The unwritten rules and etiquette of the World Snooker Championship
IT’S the quietest show on earth – and that silence speaks volumes of the rules and expectations at the Crucible.
The World Snooker Championship is the biggest prize in the sport and is set to return to your screens as the 2025 tournament gets underway this weekend.
Kyren Wilson, 33, is gunning to keep his crown and become the first player to defend a maiden title since 1977.
This year marks the 49th renewal of the World Championship since it moved to the Crucible and is the climax of the 2024-25 season, with £500,000 going to the winner.
Whilst only 980 fans can squeeze into the hallowed ground of the Crucible, millions will tune in worldwide to watch the world’s best players contest to write themselves into history.
But as a sport steeped in history and decorum, snooker comes with its own quirky code.
It’s a game that requires the optimum conditions for the players to maintain their focus and it’s a game full of odd etiquette you probably didn’t know about.
Here we take a look at the unwritten rules of the Crucible…
No coughing in the Crucible
One badly-timed wheeze can ruin a frame and you can expect daggers from both players and fans alike.
With the crowd so quiet in the Crucible you could hear a pin drop, any coughing will bring you unwanted attention that may result in you being kicked out.
One fan discovered that the hard way when the referee removed them from the 2023 semi-final between Jak Jones and Stuart Bingham for coughing while the players lined up their shots.
Funnily enough, coughing was particularly high on the etiquette agenda when the World Championship was a pilot for the return of spectators to live events in 2020 only for Boris Johnson to put the area in to lockdown midway through the morning session.
Hold the applause
Clap to early at the Crucible and you will out yourself as a total amateur.
When to clap is a matter of contention among fans, but at the very least you must wait for the ball to drop.
But what if the reds are bunched? You can picture it – Ronnie O’Sullivan nails the pot, the cue ball smashes into the reds, the audience go crazy, but it ends up being a bad split with nothing on.
Meanwhile the player is stood frustrated, hardly thankful for the applause of the audience.
Don’t move a muscle
During play, the crowd at the snooker are expected to uphold complete silence.
The rustle of a crisp packet, the slurp of a drink, the slightest sound or sight from movement can cause a player to lose their focus which means picking your moments to nip out for a drink or toilet break.
There have been numerous incidents of players calling on referees to have spectators removed.
You want to be careful though. Whatever you do don’t fall asleep.
During a 2017 first round match between O’Sullivan and Gary Wilson, play was unexpectedly halted to remove someone sleeping in the audience.
Always acknowledge the flukes and fouls
The players also have a strict set of unwritten rules to abide by.
We have all been there, when you go to nail a pot only for the ball rebound off the jaw of the target pocket into another. It is a great feeling.
But in snooker you will always see the players acknowledge that lady luck was on their side with a subtle gesture to the opponent.
The same goes for fouls. It can be tricky to tell if a player tickles the cue ball when lining up their shot and any attempt to conceal that would be unethical.
Honesty is always the best policy.
Know when to fold
Dragging out a frame when it’s clearly over is a snooker no-no.
Once a player needs snookers and has little realistic chance of a comeback in a frame, it is generally expected they will concede.
Although there is no official rule that says this is the case, once the opponent is too far ahead, it’s gone. Cue on the table, hand offered, frame done.
Not doing so would be seen as bad sportsmanship or even disrespectful.
Play it as it lies
In a game of such small margins and precision, players have tried every trick in the book to improve their position on the table.
Yan Bingtao was heavily criticised for attempting to exploit the dark arts in 2022 by repeatedly asking the referee to polish the cue ball in his game against reigning champion Mark Selby.
When Bingtao was lining up his shots, he kept asking the referee to clean the cue ball, but the referee could return the ball in a slightly different place, opening up a new angle.
The referee caught on eventually and refused to continue cleaning the ball, but Bingtao went on the beat the world No 2 anyway.
Use the ‘miss rule’ sparingly
This rule has long been a bone of contention among players and comes in to force when a player fails to escape a snooker, committing a foul.
However, the opposition player has the option to make the player replay the shot indefinitely, amassing repeat penalties implying the attempt to play the ball was disingenuous.
O’Sullivan, who is never scared to share his thoughts, slammed Stephen Hendry in 2002 for repeatedly asking for a shot to be replayed.
In fairness, Hendry had the right to do what is best for him and giving up his advantage would be like a footballer deliberately missing an incorrectly awarded penalty.
But watching a player take the same shot over and over is hardly enthralling for the viewers. The simple answer? The rule should be used sparingly.
Look the part
One of the first things anyone will notice watching the snooker is the attire of the players.
They are always in a waistcoat, always wearing a bow tie and always in black and white.
The traditional look dates back to the 1700’s when the game – originally a variation of the similar pastime billiards – was played by the British aristocracy.
The formal expectation that players dress like that have stuck since, despite some calls from players to modernise the dress code to a more casual look.
The rules of snooker
THE aim of snooker is to clear the table of all balls - and achieving it in an incredible 147 break is the ultimate goal.
The rectangular table features green baize, a baulk line and semi-circle, known as the D.
It has six pockets, four in each corner and two midway down both long sides.
There are 15 red balls which are arranged in a triangular shape.
There are also six colour balls, and the white cue ball.
Each colour sits on its own designated spot at the start of the game.
While red balls are worth one point when potted, the colours all have a different value.
In ascending order these are:
- Yellow – two points
- Green – three points
- Brown – four points
- Blue – five points
- Pink – six points
- Black – seven points
The first player will cue off and must hit at least one of the red balls in the triangle.
If they pot a red, they can then continue by potting a colour.
However, if no red is potted then their opponent will play the next shot – going for a red first.
Each player must first pot a red ball when it’s their turn to play. If nothing is pocketed it is the other player’s turn at the table.
After each red is potted they must then follow with a colour, then a red, then a colour, and so on.
Whilst there are still red balls on the table, the potted colour balls are returned to their designated spot.
Once all the red balls are pocketed, the player at the table must pot the colours in the order as outlined above.
If they miss then their opponent will have the opportunity to clear the table.
A 147 is a maximum break when all reds are potted by one player in one stint at the table.
In order to achieve 147, the player must pot all 15 reds with 15 blacks for 120 points.
They must then clear all the colours, concluding with the black for 27 points.
During play the rules state that the cue must only touch the white cue ball.
The cue ball also must hit the correct colour ball – reds or colours in order.
If it hits the incorrect colour then a foul is called.
If the cue ball fails to hit any ball or is pocketed it is also a foul.
The player’s turn at the table ends if they play a foul shot.
Players are also penalised if they touch any ball on the table with their person.