snookergames: Answers to submitted questions - Page 10 Posted on 19th May 2001 by Sue Creamer of Portsmouth. Can anyone give me a list of all the snooker shots? This list of 40 may not be complete, if you can add to it please make contact snookergames. The two most obvious are 'pots' and 'safety' shots. When the pot is played with great strength it is known as a 'forcing' (or 'power') shot. If the pot is played to pocket the ball in one side of the pocket or the other it is described as trying to 'force an angle'. Safety shots can be described as either 'attacking', when the opponent is left with a very difficult shot; or 'containing' or 'defensive', where the opponent can play an easy safety in return. The best safety shot of course is a 'snooker', and when you are snookered you have to play an 'escape' shot. To make the next shot easier you would be playing 'position'.

When playing for the cue-ball to strike another ball or balls after the one you strike first, you would be playing for a 'cannon' or a 'kiss'. To strike the same object-ball twice (usually on a rebound from a cushion) would be a 'double-kiss'. To play one object-ball onto another is a 'plant'. By playing to rebound an object-ball from a cushion into the (usually centre) pocket, would be a 'double', variations of which include the 'double-double' (or 'treble'), 'reverse-double' and the 'cocked-hat'. By striking the cue-ball above centre you would be playing a 'run-through', by striking dead centre (or slightly above) you would be playing a 'plain ball', 'stun' or 'stun run-through'. Striking below centre, you can play 'screw', 'deep screw', 'slow screw' and 'drag'. Playing left or right of centre would be a 'side' shot. By striking down on the cue-ball (with the cue at about 45° or less) you would be playing a 'swerve'.

With the cue from about 45° to vertical, you can play the 'massé' and 'piqué'. The 'massé' forces the cue-ball to curve by a combination of back-spin and side-spin. If the 'massé' is played without resting the bridge-hand on the table, it is termed a 'grand massé'. The 'piqué' stroke is a screw shot played with a vertical cue, when the balls are so close that there is not enough room to follow through with the cue held horizontally. Until 1934 snookering behind a free ball was a legitimate stroke. Playing softly to roll the cue-ball up to touch the free ball was known as the 'Crawl' stroke. And last but not least there are the:- 'foul', 'fluke', 'in-off', 'jump', 'miss' and 'miscue'. Contributed by David Christmas of Doncaster on 9th March 2002. Here are four more:- The 'Push' shot, 'Check' & 'Running' side, and the 'Break' shot. Posted on 9th May 2001 by Mark Kerridge of Hadleigh.

The Pink and Black Ball are the only balls on the table. The player pots the pink, but the cue ball also gets potted. In this situation, as well as the cue ball being placed in the 'D', would the pink be respotted or would it stay down? The pink would be respotted, it cannot be legally potted when a foul is made in the same stroke. The offending player would score nothing for the shot, and his opponent would have six points added to his score. Posted on 2nd May 2001 by Ross Mooney of Bromsgrove. Where can I get snooker tuition in Worcestershire or the West Midlands, and what are the fees? Have a look in your local Yellow Pages, find the snooker clubs that are nearest to you, and give them a call. If none of them have a resident coach, or know of one, you may have to travel a little further. Try the World Snooker Association who have a list of Official Coaches . The fees would vary, so just check before you book. Posted on 30th April 2001 by Phil Thoms of Ramsey, Isle of Man.

One red is left on the table and the striker has a free ball, he nominates black as the free ball but goes in-off. What are the points awarded to his opponent, 4 or 7? 4 points would be awarded to the opponent. The "free ball" counts as the ball "on" for the duration of the shot. So in the example you give his opponent would gain 4 points for any foul. Posted on 30th April 2001 by Steve Roberts of Cambridge. I am interested in becoming a snooker referee. Do you know who I can contact to find out more? Yes, you must contact the English Association of Snooker and Biliards , they will put you in touch with a local tutor to begin the formalities. Posted on 30th April 2001 by Robert Coterill. Could you please end a dispute in our local club. If I potted the green ball and its spot was occupied, and the only available spots it could go on were the blue, pink, and black, which spot would you put the green on? In the example you give the green would be respotted on the black spot.

The rules quite clearly state that if its own spot is occupied, then it must be placed on the highest spot available. Posted on 9th April 2001 by Steve Taylor of Ipswich. I have just started playing snooker, and wish to know where the best position is for the cue ball to rest, after breaking at the start of the game. Perhaps best of all would be tight behind one of the three baulk colours - but this is hardly realistic. You should try to get the cue-ball as tight to the baulk cushion as you can - this will make your opponent's shot as awkward as possible. Posted on 9th April 2001 by Louise, of Johnstone, Scotland. Can anyone tell me what football team Stephen Maguire supports, and settle an argument? Can anyone help? The answer will be posted here. Submitted by Allan Mackenzie of Glasgow on 25th August 2008. Stephen Maguire supports Celtic. Posted on 7th April 2001 by Benjamin of Selangor, Malaysia. I have been playing snooker since I was 12 years old, and am now 16.

