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Rules & Regulations |
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| SECTION 2 - Definitions |
| 1. Frame |
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A frame of snooker comprises the period of the play from the first stroke,
with all the balls set as described in Section 3 Rule 2, until the frame is
completed by: |
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(a) |
concession by any player during his turn, |
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(b) |
claim by the striker when only the Black remains and there is more than
seven points difference between the scores in his favor, |
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(c) |
the final pot or foul when only the Black remains, or |
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(d) |
being awarded by the referee under Section 3 Rule 4(d), Rule 14(c), or Section 4
Rule 2. |
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| 2. Game |
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A game is an agreed or stipulated number of frames. |
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| 3. Match |
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A match is an agreed or stipulated number of games. |
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| 4. Balls |
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(a) |
The White ball is the cue-ball. |
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(b) |
The 15 Reds and the 6 colors are the object balls. |
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| 5. Striker |
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The person about to play or in play is the striker and remains so until
the referee has decided he has left the table at the end of his turn. |
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| 6. Stroke |
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(a) |
A stroke is made when the striker strikes the cue-ball with the tip of the cue. |
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(b) |
A stroke is fair when no infringement of Rule is made. |
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(c) |
A stroke is not completed until all balls have come to rest. |
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(d) |
A stroke may be made directly or indirectly, thus:
(i) a stroke is direct when the cue-ball strikes an object ball without first
striking a cushion
(ii) a stroke is indirect when the cue-ball strikes one or more cushions before
striking an object ball. |
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| 7. Pot |
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A pot is when an object ball, after contact with another ball and without any
infringement of these Rules, enters a pocket. Causing a ball to be potted is
known as potting. |
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| 8. Break |
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A break is a number of pots in successive strokes made in any one turn by a player
during a frame. |
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| 9. In-hand |
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(a) |
The cue-ball is In-hand
(i) before the start of each frame,
(ii) when it has entered a pocket, or
(iii) when it has been forced off the table.
(iv) when it has been asked to be played from in-hand under Section 3 Rule 14(i) |
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(b) |
It remains In-hand until
(i) it is played fairly from In-hand, or
(ii) a foul is committed whilst the ball is on the table |
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(c) |
The striker is said to be In-hand when the cue-ball is In-hand as above. |
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| 10. Ball In Play |
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(a) |
The cue-ball is in play when it is not In-hand. |
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(b) |
Object balls are in play from the start of the frame until pocketed or forced off
the table. |
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(c) |
Colors become in play again when re-spotted. |
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| 11. Ball On |
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Any ball which may be lawfully struck by the first impact of the cue-ball, or any
ball which may not be so struck but which may be potted, is said to be on. |
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| 12. Ball In Play |
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(a) |
A nominated ball is the object ball which the striker declares, or indicates to
the satisfaction of the referee, he undertakes to hit with the first impact of
the cue-ball. |
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(b) |
If requested by the referee, the striker must declare which ball he is on. |
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| 13. Free Ball |
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A free ball is a ball which the striker nominates as the ball on when snookered
after a foul (see Section 3 Rule 10). |
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| 14. Forced Off The Table |
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A ball is forced off the table if it comes to rest other than on the bed of the
table or in a pocket, or if it is picked up by the striker, whilst it is in play
except as provided for in Section 3 Rule 14(h). |
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| 15. Foul |
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A foul is any infringement of these Rules. |
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| 16. Snookered |
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The cue-ball is said to be snookered when a direct stroke in a straight line to
every ball on is wholly or partially obstructed by a ball or balls not on. If
one or more balls on can be struck at both extreme edges free of obstruction by
any ball not on, the cue-ball is not snookered. |
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(a) |
If In-hand, the cue-ball is snookered if it is obstructed as described above from
all possible positions on or within the lines of the "D". |
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(b) |
If the cue-ball is so obstructed from hitting a ball on by more than one ball not
on
(i) the ball nearest to the cue-ball is considered to be the effective snookering
ball, and
(ii) should more than one obstructing ball be equidistant from the cue-ball, all
such balls will be considered to be effective snookering balls. |
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(c) |
When Red is the ball on, if the cue-ball is obstructed from hitting different Reds
by different balls not on, there is no effective snookering ball. |
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(d) |
The striker is said to be snookered when the cue-ball is snookered as above |
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(e) |
The cue-ball cannot be snookered by a cushion. If the curved face of a cushion
obstructs the cue-ball and is closer to the cue-ball than any obstructing ball
not on, the cue-ball is not snookered. |
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| 17. Spot Occupied |
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A spot is said to be occupied if a ball cannot be placed on it without that ball
touching another ball. |
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| 18. Push Stroke |
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A push stroke is made when the tip of the cue remains in contact with the cue-ball |
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(a) |
after the cue-ball has commenced its forward motion, or |
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(b) |
as the cue-ball makes contact with an object ball except, where the cue-ball and an
object ball are almost touching, it shall not be deemed a push stroke if the
cue-ball hits a very fine edge of the object ball. |
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| 19. Push Stroke |
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A jump shot is made when the cue-ball passes over any part of an object ball,
whether touching it in the process or not, except: |
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(a) |
when the cue-ball first strikes one object ball and then jumps over another ball, |
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(b) |
when the cue-ball jumps and strikes an object ball, but does not land on the far
side of that ball, |
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(c) |
when, after striking an object ball lawfully, the cue-ball jumps over that ball
after hitting a cushion or another ball. |
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| 20. Miss |
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A miss is when the cue-ball fails to first contact a ball on and the referee
considers that the striker has not made a good enough attempt to hit a ball on. |
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The official rules of snooker are copyright of the
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA). |
