Michael Zimmermann, Tinus, Jnestorius, Smallbone10, Brian0918, Bennylin, Kwamikagami, Mwanner,
Theshowmecanuck, Barcex, Galterix, Bobo192, Wipe, Nickburns, Cmdrjameson, Johnteslade, Nicke Lilltroll~enwiki, Jguk 2, DaveGorman, Pokrajac, Blotwell, Frodet, Wwylon, Mhjacobson, Alfanje~enwiki, NeoThermic, Jeltz, Chambem9, AzaToth, Velella, Javacava,
RainbowOfLight, Bleeder, LukeSurl, Dan100, Georgia guy, TigerShark, Pink-isnt-well, Oliphaunt, Pol098, Kelisi, Torqueing, Yakobbokay, Dysepsion, RichardWeiss, Shastrix, Graham87, RxS, -DjD-, Reisio, Search4Lancer, Rjwilmsi, Rogerd, Brighterorange, Andreas S.,
Fred Bradstadt, Tommy Kronkvist, Mariocki, RobertG, Chingwakabungya, Flowerparty, RexNL, Ben-w, Gareth E. Kegg, Kernitou, Evito,
Mstroeck, Raymond Cruise, Jawr256, DVdm, Ahpook, Mysekurity, The Rambling Man, YurikBot, Hairy Dude, X42bn6, Bhoeble, Hydrargyrum, Stephenb, ForteTwo, Gaius Cornelius, CambridgeBayWeather, Ihope127, Bovineone, GeeJo, NawlinWiki, Grafen, Mccready,
Irishguy, Bigpad, LucentPhoenix, El Pollo Diablo, Nick C, Epipelagic, SFC9394, Sgrieve, Someones life, Alanmorris, Cadillac, Kelovy,
Deville, Mike Selinker, SMcCandlish, Symon, Bagheera, MartinUK, David Biddulph, GrinBot~enwiki, Pentasyllabic, SmackBot, David
Kernow, MrKWatkins, Bigbluesh, Jacek Kendysz, Eskimbot, Rojomoke, Gjs238, Septegram, Yamaguchi , Seb147, SteveO, Skizzik,
Cs-wolves, Honbicot, JimmyMac82, Iancaddy, Thumperward, Goldnger820, The359, Hmich176, Colonies Chris, Sct72, Trekphiler,
Tsca.bot, Can't sleep, clown will eat me, Polimeras, Racklever, Nixeagle, MDCollins, Echtoran, Fuhghettaboutit, Dreadstar, Bigsteeve,
DMacks, The statman, Ged UK, ThurnerRupert, Esrever, NotMuchToSay, MarkC77, Iliev, SilkTork, NewTestLeper79, Kingsherswift,
Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, CaptainVindaloo, Enelson, Stuartfanning, 16@r, Fatmike~enwiki, Flipperinu, Sifaka, Andreworkney,
Fasach Nua, Amjadabbas, Slicedoranges, Alexmr, Tawkerbot2, Pithecanthropus, Poolkris, Ashish20, Pattermeister, Ohthelameness, Ale
jrb, Pumbaa80, Ben Chaud, Erik Kennedy, WATP, Bryn B, WeggeBot, Chicheley, Douts, Pstuart84, JFreeman, Pete Davis, Wildnox,
Throquzum, Gavpowell, Phillipmilnes, Newton2, Bigez, West Brom 4ever, StraussianNeocon, MichaelMaggs, RoboServien, Ju66l3r, AntiVandalBot, Paste, Tangerines, Jj137, Atatton, DOSGuy, Magneto10, Bigjimr, JAnDbot, Deective, Epeeeche, The editor king, Mark
Shaw, Rothorpe, Beaumont, Bencherlite, Magioladitis, Johnelwaq, Bongwarrior, VoABot II, JNW, Coee4binky, Mark PEA, Asarpe,