I used to play a lot but have recently played only a few times a month. I find that my 'form' has decreased a lot. What is your advice to help me play better? You simply need to begin playing regularly again. Without frequent practice you will lose the familiarity you had of the angles, the weight of your cue, the strength you should use for each shot, and your ability to aim accurately. Lack of practice also brings lack of confidence. So get back into regular practice, concentrate on pushing the cue through straight, and don't take your eye off the object-ball until the cue-ball has hit it. You will soon regain your form. Posted on 24th March 2001 by Sandy McGill of Dundee. Can you please confirm or otherwise if there was ever a PURPLE ball used in the game of snooker and if so where was it positioned and what was its value. I seem to recall it being between the pink and blue and worth 10 points. Possibly when the game was played in India in the days of the British Empire. Purple and orange balls were added to the normal set for the game of Snooker Plus, which is far more recent than you suggest.

It was invented by Joe Davis and made known to the public on October 26th 1959. The rules are included in the official rule book of 1968/69 and show the orange (8 points) being placed between the pink and the blue, and the purple (10 points) being placed between the blue and the brown. There was no other difference, the six normal colours being taken in their normal sequence, followed by orange and then purple. If the frame score was then tied, purple was respotted on the black spot. The Rules of Billiards and Snooker Game Categories The Rules of Billiards and Snooker 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..... 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. Special Situations When the player's ball finishes touching another ball, the red is put on its spot, the other player's white is placed on the centre spot, and the player must return his ball to the D. 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 almost but not quite 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 players 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. Snooker Questions On this page we shall be displaying all your questions and answers about snooker. Do you have a question about technique, rules, tactics, or anything else to do with snooker? I have almost forty years' experience playing the game to a reasonable standard, so I will answer your questions as fairly and accurately as possible. The questions and answers will be displayed on this page. (N.B. We are now able to answer most questions about past tournament results).

Although we had discontinued this page, we rather missed it, so please ask us your questions again by email. We will answer as soon as possible. We have a great collection of snooker and pool DVDs, some of which are listed here. If you disagree with my answers, please come back at me too. It will be more fun! us now with your questions! I will reply normally within 24 hours on these pages, and also by e-mail to you. Question 1:. Hi! I was playing a frame, we were on the last pink and black and I gave my opponent a free ball. He said 'black' and potted the pink with it. I said it was a foul, but he said he was allowed to do it. Who is right? Answer: You can pot the ball 'on' with the free ball at any time, so it is a legal shot and the pink stays down. Six points scored. By the way, you can also pot both balls, but only the pink is scored. Black comes up again.

Question 2: I was considering buying a more costly cue because I believe that a more costly cue supposedly uses a better/different material, which I hope will be smooth on the bridge because I have sweaty palms and in a way it affects my cue action/feathering. Do you think a different cue would give me different results? I've tried using a cloth to wipe after every break and I've even tried washing my hands after every frame but still it doesn't help. Sandpaper would not be good would it? So how does a new cue sound? Answer: I don't think a new cue is necessarily the answer to your problem. Probably the climate has more to do with it than anything else. Most cues are made of either ash or maple, so the material won't be very different. There are various methods of keeping a cue smooth: talcum powder, a dry/damp cloth (experiment), special sprays, e.g. Cue Glide, or a glove on the bridge hand, but most experts do not recommend sandpaper, although I usually take the varnish off a new cue. See the posts at under 'snooker' about this.

However, try a new cue by all means, but ask to play with it first if possible. Question 3: a. I refer to your printed magazine Cornwall Snooker Scene: Subscription by e-mail attachment. Are such in full colour with all pictures etc. i.e. exactly the same as the full version except sent by e-mail ? If so, what format is used for the e-mail version ... PDF ? Word98 ? Please advise. Answer: The magazine can be sent in almost any format: Word, Lotus Wordpro, rtf, etc. And there's no p.& p. charge! Just print it out at home. Note: We have decided after consultation that sending the magazine by e-mail would not be practical or beneficial to magazine sales. Since we have now ceased publication of the printed version, only the first two issues are available, in printed form, by mail - Editor b. What are the rules for "Snooker Plus" (has two additional colour balls) ? Answer: Snooker Plus was played a lot by Joe Davis and other old-time professionals, mainly because they had more variety and could score bigger breaks! It was shown occasionally on T.V. in the UK.

There are two extra balls - the orange (8 points) and the purple (10 points). Basic rules are the same as for normal snooker, with the order of colours in sequence: yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black, orange and purple. I append below an extract from Snooker Scene (with acknowledgement to Clive Everton and Mike Young for digging it out): "Snooker Plus was a desperate measure introduced in 1959 to inject new interest into the professional game in the depths of its darkest depression. Two extra colours, orange, counting eight and spotted midway between blue and pink, and purple, counting ten and spotted midway between blue and brown, were added. Joe Davis (seen in action, left) made a break of 108 the first time this game was unveiled in public. The highest recorded break was 156 by Jack Rea, well short of the maximum, 210. The Composition Billiard Ball Supply Co. saw the innovation as a stimulus for sales. Davis was contracted to them. The public recognised the game for the gimmick it was and it sank without trace." c. What are the rules of Volunteer Snooker ?

