Rules for Snooker

Rules of Play – Snooker

1. Description of the Rules of Snooker

Snooker is played on an English billiard table by two people playing individually, or by four people playing in teams. It is a game of potting and positional play. Points are scored for winning strokes, and forfeits are awarded to the opponent for fouls. The winner is the player or team with the higher score, or the one to whom the game is awarded under Rule 4.2.
Each player uses the same cue ball, and there are 21 object balls:
15 red balls, each worth 1 point,
1 yellow ball, worth 2 points,
1 green ball, worth 3 points,
1 brown ball, worth 4 points,
1 blue ball, worth 5 points,
1 pink ball, worth 6 points,
1 black ball, worth 7 points.
Winning strokes are scored by potting reds and colours alternately until no reds remain. The coloured balls are then potted in ascending order of value (from yellow to black).

2. Setting Up the Balls
Under the rules of snooker, at the start of each frame the object balls are set up as follows:
the black ball on its spot,
the pink ball on the triangle spot (apex of the pyramid),
the blue ball on the centre spot,
the brown ball in the middle of the baulk line,
the green ball to the left of the brown, at the intersection of the “D” and the baulk line,
the yellow ball to the right of the brown, at the intersection of the “D” and the baulk line.
The reds are set up in a triangle; the top ball of the triangle is placed as close as possible to the pink ball, without touching it, with the base nearest and parallel to the top cushion.
Note: The spots for the object balls are commonly named after the colour of the ball they represent. For example: the black spot

3. Principle of the Game of Snooker
The players determine the order of play, which (under Rule 3.1) must remain unchanged throughout the frame.
The first player breaks off, and the frame begins with the first stroke.
The cue ball must first strike a ball that is “on,” and must not enter a pocket.
A ball that is not “on” may not be potted.
For the first stroke of each turn, until all reds are off the table, red is the “on” ball.
The value of every red potted in the same stroke is scored.
If a red is potted, the next “on” ball will be a ball of another colour, which is scored if it is itself potted. The colour is then respotted.
Until all the reds are off the table, the break continues by potting reds and colours alternately.
If the player at the table fails to score, the next player plays from wherever the cue ball has come to rest (except in the case of a free ball following a foul).
The colours then become “on” balls in ascending order of their value (yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black). Once potted, they remain off the table (except as provided in the following paragraph).
When only the black remains, the first winning or losing points end the frame, unless the scores are then equal, in which case:
the black is respotted,
the players draw lots to decide who plays,
the next player breaks off from the “D,” and
winning or losing points end the frame.
“Losing points” means that a foul is committed.
Note on scoring totals: in games or matches where the aggregate score is taken into account, the above rule applies only if the scores are level at the end of the final frame.
The player must do their best to attempt to strike the “on” ball. If the referee considers this rule to have been breached, the referee will:
call a foul,
decide the penalty in favour of the non-offending player, and
ask the opponent whether they wish the balls to be replaced and the offending player to play again.
Note: if the “on” ball is impossible to hit. In this situation, the player is nonetheless deemed required to attempt to strike the “on” ball.

4. Breaking Off or Playing from Baulk
To break off or play from baulk, the cue ball must be struck from a position on or within the line of the “D.”
Note: the referee will confirm, if asked, whether the white ball is correctly placed.

5. Simultaneous Contact
The cue ball may not simultaneously strike two balls other than two reds, or a free ball and the “on” ball.

6. Respotting Colours
If a colour is to be respotted but its own spot is occupied, it is placed on the highest-value vacant spot.
If more than one colour is to be respotted and their spots are occupied, the ball of the highest value has priority.
If all the spots are occupied, the colour is placed as near as possible to its own spot, between that spot and the nearest point of the top cushion.
In the case of the black or the pink, if the space between its own spot and the nearest point of the top cushion is occupied, the colour is placed as close as possible to its own spot on the centre line of the table below that spot.

7. Touching Balls
If the cue ball is touching another ball that is, or could be, “on,” the referee will call “touching ball.”
The player must play away from it, otherwise it is a push shot.
No penalty is incurred for playing away in this manner if:
the ball is not “on,”
the ball is “on” and the player nominates it as such,
the ball is “on” and the player nominates and first strikes another ball instead.
Note: if the referee considers that a touching ball has moved through an action other than that of the player, there is no foul.