NimNick, LoneFox, Glen, DerHexer, American Pool Network (APN), Feanfan~enwiki, MartinBot, Dar2020, Promark, Paracel63, Szerkeszt, DavidZ, DavyJonesLocker, R'n'B, Glennobrien, Jossy89, AlphaEta, DandyDan2007, BillWSmithJr, Myredroom, Don B, Kudpung, Glaux, Dawright12, AntiSpamBot, NewEnglandYankee, Juliancolton, Babajus, GrahamHardy, Nigej, VolkovBot, Daniel987600,
TXiKiBoT, Oshwah, Tomsega, GDonato, Emonsmi, TheDarkPhantom, Eggman3, BotKung, Feudonym, Jpeeling, Mendors, Monty845,
Wjl2, SieBot, Mikeo34, Dawn Bard, Srushe, Gabacho~enwiki, Oxymoron83, Dpbloglover, Denisarona, Martarius, ClueBot, Abc183,
Deviator13, Iraqi mj, Sabbe, Carton828, Unbuttered Parsnip, Boing! said Zebedee, Glynandtess, DevilboyScooby, Kingoftherings, Kitsunegami, Excirial, Crywalt, Dallas147, Estirabot, Samasnookerfan, CowboySpartan, Mike2807, K33wud, Mozzerb, K.a.foth, Katanada,
Apparition11, Templarion, Hussash, XLinkBot, Wikiyuvraj, Skarebo, Kaiwhakahaere, Tmlim526, Luwilt, Addbot, Wikijulian~enwiki,
Tanhabot, TutterMouse, EDDIEOWNZ, Cst17, Woyjenkins, Flogostud, Schweity55, LinkFA-Bot, 5 albert square, Mr-Ginge, Tassedethe, Ehrenkater, BrianKnez, WikiDreamer Bot, Luckas-bot, Yobot, KenelmJames, Becky Sayles, Charlessuckling, HandGrenadePins,
Tempodivalse, Bbb23, AnomieBOT, Jfry3, 1exec1, Svendsved, Ivan Leung08, Davehughes182, Materialscientist, Jeeperscreepers214,
..24, MauritsBot, Xqbot, St.nerol, JimVC3, Bihco, Betty Logan, Wikify567, Jambornik, Armbrust, Khalilawwad, RibotBOT,
Ardg08, Shadowjams, Haldraper, FrescoBot, Amreeky, Sky Attacker, JeneChauvin, Jasoncoolax, Ywmpq205, Newmanisthebest, Thefanaticoneverything, MarB4, Biker Biker, Ash2kaye9, 10metreh, Khokhar7, Kgrad, Lightlowemon, Jugni, TobeBot, Trappist the monk, Thi
Nhi, Unrulyevil, Saint1997, Onel5969, Unioneagle, Ripchip Bot, Dannyboy1209, EmausBot, Solarra, Oyoyoy, Tommy2010, Rusty1111,
K6ka, Whitney housten, Emshef, Lehtil, DeanoB864, Bartie1010, Vladimir Oskolkin, Brandmeister, Wonderwizard, Wtf hello, Tigerdoom,
Orange Suede Sofa, Gcjdavid, ClueBot NG, Chrisminter, Fuji 151a, WagnerEASB, Widr, 1000Fast, Regulov, Thepoolkid, MusikAnimal,
Stateofyolandia, BPositive, BlueFire10, DmitryYakunin, Kukac, Fifthman, The Almightey Drill, Toccata quarta, Worldsnooker147, Cyberbot II, Rash1894, Snookseye, Skunkman3118, Dexbot, Nouniquenames, 331dot, Alikah23, AldezD, Jonhope123, Shervinesta, BlackMansBurden, Rchrd h, Machdelu, Babitaarora, Nggt, Param Mudgal, ThinkerDreamer, Tom Screen, Mommydaddy101, Andy Calloway, Frank
ynn jr, Impregnable, Fontana56, Michaelbrindley147, Kalicharann, Ethanaboss, Inno, Blind meat, Theocialswagdaddy, Kurousagi, ShaphieButt, Joregar, NeemNarduni2 and Anonymous: 594