Answer: This game was a forerunner of present-day snooker. Thanks again to Mike Young for the research and with acknowledgement to the "Know the Game" Series, these are the basic rules: Volunteer snooker is a variation of the normal snooker game which is easy to play and appeals to those who have no wish to master the real game. The balls are set out exactly as in snooker but whereas in snooker the player's task is to pot a red and then a colour, and when reds are all potted, the colours in rotation, in volunteer snooker, after potting a red and then a colour the player may take another colour out of its proper order; this colour must be named and is then said to have been "volunteered" by the player. For example, suppose you have potted a red and pink, you may now declare or volunteer any other colour you wish by naming it. This ball would, of course, be the easiest one to pot after the pink. If you fail to pot your volunteered ball you forfeit its value (7 if black, 6 if pink, 5 blue etc.) to your opponent.

This risk naturally imparts an extra element of expectancy to the game. If, however, you pot the volunteered ball three times in succession in the same turn it remains off the table until the next stroke. For this next stroke a red or any colour may be chosen and it is "free." That is there is no penalty if you fail to pot it. You may not "volunteer" a ball until you have lawfully potted a red in each visit or turn at the table. If a player who lawfully pockets the last red ball pockets any pool ball by his next stroke, the latter ball is respotted. A red ball is always free, that is you may play on it. If the reds are all off the table then the next ball to be played is the ball which is on. Question 4: I was wondering if you can handicap snooker? Answer: You can certainly handicap snooker players, but you have to have a good idea of each player's standard before you start. It is usual to handicap the best player as scratch (no start) and, depending on the worst player's standard, you can go up to +45 or even higher.

It has been known for some players to receive as much as +60, but it may be difficult to give this sort of start in one frame. We handicap in our local league between -21 and +45, so the weakest player would get 66 points from the best! If you can be more specific about your question, (i.e. what sort of competition you want to handicap) I may be able to help further. Question 5: When playing the last red, the shooter pockets the red and the cue ball. Does the next player have to play the yellow or does he/she get a free ball? Answer: When the last red is potted, it stays down, of course, and because the cue-ball has gone in-off it is a foul stroke, four points away, and the yellow is then played from hand. A free ball would only come into effect if the next player were then unable to see the yellow full-ball from hand, in which case he/she could play any other colour as a free ball (two points) followed by the yellow if the free ball is potted. Question 6: Hi snookermag! My name is Keith Stehl and I have a small pool room in Ottawa,Il.

with two snooker tables 5x10's. My customers would like to have a snooker league but we don't know how to handicap it. I had sent you some e-mail and to hear from you was great to find out that snooker can be handicapped. I was woundering if you could give me a breakdown on how to set up handicaps and how many games do you play in each set of players? Thank you for your help my frends will glad to hear about a league. Keith Answer: You did not tell me how many players you have for your League, and this is needed if you want to play purely on a League basis, in order to fixture the matches. You can play as a League or a Ladder, a Ladder would allow new players to enter too, whereas a League would be limited to those registering at the beginning. You would need to know the standard of each player you handicapped, otherwise someone would 'get in too easy' and walk away with it! It's a bit complicated!

Let me know more details and I'll give you some help on setting it up - I'll even provide the fixtures if you give me the names - we like to help at Cornwall Snooker Scene! We shall be producing a magazine page on fixturing and leagues shortly. Question 7: I am looking to find the rules of snooker. If you could email them to me I would really appreciate it. Thanks. Jamie Answer: Unfortunately the rules of snooker are copyright, but you can probably find them on various websites, including WWW snooker. Address: Other snooker sites can be found at: Have a look at some of these sites! The Official Rules (unless they've gone up recently) cost £5 sterling from: WPBSA, 27, Oakfield Road, BRISTOL BS8 2AT United Kingdom. Sorry I haven't got time to reproduce all the Rules for you, but will be glad to answer individual questions about the rules. Question 8: What are the exact rules concerning the specifications of a snooker/pool cue? Answer: Thanks for the question about cues.

I don't cover pool, but the rules on snooker cues, as far as I am aware, are that a cue must be a minimum length of 3ft (approx 90 cm), and there is no maximum length. I gather the 3ft minimum was introduced when someone tried to use a cue about the size of a pencil to play a shot from inside the pack of reds! I will try to find out who this player was. Question 9 Date: 26/10/99 17:46:30 GMT Daylight Time From: barwick@computers54.fsnet.co.uk (Geoff Payne) To: snookermag@aol.com Hi I have been stumped by this question, on UK TV how many 147 breaks have there been and who made them? could you point me to a Snooker trivea site that may have the answer. You have a great web site and should be proud. Regards Winston White. Answer: Hi, Winston! Thanks for the nice comment about the website. It's a pity that nothing came of the magazine!

