Sports / Snooker Rules
The Rules of Billiards and Snooker from Masters Games
(chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2007-03-26 16:32
These rules are provided by Masters Traditional Games, an Internet shop
selling quality traditional games, pub games and unusual games. We
publish free game rules in order to promote game playing around the
world. To find out more, visit the website www.mastersgames.com or email
custserv@mastersgames.com.
You are welcome to print, copy or pass these rules on but only in their
original form including the copyright and the information about Masters
Traditional Games. The disclaimer on the Masters Traditional Games
website applies.
The following is a basic set of instructions for the friendly play of the
game of Billiards and Snooker including additional comments designed to
assist with the understanding of the game. Note: 1 foot = 30.48 cm
Billiards
Equipment
A full-size Billiards table measures twelve feet by six feet, one and a
half inches and has a baize-covered slate bed. The four edges of the
table feature rubber edges covered in baize called "cushions". Six
"pockets" are situated one at each corner plus one at the centre of each
long side of the table into which the balls can drop. The six pockets
normally have a net or a small collecting channel to catch the balls. Two
feet, five inches from one end, a line is drawn across the table called
the "baulk" line. Any ball between the baulk line and the nearest end is
generally referred to as being "in baulk". A semi-circle is inscribed
within the baulk area with is axis as the middlepoint of the baulk line
and with a radius of eleven and a half inches. This semi-circle is termed
the "D". At the other end of the table, twelve and three-quarter inches
from the end cushion, a spot is centrally inscribed as a starting point
for the red ball.
The cue ball is struck with tapered sticks featuring a striking tip
called "cues". The cue tips are chalked to prevent a slippery contact
with the ball. There is almost always an additional accessory available
called a "rest" which is like a cue with a cross on the end upon which
the cue can be rested to extend its playing length. Quite often, a
"full-butt" and a "half-butt" are also available - these are much longer
rests with arched fixments on the end that come with their own long cues
for playing very long shots.
Billiards is played with one red ball and two white cue balls, one with a
small black spot and one without.
The Start
A doubles game is occasionally played but the game is usually singles.
One player chooses to play with the white cue ball and the other the
spotted white cue ball. To begin with, players play their cue ball from
within the D down the table so that it bounces back up the table and
comes to rest in baulk. The player whose ball is closest to the baulk
cushion chooses to go first or second. Most players prefer to go second
because the first turn occurs with only two balls on the table - a severe
limitation.
The game starts with the red ball on it's spot and the cue ball of the
starting player placed in the D at the front of the table. Players agree
how many points will constitute a game and the objective is merely to be
the first to score than number. A typical number for expert players might
be 1000 points - professionals regularly score more than this in a single
break. Beginners might consider 150 as a more appropriate target.
Basic Play
Each turn is called a "break" and consists of a series of strikes of the
cue ball that come to an end when a player makes a non-scoring strike or
a foul stroke. Scoring is achieved by "potting" balls, by "cannons", and
by going "in off". A ball is "potted" when the cue ball knocks it into a
pocket. A "cannon" is when the cue ball strikes first one ball and then
the other. A player's ball goes "in off" when it falls into a pocket
having first "kissed" (struck) another ball.
Whenever the red ball is potted, it is immediately returned to the red
spot for the next strike. Whenever the cue ball goes in off, it is
immediately returned to the player who can position it anywhere within
the D for the next strike. If the opponents ball is potted, it remains
out of play until the end of that player's break. In this case, the
opponent starts the next turn by positioning his ball anywhere within the
D. Otherwise the opponent starts the next turn by striking the ball from
wherever it ends up. Potting the opponents ball is usually to be avoided
since scoring is much harder with only two balls on the table.
Foul shots
A foul occurs when a player's ball hits no other balls in which case 1
point is added to the opponent's score or when the player's ball goes
directly into a pocket without hitting any other ball whereupon 3 points
are given to the opponent. It will quickly be seen, however, that the
size of these penalties are trivial compared to the injury suffered
merely as a result of allowing the opponent onto the table.....
Scoring
3 points for potting or going in off the red ball.
2 points for potting or going in off the opponents ball.
2 points for a cannon.
Scoring is cumulative within a single strike so for instance, a common
play is to both pot and go in off the red ball, thus scoring 6 points.
The cue ball is deemed to go in off the first ball that it comes into
contact with. So if the player strikes the opponents ball, cannons onto
the red ball and then goes in off, 4 points are scored. The largest score
possible in one strike is 10 points although, since this requires the
opponents ball to be potted, it is is normally a bitter-sweet achievement.
Snooker
Equipment
Snooker is played upon a Billiards table and uses the same cues and
standard equipment. Different balls are used, though - one white cue ball
is used by both players together with 15 red balls worth 1 point each and
6 coloured balls worth differing points viz:
Yellow - 2 points - initially placed on the right corner of the D as
looked at from baulk.
Green - 3 points - initially placed on the left corner of the D as looked
at from baulk.
Brown - 4 points - initially placed on the middle of the baulk line
directly between the yellow and green balls.
Blue - 5 points - initially placed slap bang in the middle of the table.
Pink - 6 points - initially placed on a spot midway between the blue ball
and the end cushion.
Black - 7 points - initially placed on the spot used for the red ball in
Billiards - twelve and three-quarter inches from the middle of the end
cushion.
The fifteen red balls are set in a triangle (using a special triangular
frame) between the pink and the black balls so that the triangle points
towards baulk with the red at the tip touching the pink ball.
In addition to the rest and the butts of the Billiards table, a three
other special rests are sometimes available called "spider", "extended
spider" and "swan neck". These are rests with special fixments on the end
to gain additional height as well as length.
