Snooker Games Rules

Snooker is form of billiards that originated in England in the 19th century. Unlike the more popular eight- and nine-ball billiards, snooker is played on a much larger table using smaller pockets and balls. Often, snooker players use cue sticks of a smaller circumference than those designed for eight- or nine-ball. Although there are many games that can be played on a snooker table, the games were originally only for snooker.

Snooker Table

English snooker tables measure 11-feet-8.5-inches by 5-feet-10-inches, and American or international snooker tables measure 11-by-5 feet. Snooker tables have a D-shape near the head rail and a line across the table at 29 inches from the head rail (the head rail is the end of the table from which one shoots first).

Snooker Balls

Snooker balls must have a diameter of 52.5 millimeters (2.07 inches). Their weight must not vary more than three grams from each other, or the weight of three standard paperclips. There are 22 balls in a snooker set, and there is a full rack of 15 unnumbered red balls in addition to a white cue ball; six numbered, differently colored balls make up the rest of the set. The balls are designated as follows: red (1), yellow (2), green (3), brown (4), blue (5), pink (6) and black (7).

Points for Pocketing Balls

Points are scored by pocketing, or "potting," balls in the pockets. To score, the cue ball must hit the appropriate ball first; at times, the ball must be announced. Before pocketing a colored ball, a player must pocket a red ball, which is worth one point. Then, a player must pocket a colored ball, which is worth the same number of points as the number on the ball (i.e., the yellow ball is worth 2 points). As long as there are still red balls on the table, pocketed colored balls are placed back on the table in their original spots. This means that in total, colored balls can only be re-spotted 15 times, or until the red balls have all been pocketed.

Game Play

Players or teams take turns until all the balls are pocketed. Before the game commences, players agree to a set number of frames. A frame is the name for a round from a fresh rack to all balls pocketed. Players alternate, going first from frame to frame. Red balls stay in the pockets as they are made. After pocketing a red ball, a player may pocket whichever colored ball he chooses, which is then re-spotted. Once all the red balls have been legally pocketed, the players must pocket the colored balls in numerical order, ending with the seven ball. The colored balls then stay in the pockets as they are made, because there are no more red balls. When only the black ball remains, the frame ends with the first score or foul. The winning side is the one with the most points at the end of the set number of frames.

Fouls

Fouls result in points being awarded to the other player. Sometimes, the player who fouled may be required to shoot again. If a player pockets a ball illegally, he has fouled and his opponent receives the point value of that ball. The value of the target ball is awarded to the opponent if a player fouls by pocketing the cue ball, missing the ball, jumping the cue ball, sending a ball off the table or touching the cue ball more than once. Of course, a foul is also incurred if the player is out of turn or shoots without a foot on the ground.