The question of 147 breaks came up in a recent exchange on the Onelist 147 list, which I subscribe to (you can join the list from my Internet page on this site if you like). Apparently (at 26/10/99) there are now 49 recognised maximum breaks (including John Higgins's latest in the Grand Prix 2004championship), and you should be able to find a list on: or write to Janie Watkins at:The Global Snooker Centre for more information. Hope this helps! Footnote: John Higgins made (2001) his first competitive 147 at the Nations Cup, but his team, Scotland, failed to reach the Final, where England (Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Lee, John Parrott and Jimmy White) beat Wales 6-4.

Question 10 (from: bwhalley@home.com (BRIAN WHALLEY) To: snookermag@aol.com: If I am snookered, say on the blue ball, and I hit the blue ball but I leave my opponent either completely snookered or partially (ie he can't see both sides of the ball) can he make me shoot again? Answer: Dear Brian, Thank you for your question. The fact that you say that you hit the blue ball means that you have played a fair shot (i.e. no foul). Therefore unless you have made some other foul during the shot, e.g. going in-off (scratching), your snooker is quite legitimate and your opponent must play from the position left. The only time a free ball may be claimed is after a foul shot, when your opponent cannot see the whole of the ball 'on'. Question 11 (from: bwhalley@home.com (BRIAN WHALLEY) To: Snookermag@aol.com What happens if I miss the blue and therefore commit a foul - if my opponent cannot see both sides of the blue ball can he make me shoot again? Is that what you mean by a free ball?

Answer: If the ball 'on' is the blue and you do not strike it, with the result that your opponent cannot see the whole of the blue, there are two alternatives: (1) He can make you go again - you must hit the blue (2) He can claim a 'free ball', which means he can take pink or black instead of the blue. If he pots the 'free ball', he scores five points. He cannot snooker you behind the 'free ball', as this is also a foul - penalty five points. By the way, he can also pot the blue with the free ball and score five points. This is legitimate, as is potting both the free ball and the blue - score five points. If the blue is potted by the free ball, it stays in the pocket. The free ball would be re-spotted. Hope that makes it clearer. Question 12 From: nicholas.costa@kcl.ac.uk (Nick Costa) To: snookermag@aol.com Hi I have been a snooker player for quite a while, I wonder if you could clear up a couple of rules I am unsure about.

1) Do amateur players ever use the "miss" rule or is it solely for professionals? 2) A free ball as I understand it is when you are unable to hit both *extreme edges* of the object ball, is this true even if it as a cushion - not a ball - in the way. Being angled in the jaw of a pocket is an obvious case for a free ball but what if the cue ball and object ball are tight on the same cushion (which means you can only hit the edge on one side...) Thanks -- Nick C, Herts Answer: Hi, Nick! Thanks for your questions. As regards Question 1, in my own League in Cornwall, the miss rule is used by most clubs in Division 1, where the standard of play is high, but it is variously interpreted, some players giving a miss while others may not give a miss in the same circumstances. In lower divisions, the rule is rarely used, and this is true of even the highest division in some local leagues. It is up to the Leagues themselves to give guidance on this issue if they wish to do so: my own league leaves it to the discretion of clubs and players.

I feel sure there are some amateur leagues where the rule is never used. It depends very much on the ability of the players concerned. Qu.2 You cannot theoretically be 'snookered' by a cushion, therefore no free ball is given: a) when you are angled b) when, for instance, both balls are touching the same cushion. You are deemed to be able to hit the whole ball if you are prevented from doing so only by a cushion. The rule about 'angled ball' has now been changed. Previously you could play from hand (the D) if you were angled after a foul. Now the only recourse you have is to make your opponent play again. Hope this helps. Graham Footnote: The Mining League has this year (1999) implemented a full miss rule in Division 1, and a limited miss rule in Divisions 2 and 3 - in Division 3 a miss should be called if any part of a ball on is clearly visible, or in Division 2 as above and if a player misses a ball on by an unreasonable margin when snookered. The latter is open to interpretation!

Further note to the above: Because of the misuse and misunderstanding of the miss rule, the Mining League decided in 2002 that a miss may only be called when the object ball is fully visible and is not contacted. Question 13 From: kai.parviainen@oreline.net (Kai Parviainen) To: snookermag@aol.com Hello, finally I found a page that takes people's questions seriously and gives really good answers,thanks. In my town there is no snooker table,there use to be but they replaced it with pooltables(??!!). I heard that the table was for sale and i´m thinking a little of maybe buying it but i have no clue of how much i should pay for it.I think the table is in good condition and i´ve heard some guy talking about a price of approximatly £ 1100-1300. Is that a reasonable price, i think all equippment is included.Ok thanks Kai ,Örebro Sweden Answer: Hi, Kai! There is no hard and fast rule about how much to pay for a second-hand table. This depends upon condition and your own budget.

