Snooker Rules
Snooker is played with fifteen object balls that are not numbered and are solid red (called reds), six object balls of other colors that are not numbered (called colors in snooker) and a cue ball (called the white ball).
The aim of snooker is to pocket the balls legally according to the rules and to score a greater number of points than the opponent.
Point values for object balls: red-1, yellow-2, green-3, brown-4, blue-5, pink-6, black-7.
Opening break
- The game of Snooker begins with the cue ball in hand in the Half Circle (so the starting player can place the cue ball anywhere inside the Half Circle).
- The rules for the opening break are the same as when one of the players gets the right to strike.
Game Rules
A player who gets the right to strike has to hit one of the red ball first. If there are no more red balls on the table, the ball on will be the ball with the lowest point value.
Each shot has to be completed in 60 seconds, otherwise a foul is called.
A strike, when the next legal object is a red ball, is legal when:
- The white ball is not potted.
- The white ball hits a red ball first.
- Only red balls are potted.
Otherwise the strike is a foul.
When the strike on the red ball is legal:
- If no red ball is potted then the opposing player is next.
- When a red ball is potted then the player gets as many points as the number of red balls he has potted. The striker's next legal object is a colored ball (see next point rules).
After successfully potting one or more red(s), the player has to nominate a color (other than red), which will be the "ball on" for the next shot. The shot is legal if
- the white ball is not potted.
- the nominated ball is hit by the white ball first.
- no other ball is potted.
Otherwise the strike is a foul.
When the strike on the colored ball is legal:
- If no ball is potted then the opposing player is next.
- When a colored ball is potted then the player's points increase by the point value of the potted colored ball. The striker's next legal object is a red ball. If there are no more red balls on the table, the next legal object is the ball with the lowest points.
Snooker Fouls
If a hit is a foul then the other player gets penalty points:
- 4 points if the white ball is potted.
- 7 points if time limit is exceeded (60 seconds/shot)
- If the white hits the wrong ball first then the value of this ball.
- If the wrong ball is potted first then the value of this ball.
When a hit results in more fouls then the opposing player gets the points of foul with the highest value.
Penalty points have a minimal value of 4.
After committing a foul the incoming player may
- play the ball(s) as they lie
- request to pass the shot and let the offending player play the stroke again (without returning to the original position)
Free ball
After a foul, if the cue ball is snookered, the next player may nominate any ball to play as a "Free ball". For this stroke, such ball shall be regarded as, and acquire the value of, the ball on. It is a foul should the cue ball fail to first hit, or - except when only the pink and black remain on the table - be snookered by, the free ball. If the "free ball" is potted, it is spotted, and the value of the ball on is scored. If the ball on is potted it is scored.
For example, if the ball "on" is a red, and the nominated free ball is a pink, the player will receive one point for potting the pink (which is then respotted). He then continues to attempt to pot a colour which, if successful, is followed by another red etc.
Foul and miss
If the player did not hit the ball on first, it is a "miss", and the next player may request that the ball(s) be returned to the original position and have the offending player play the stroke again. This can be requested three times in a row.
This rule is only included in the "PRO" mode of the game.
Game over rule
The frame ends when
- potting or fouling when only the Black remains.
- one of the player concedes.
- the point difference between the players at the end of the shooter's break is more than the remaining points on the table plus 20, the frame ends automatically.
- there is more than 7 points difference and only the black ball remaining on the table.
The player with more points wins the frame.
Playoff
If the scores are equal after potting the last ball, the black ball is respotted and the player on plays again from the D. The first foul or pot ends the game.
Snooker variants
Quick snooker
The rules are the same, but there are only six reds on the table, only 25 seconds is available per shot, and the game is played on a smaller table.
Lite snooker
The rules are the same, but there are only ten reds (six optionally) on the table, and the game is played on a pool-sized table using pool-sized balls.
Further help