8. Ball Hanging Over a Pocket
If a ball falls into a pocket without having been touched by another ball, it is respotted.
If it would have been struck by any ball involved in a stroke, all balls are respotted and the stroke is replayed.
If a ball is momentarily balanced on the edge of a pocket and then falls in, it is not respotted.

9. Free Ball
After a foul, if the cue ball is snookered, the referee will call “free ball.”
The non-offending player takes the next stroke and may nominate any ball as the “on” ball.
For that stroke, such a ball is considered an “on” ball and therefore takes its value.
It is a foul if the cue ball:
fails to make first contact,
causes a snooker by means of the ball nominated, except when only the black and the pink remain.
If the free ball is potted:
it is respotted,
the value of the “on” ball is scored.
If the “on” ball is potted, it is scored.
If both the “on” ball and the free ball are potted, only the value of the “on” ball is scored.
Example 1: if there is a snooker on the last remaining red following an opponent’s foul, and the player nominates the blue as the free ball and pots it, they score one point and must then pot a colour before playing the remaining red.

Example 2: if there is a snooker on the green following an opponent’s foul, and the player nominates the pink and pots it, they score three points, and the pink is respotted before the player attempts the green as normal.

10. Fouls under the Rules of Snooker
If a foul is committed:
the referee immediately calls “foul” and announces the appropriate penalty,
unless called by the referee or claimed by the opponent before the next stroke is played, the foul is condoned,
any ball wrongly respotted remains where it lies, except that if it is off the table it will be correctly respotted,
all points scored before the foul is called or claimed stand,
the next stroke is played from wherever the white ball has come to rest.
If more than one foul is committed on a single stroke, the higher penalty applies.
The player who committed the foul:
incurs the prescribed penalty (which is added to the opponent’s score), and
must play again if the next player so requests. Once made, such a request cannot be withdrawn.

11. Penalties in Snooker
The following fouls incur a penalty of points or more, as prescribed.
1. The value of the “on” ball, for:
playing while the balls are not at rest (paragraph 2.6),
striking the cue ball more than once (paragraph 2.6),
playing without at least one of the player’s feet touching the floor (paragraph 2.6),
playing out of turn (paragraph 3.3),
incorrectly breaking off or playing from baulk (paragraph 3.4),
playing the white ball in such a way that it fails to strike any object ball (paragraph 3.3),
the white ball entering a pocket (paragraph 3.3),
causing a snooker by means of the free ball (paragraph 3.9),
playing a jump shot (paragraph 2.19).
2. The value of the “on” ball or of the ball concerned, for:
potting a ball that is not “on” (paragraph 3.3),
the cue ball first striking a ball that is not “on” (paragraph 3.3),
playing a push shot (paragraph 2.18),
playing while a ball is incorrectly placed (paragraph 2.11),
touching a ball with anything other than the tip of the cue (paragraph 2.6),
knocking a ball off the table (paragraph 2.13).
3. The value of the “on” ball, or the higher value of the two balls concerned, if the white ball simultaneously strikes two balls other than two reds, or a free ball and the “on” ball.
4. A penalty of seven points is incurred if the player:
after potting a red, commits a foul before having nominated a colour,
uses, for any purpose, a ball that is off the table,
plays reds on successive strokes, or
uses as the cue ball any ball other than the white.

12. Ball Moved by Someone Other than the Player
If a ball, whether at rest or in motion, is disturbed by someone other than the player, it will be respotted by the referee. Note: this covers cases where some other action causes the player at the table to touch a ball. No player is responsible for the disturbance of balls by the referee.

13. Stalemate Situation
If the referee considers that a stalemate position is approaching, the players will be warned that, unless the situation changes quickly, the frame will have to be declared null and void. The frame must then be restarted in the same order of play.

14. Playing Doubles Snooker
In doubles play, each team breaks off alternately at the start of a frame; the order of play is determined at the start of each frame and must be maintained throughout that frame.
the players may change the order of play at the start of each frame;
if a foul is committed and a request is made for the stroke to be replayed, the player who committed the foul plays again, and the original order of play is maintained;
when a frame ends with the scores level, Rule 3.3, paragraph 10 applies;
partners may consult with each other during play, but not while the player at the table is playing a stroke.