It might be an idea to look at the table and make enquiries on the price of a new table to your local dealer. I think in Britain tables are around £3000-£4000, so in view of that you might consider a table for £1100-£1300 to be a good buy. Keep an eye on your local newspapers to see if any others are offered, but it doesn't often happen that a full-sized table comes up for sale. Join the 147 Club or alt.sport.snooker (see my Internet page) to get some advice there. It's worth it! Question 14: From: creyna@lullitec.com.pe (Carlos Reyna) Reply-to: creyna@lullitec.com.pe To: snookermag@aol.com Hi! I am from Lima, Peru and belong to a Club where we have 5 snooker tables in a very good shape since in last September we had the first South American Snooker Tournament at our Club. Four countries took part in the event: Argentine, Bolivia, Brasil and Peru. The first 7 places where gathered by the brasilians.

Although we have seen at the TV, snooker games where they ask to play again after a foul, we never did that in our club, perhaps due to very old written rules we have. I wander when this option of playing again was introduced. During the south american event, a lot of problems arose concerning this "playing again" specially among the brasilian players when they were playing each other. In one ocassion, being snookered, and after the third trial to hit the object ball, the white ball just failed by one mm or less and the affected player didn´t want to play again adducing that the fair try was well covered. The game was stopped and then the Snooker Commission established a maximum of four tries in despite of how close the white ball passed from the object ball. Also brasilians claimed that after a foul, there was a free ball if at least three diameters of object ball were not seen. Some times I wander if this rule is really aginst the beauty of the game. Waiting for your kind reply. Carlos Answer: Hi, Carlos, Before I answer your question, can you explain what you mean by 'playing again'?

Do you mean the 'miss' rule, when the balls are replaced in their original position, or do you mean playing again from where the balls finish, as you can request after any foul stroke? In professional snooker when a 'miss' is called, the opponent has four options: 1) Play the next shot himself 2) Have the balls replaced as they were before the last stroke 3) Ask the player to play from where the balls finished 4) Take a free ball if one has been awarded. Can you say whether you mean 'play again' as in No 2) or No 3)? In situation No 2), if the player is not snookered, he loses the frame after three 'misses' are awarded. He must, however, be warned of this before playing his third attempt. Billiard and Snooker Heritage Collection - Billiard & Snooker Balls Billiard & Snooker Balls Billiard & Snooker Balls Biliard & Snooker Balls (Some additional pictures and information have been added to Norman's original article.

The additional information is shown in italics) In previous articles we have traced the development of the billiard table from the early models with wooden beds and stuffed cushions, and we have traced the development of the billiard cue, from the original mace to the present day billiard cue, and we have also referred to the introduction of leather cue tips etc,. Now we look back at the development of the balls, which are such an important requirement for all the games played on billiard tables. Going back to the earliest writings, you will remember that a certain Irish King called Cathire More, who died in the year A.D. 148 left behind 50 billiard balls of brass,. Such balls could hardly have been satisfactory, even when the game was played out-of-doors on the ground, as they would be too heavy (unless perhaps they were hollow like the Pawn Brokers Balls of Mr Kew!) and they would also be liable to impact damage. Actually there can be little doubt that the original balls were made of hardwood, which like all timbers would be liable to splitting/swelling and shrinking and therefore never very true, but of course they would be quite cheap to replace at frequent intervals.

The following information was not include in original article and has been add. Ivory ball turning must have been a very skilled job as shown by the following copy of Apprentice Indenture between the Manchester Billiard firm Orme & Son and Joseph Nuttall in 1888. Which sets out his pay and conditions for the first year through to the seventh! Interestingly when Thurston's took control of the Belgium firm of Van Laere there were still partially turned ivory balls in the factory together with a French lathe for turning them (a similar lathe, found in Ashcroft's is in the collection). The manager of Van Laere passed on the information that to produce the best Billiard Balls (European Billiards in his case), the balls should be turn significantly oversize and left for a period of 6/12 months. Then they would be turned again and left and eventually they would be turned to the finished size with the whole process taking a number of years. Originally only two balls were required for the game of billiards (see the etching of Mozart).

According to John Roberts Senior in his book "Roberts on Billiards", published in 1868, he states that within the memory of several distinguished players still living the red ball was introduced, and in the same book he later stats that the red ball came into use …. "shortly before the opening of the present century" ….. (i.e. the late 1700's) and this fact is indeed confirmed by C. Dawson, the author of "Practical Billiards", who states that the red ball was introduced about 1795. Mozart from an etching by Batt - Note only two balls and hoop on table, also a mace I have not been able to ascertain when ivory balls were first used, but with their beautiful appearance and pleasant clicking sound on impact with each other, they must have been a great improvement. Nevertheless, ivory balls themselves were far from the perfect, it will be readily understood that ivory being an animal product (as distinct from a man made synthetic product) must vary in texture and density from animal to animal. There is a distinct "grain" in ivory, and like the teeth of all mammals, there is a nerve running through the centre of the tusk.