10.2

Images

File:Chalk_stub.png Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fc/Chalk_stub.png License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Myself
File:Commons-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors: ? Original artist: ?
File:London_-_Royal_Automobile_Club_-_3024.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/02/London_-_
Royal_Automobile_Club_-_3024.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: Jorge Royan
File:Portal-puzzle.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/fd/Portal-puzzle.svg License: Public domain Contributors: ?
Original artist: ?
File:Snooker_break.ogg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8a/Snooker_break.ogg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: SFC9394
File:Snooker_rest_crop.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/60/Snooker_rest_crop.JPG License: CC BY
2.0 Contributors: Crop of http://www.flickr.com/photos/neilrickards/35174697/ Original artist: Neil Rickards
File:Snooker_table_drawing_2.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Snooker_table_drawing_2.svg License: CC BY 2.5 Contributors: Own work (based on Pumbaas version) Original artist: Maciej Jaros (commons: Nux, wiki-pl: Nux)

10

10

TEXT AND IMAGE SOURCES, CONTRIBUTORS, AND LICENSES

File:Snooker_table_selby.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/58/Snooker_table_selby.JPG License: CC

BY-SA 3.0 Contributors: Own work Original artist: DmitryYakunin
File:Stephen_Maguire,_Ronnie_OSullivan,_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_(DerHexer)
_2012-02-05_05_cropped.jpg Source:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cb/Stephen_Maguire%2C_Ronnie_O%
E2%80%99Sullivan%2C_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_%28DerHexer%29_2012-02-05_05_cropped.jpg
License: CC BY-SA 4.0 Contributors: This le was derived from Stephen Maguire, Ronnie OSullivan, and Michaela Tabb at German
Masters Snooker Final (DerHexer) 2012-02-05 05.jpg: <a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stephen_Maguire,_Ronnie_O%
E2%80%99Sullivan,_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_(DerHexer)_2012-02-05_05.jpg' class='image'><img
alt='Stephen Maguire, Ronnie OSullivan, and Michaela Tabb at German Masters Snooker Final (DerHexer) 2012-02-05 05.jpg'
src='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Stephen_Maguire%2C_Ronnie_O%E2%80%99Sullivan%2C_and_
Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_%28DerHexer%29_2012-02-05_05.jpg/50px-Stephen_Maguire%2C_Ronnie_
O%E2%80%99Sullivan%2C_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_%28DerHexer%29_2012-02-05_05.jpg'
width='50'
height='33'
srcset='https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Stephen_Maguire%2C_Ronnie_O%
E2%80%99Sullivan%2C_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_%28DerHexer%29_2012-02-05_05.jpg/
75px-Stephen_Maguire%2C_Ronnie_O%E2%80%99Sullivan%2C_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_
%28DerHexer%29_2012-02-05_05.jpg 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f9/Stephen_Maguire%2C_
Ronnie_O%E2%80%99Sullivan%2C_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_%28DerHexer%29_2012-02-05_05.
jpg/100px-Stephen_Maguire%2C_Ronnie_O%E2%80%99Sullivan%2C_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_
%28DerHexer%29_2012-02-05_05.jpg 2x' data-le-width='4288' data-le-height='2848' /></a>
Original artist: Stephen_Maguire,_Ronnie_OSullivan,_and_Michaela_Tabb_at_German_Masters_Snooker_Final_(DerHexer)_2012-0205_05.jpg: DerHexer, Wikimedia Commons
File:Studenten_Billard.JPG Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d3/Studenten_Billard.JPG License: Public
domain Contributors: R. A. Mller: Geschichte der Universitt, 1990, S. 189 (Stdtische Sammlungen Tbingen) Original artist:
Unknown<a href='//www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4233718' title='wikidata:Q4233718'><img alt='wikidata:Q4233718' src='https://upload.
wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/20px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png' width='20' height='11' srcset='https://
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/30px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 1.5x, https://upload.wikimedia.
org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/ff/Wikidata-logo.svg/40px-Wikidata-logo.svg.png 2x' data-le-width='1050' data-le-height='590'
/></a>
File:To_pot_the_red.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/32/To_pot_the_red.jpg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: Own work Original artist: MichaelMaggs
File:Wikinews-logo.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Wikinews-logo.svg License: CC BY-SA 3.0
Contributors: This is a cropped version of Image:Wikinews-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Simon 01:05, 2 August 2006 (UTC)
Updated by Time3000 17 April 2007 to use ocial Wikinews colours and appear correctly on dark backgrounds. Originally uploaded by
Simon.
File:Wiktionary-logo-en.svg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f8/Wiktionary-logo-en.svg License: Public
domain Contributors: Vector version of Image:Wiktionary-logo-en.png. Original artist: Vectorized by Fvasconcellos (talk contribs),
based on original logo tossed together by Brion Vibber
File:World_Snooker_Championship_Trophy_edited.jpg Source: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9e/World_
Snooker_Championship_Trophy_edited.jpg License: CC-BY-SA-3.0 Contributors:
World_Snooker_Chamionship_Trophy.JPG Original artist:
derivative work: User:Tmv23 (<a href='//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Tmv23' title='User talk:Tmv23'>talk</a>) 16:15, 1
December 2008 (UTC)

10.3

Content license

Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0