The Objective and the Start
The objective is to score more points that the opponent by potting balls
and, less commonly, by playing snookers that will force the opponent to
make a foul stroke and thus give points away. Players flip a coin to
decide who goes first. To prepare for the first shot, the player
concerned sets the cue ball anywhere within the D so that it can be aimed
at a red ball.
Basic Play
Each turn is called a "break" and consists of a series of strikes of the
cue ball that come to an end when a player makes a non-scoring strike or
a foul stroke. While there are reds on the table, a break must always
start by potting a red. When a red has been potted the player must next
pot a nominated coloured ball (if it is not obvious which colour is being
aimed at, the player is required to orally make this clear). A coloured
ball that has been potted after a red is immediately returned to the
table on its home spot. After a coloured ball, another red ball must be
potted followed by a colour and so on until there are no red balls left.
After the final red ball and its accompanying colour have been potted,
the balls must be potted in order starting with yellow and finishing with
black.
In all cases, the next ball to be potted or colour nominated to be potted
must be the first ball struck by the cue-ball or a foul shot is declared.
So when a player has next to pot a red ball, if a ball other than a red
ball is struck first, it is a foul stroke.
As soon as the break comes to an end the other player has a chance to
make a break which must always start with a red ball if there are any
left, regardless of how the last break ended. The cue ball must be played
from where it finished after the previous shot unless it went in-off.
Once all the reds have been potted breaks start with the lowest value
colour and continue through to the black ball.
Points are scored according to the value of each ball potted.
Snooker is not all about potting balls - very often it is more
advantageous to play safe by putting the cue ball into a position such
that the the opponent will find the next shot very difficult to play or
to score from. Whenever a player is not able to directly play the ball to
be struck with a straight shot, that player is said to be "snookered" on
that ball. In this case the opponent is required either to swerve the
white ball around another ball or to bounce the cue ball off one or more
cushions in order to hit the target ball. With either type of shot, it is
difficult to judge the outcome and so the player who engineered the
snooker has a good chance either of winning points because the opponent
plays a foul shot or at least benefiting from a good position for the
next turn.
Common Foul shots
A foul shot is declared in any of the following scenarios.
The cue-ball strikes first a ball other than the next ball to be potted
or the colour nominated to be potted.
Whenever the cue ball goes in-off (into a pocket) or leaves the table.
The ball is placed anywhere in the D by the next player before the next
strike.
Whenever an incorrect ball is potted. For instance, if the red is being
played but the blue ball gets knocked into the pocket.
The player who committed a foul stroke receives no points for that stroke
even if a legitimate ball was potted and the break is over. However, any
points made in the break prior to the foul shot are kept.
Whenever a foul stroke is committed, the opponent receives some penalty
points viz:
If the ball being played is the black or the foul occurred because the
black ball was struck first incorrectly or potted incorrectly, then seven
points are forfeited.
If the ball being played is the pink or the foul occurred because the
pink ball was struck first incorrectly or potted incorrectly, then six
points are forfeited.
If the ball being played is the blue or the foul occurred because the
blue ball was struck first incorrectly or potted incorrectly, then five
points are forfeited.
Otherwise four points are forfeited.
Where more than one foul occurs in one stroke, only one penalty applies
but it is always the largest applicable penalty. So if a red is being
played and the player misses hits the yellow first, pots the green and
goes in-off, only four points are awarded to the opponent. However, if
the brown is being played and the player hits it first but accidentally
knocks it onto the pink ball which falls into a pocket, six points are
awarded to the opponent.
Some rules apply to the turn following a foul stroke viz:
After any foul shot, the player who would normally play next may choose
to allow the fouling player to take the next shot, instead.
If, following a foul shot, the next player is is snookered, that player
may take a "free ball". In this case, the player has the option to play
any ball on the table as if it was the ball that should properly be
played next. Thereafter play continues normally. So if a free ball occurs
on a red, the player may play any colour as if it were a red, after which
a coloured ball is nominated. The shot after that would be on a red ball
if available - the yellow otherwise. If a free ball occurs on a coloured
ball after all the reds are potted, the player will attempt to pot any
nominated ball and the next shot will revert to the lowest value ball.
Less oft-used rules
If the cue-ball ever comes to rest touching another ball, a "touching
ball" is called. If the ball being touched is the ball to be played or is
nominated as such by the player, then the player is counted as having
played the ball already. Regardless, the player must play away from the
ball in order to avoid playing an illegal push shot.
Sometimes a coloured ball that has been potted after a red cannot be
returned to the table on its home spot due to being covered by another
ball. In this case, the spot of the black is used or, if that is not
available, the pink spot and so on down to the yellow spot. If none of
the spots are available, then the ball is placed on an imaginary line
through the black and pink spots as close to the black spot as possible
from the end of the table.
Less common foul shots are listed below:
If the player plays a "push shot". This happens if the targeted ball is
close to the cue ball and the cue tip is still in contact with the
cue-ball when it strikes the target ball.
In the case of a "touching ball", the player must play away from the ball
- if it moves then it is a push shot and a foul.
If the cue-ball hops over the ball being aimed at, this is deemed a "jump
shot" and is a foul stroke.
If the cue-ball is struck twice.
If a ball is touched before it has finished rolling.
If the player strikes the cue ball without at least one foot touching the
floor.
The End
Eventually all balls except the black have been potted. At this stage, if
the difference in score is more than seven points, the game ends since it
is only sporting to assume that a player will not miss a direct shot and
so there is no way for the losing player to win. Otherwise, the last ball
is potted in the usual way.
If the game is drawn, then the black is re-spotted and the cue ball is
moved to and played from anywhere within the D. The player flip a coin to
decide who plays first and play continues. The player who pots the black
wins the game.
At any point during the game a player can resign the game. A player would
normally resign when the score is such that even with all the balls and
two or three snookers he would not overtake the other player.
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