Ivory spot white - the nerve position is used for the 'spot' and this ball clearly shows the 'end grain' cracks In many ways the characteristics of ivory are similar to timber - there is an "end grain", of which the nerve is the centre and a "side grain" - and just like timber in dry conditions ivory will shrink and crack sideways onto the grain, but will swell in damp situations. This shrinking and/or swelling only takes place sideways to the grain and not end wise - therefore ivory backs were hardly ever perfect spheres, and required constant readjusting. As all ivory is white the red ball (and later the colours when life pool and snooker were introduced) must be stained, and again like timbers the stain penetrates and is soaked in on the end grain (i.e. around the nerve of the tusk), but would only stain the surface of the side grain - from which in play the stain used to wear, leaving the red ball with a "piebald" appearance.

Picture from World of Billiards 1901 Picture shows a boxed set of Billiard, Life Pool and Pyramid Balls In order to reduce these problems ivory had to be seasoned before making it into billiard balls - John Roberts Senior, in his book published in 1868 states ….. "Probably more difficulty is experienced obtaining well seasoned balls (ivory) than any other article connected with billiard. They cut from the points of African Elephants tusks females preferred (see the illustration). They must be kept dry for 12 months before condition is obtained - heat shrinks them greatly, and new balls crack in a single night when allowed to remain near a fire" .… Another writer Major General A.W. Drayson in his book "billiards", published 1895 states …. "It is very difficult to obtain 3 balls which are perfectly true and of the same weight" ….. and he remarks that ivory varies in both weight and elasticity.

In view of all the problems associated with ivory billiard balls, it was the usual practice to test the balls for size and weight in full view of the spectators before important matches commenced, and readers will be interest to see the accompanying photograph showing the vernier gauge (engraved with John Thurstons name and Catherine Street address) and therefore about 150 years old), also the ring gauge for testing minimum size 2.1/16 inches and maximum size of 2.3/32 inches together with the balance scales for ensuring equal weight of balls. These last two items being regularly used at Thurstons Leicester Square Match Hall, until the late 1920's.

A few facts and figures may also be of interest to our readers - the accompanying photograph shows a member of the Burroughs family of the old Burroughs & Watts Company reclining on a stack containing some 20,000 billiard balls, note the publication date of January 1911, and the value at that time of £16,000, to allow for inflation from 1911 to 1982, for todays value you would need to multiply by a factor of 35 or perhaps even 40, note also just for this one Company alone, one years requirements of ivory balls involved the killing of 1140 elephants and there were quite a large number of Billiard Table Makers existing at that period of time all selling ivory balls. According to the figures published in the Encyclopaedia Britannica large shipments of ivory for the making of billiard balls were imported through both Liverpool and London.

In 1827 through the Port of London alone 3,000 cwt (approx 150 metric tonne) arrived, but by the year 1890 this had increased to 15,000 cwt, but from then on the invention of the Composition Ball, the quantity slowly declined, it is on record that at the peak of demand considering the total arrivals of ivory through all the Ports for the making of billiard balls (and also for life pool and snooker balls during the late 19th and early 20th centuries) by the many Billiard Manufacturing Companies involved, just to supply the United Kingdom alone, required the slaughter of some 12,000 elephants in one year, and it must be remembered that the three ball game was also popular throughout Europe, the USA and the British Colonies. With the present day popularity of the 22 balls snooker and 16 ball pool the elephants must be very pleased that in 1868 a Mr. Hyatt, of Albany, New York State, USA, invented the Composition Ball.

In order to try and overcome some of the unsatisfactory characteristics of ivory by sealing the grain a Mr. E. Roese, under patent number 5413 dated 19th April 1886, registered a process for coating ivory balls with a mixture containing an alcoholic solution of Copal varnish together with a solution of celluloid in ether and collodin with or without the addition of colouring matter. A set of ivory balls coated in this manner can be seen in the Billiard & Snooker Heritage Collection in Liverpool. Coated red billiard ball Roese's patent as listed Many well known writers including Riso Levi and Major Broadfoot refer at length to the difficulty of obtaining good evenly matched ivory balls, which due to variations in density and elasticity were sometimes referred to as "wide angle ivories" or "narrow angle ivories", problems which with the introduction of Composition Balls do not trouble the players of today. The history and development of the modern Composition Billiards and Snooker Balls is an interesting story in itself, covering a period of time in excess of 100 years, and is mainly concerned with the work of a Mr. Peter Kinnear and Mr. John Wesley Hyatt.

Sometime during the early 1860's Peter Kinnear left his native Scotland and settled in Albany, in New York State, about 150 miles from the city of New York, and it was here that he set to work to find a substitute for ivory, which was becoming very scarce and consequently very expensive. Kinnear - presumably as a matter of chance (as he was a recent immigrant in USA) formed a friendship with Mr. John Wesley Hyatt - a Chemist and Inventor and together they worked to discover a substitute for ivory, possibly inspired by a prize of $10,000 (ten thousand US dollars) offered by Phelan and Collender (later called Brunswick-Balke and Collender and now today simply called Brunswick), to anybody who could produce such a substitute. John Wesley Hyatt The problem was solved by Hyatt who discovered the chemical called Cellulose Nitrate - which when combined with Camphor, became known as Celluloid. This was in fact the first modern plastic and Hyatt is recognised as the father of the present day plastics industry and so he must rank history with all other Great Inventors.

There is no evidence that he accepted the $10,000 prize indeed, it would seem likely that he decided to retain the patent rights himself. The invention was made in 1868 and the patent was registered in 1869, and the following year he established the Hyatt Manufacturing Company at Albany, which was soon renamed the Albany Billiard Ball Company, and is today still manufacturing balls in the USA. The Hyatt ball was sold in the United Kingdom towards the end of the 19th century, under the name of "Bonzoline". These balls were compression mouldings, produced under very great pressure and then cured before turning, grinding and polishing. The Albany Company employed three brothers as foremen and in 1900 one of them George Birt, left the Albany Company and came to England were he met Mr. Percy Warnford-Davis and in 1901 they commenced the production of a similar ball with the Cellulose Nitrate Base which was marketed under the name of "Crystalate". They were compression moulded as shown in the picture. Then cut apart and ground to size. It should also be noted that a Mr.

Alexander Parkes, working in England also invented "Celluloid" independently at the same time (vide the publication entitled "The First Century of Plastics - Celluolid and its Sequel") but his patents were not used commercially until 1877. In 1909 the Endolithic Company Ltd, who were marketing the Crystalate Ball and E. J. Riley Ltd of Accrington - arranged for the sensational young Australian Billiard Player, George Gray to visit the United Kingdom. He had been using the Crystalate Ball and with this ball he made a great series of the largest breaks ever achieved on a billiards table, and so established the reputation of the Crystalate Composition Ball - even so - as the history of the development of the billiard table and accessories clearly shows,whenever an improvement is introduced the best amateur and professional players vigorously resisted the adoption of the Composition Balls for another 18/20 years. The above pictures show the top of an early Crystalate Billiard Ball Box and the inside of the lid, from the wording it shows that they were still being compared to ivory.

In 1912 the Endolithic Company Ltd, made arrangements with Albany for the join marketing of the balls - the Bonzoline being made in the USA, and the Crystalate being made at Tonbridge in Kent. Later after World War I, during 1931, the Composition Billiard Ball Supply Co. Ltd, was formed and both balls were made at Stratford in London. The following pictures are of pages taken from a Thurston catalogue circa 1910 and are of interest concerning the ivory / composition ball debate. The second page has reference to the problems with ivory 'holding their shape' and that Bonzoline balls had advantages for games of Pool and Pyramids. There was however strong - one might say "violent" opposition to the adoption of Composition Balls by the well known professional players of the early 20th century (just as there had been to rubber cushioning and other improvements). This situation is constantly drawn to your attention by reading any of the books on billiards published during this period, and so I quote from one book only entitled "Billiards in 20th Century" by Riso Levi, published 1930/31, the following extracts taken from Chapter VIII.

"As most readers are aware I have for many years stressed the superiority of Composition Balls for billiards - firstly by reason of the Homogenity - they run beautifully true, whilst even selected ivories are frequently not dependable, even when quite new ….. when many years ago I first began advocating the use of Composition Balls, I was looked upon as a visionary and a dreamer …. more than one professional of note commented on what I had written in words which are not quite printable" ….. He laughs last however, and in 1926 I had the satisfaction of seeing the Amateur Championship played with Composition Balls, and in July 1928, the B.A.C.C. (Billiards Association & Control Council) decided that future professional championships must be played with Compositions" …… "Only a few years ago every British Professional of note was dead against the use of Composition Balls. This was not surprising because with the exception of Smith (Willie) all our great cue men learned their billiards with ivory balls. Smith used Composition Balls until he became a professional in 1911.

In time he became quite used to ivories - never made the mistake of pretending as so many of our cue men did that better billiards could be played with ivories". Smith however probably considered it good policy in 1919 to maintain that the ivory ball was the only ball for professionals, as in those days he was afraid of no one when playing with ivories, whereas he might not have been able to vanquish allcomers with Composition Balls. In 1924 in a London Sporting Paper of March 29th he said - "I can say at once and without the slightest reservation that any attempt to put Composition Balls on the table for a Championship game will have unrelenting opposition". However he had the foresight and also the courage to admit he had been wrong, when in the Sunday Chronicle of 19th February 1928 he said - "To my brother Professionals I would say let us get together and decide on a unanimous change to Composition Balls for next season and don't let professional billiards die a natural death". Meanwhile at Ludwigshafen in Germany, the large Chemical Co,.

RASHIG GmbH began producing an entirely different ball with a phenol formaldehyde base - this was a "Resin Casting" - each ball being separately cast in glass mould - cured and then extracted by breaking the mould off the ball rather like shelling a hard boiled egg! The ball is then turned and finished on a centraless grinder and finally polished in the same manner as the original Bonzoline and Crystalate Balls. This Cast Resin Ball was slightly lighter in weight having a density of 1.7 as compared to the density of the original ball of 1.87, but it had beautiful bright colours and very attractive appearance. Resin Ball cast in glass mould The work of developing this new type of Cast Resin Ball was a closely guarded secret, carried out by a brilliant German Chemist named Doctor Koebner. In 1937 Mr. Darryl Warnford-Davis of the Composition Billiard Ball Supply Co, who was advised by Mr. Ronald Kinnear (grandson of the original Peter Kinnear) that Doctor Koebner, who was a Jew - was in England and wanted to stay here to escape from Hitlers Germany and the persecution of the Jewish People.

With some considerable difficulty, in view of the pre-war situation, permission for him to stay and work with the Composition Billiard Ball Supply Co. Ltd, was obtained, and he worked with the Company until his death in 1949, producing a similar ball marketed under the name "Vitalite". In return for the information about Doctor Koebner's presence in London, it was agreed to share the knowledge of how to manufacture the Cast Resin Ball with the Albany Ball Co, - this promise was kept, and so this type of ball is now also made by Albany in USA. Since the end of World War II the same type of ball has also been made in Belgium and marketed under the name of "Aramith". As the materials for the original Cellulose Nitrate based ball became more difficult to obtain, experimental work on the Cast Resin Ball now produced the modern "Super Crystalate" Balls, with their bright attractive colours and a specific gravity almost equal to the old Crystalate. At the same time the Belgium Ball Manufacturers had improved their product to achieve the required density, which is now being marketed in the United Kingdom as the "Tournament Champion" Ball.

Both these modern Cast Resin Balls are made to extremely close tolerances for both sizes and specific gravity. Thus the equipment for playing the games of billiards and snooker has reached a very high degree of perfection, which must have made possible the very great and skilful performances of our present day players. There must however always be room for further improvement in the equipment of all games of skill, otherwise we have reached the "end of the road", yet believe it or not all improvements are vigorously resisted by existing players. More additions to Norman's article :- As The first experiments in replacement material used of compressed Nitrocellulose (gun cotton) coated in Celluloid. This is quite a flammable combination and there are stories, from the U.S.A., of these balls 'exploding' into flames and the 'cowboys thinking they were being shot out then pulling out the guns looking for the threat!!! In 2011 BBC Scotland approached the "Collection" to borrow an Ivory Billiards Ball set. They were making a programme on the development of celluloid and similar early materials.

As they said in their email -"As part of our introduction to Celluloid and the start of synthetic polymers (plastics) we would like to bring up the story about ivory becoming increasingly scarce and need to find a replacement which lead to celluloid (John Wesley Hyatt) and then to Bakelite. For this we would really like to be able to show ivory balls compared to the celluloid billiard balls we will be making" So we happily loaned them a set of ivory billiard balls and after Dr. Mark Miodownik, a material scientist from Kings College, London, made the Celluloid Nitrocellulose balls for the programme and the BBC very kindly gave the Collection one of the balls produced. They also warned -"please keep away from flames"!! This ball is as pictured below and has also be filmed being held by Steve Davis for an section on the history of Snooker (Billiards) shown during the 2013 World Snooker Championship. The Ball is a dark purple colour rather like the purple of a Snooker Plus ball "The next article in this series will deal with billiard table lighting, from oil lamps to electricity." ****************** © E.A. Clare & Son Ltd.

2009 - All items displayed are from the N. Clare collection. reproduction of article allowed only with permission from E.A. Clare & Son Ltd. Please do not hesitate to ask should need any advice on snooker, billiards or pool or wish to make a purchase. Thurston has the most comprehensive range of tables and accessories available. see our e-shop - 3D Billiards by FlyOrDie - Snooker Rules Snooker rules Rating system 1. Aim of the game 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. 2.

Opening break rules 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. 3. 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. 4. 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) 5. 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. 6.

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. 7. Game over rule 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. 8. 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.

Power snooker: the rules are the same, with the following modifications: 20 seconds shot clock, if it is exceeded, the opponent gets 20 points the duration of a game is 15 minutes (10, 20, 30 optionally) if at least two reds hit the cushion at the break shot, the player who broke remains at the table the table is re-racked after the last black is potted there are 9 reds in a diamond shaped-rack, one of those is the special power ball the power ball scores 2 points when potted, and it starts a 2 minutes power play any balls potted during power play counts double any foul during a power play counts double any pot with the cue ball in the power zone (behind the baulk line) counts double (quadruple during power play) any foul with the cue ball in the power zone counts double (quadruple during power play) after any foul, the opponent may move the cue ball anywhere in the power zone

Question: What value, in points, is the purple ball in a game of ‘Snooker Plus’?
Answer: Ten