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I thought the snooker players at our golf club might like some fun around Christmas so I 've invented a daft game called the Christmas Crash. Before I start inviting entries for the night (probably 18 December) I thought I'd show it to you guys first to see what you think of my rules. I should point out that all of us at the golf club are mediocre players, the sort who are quite pleased to get a 16 break in a frame. The rules could be adapted for better players, though. Feel free to use the format if you like, just for fun. Let me know how it goes.
How the Christmas Crash works
This is a fun game for Christmas, based on quick-potting balls over matches not exceeding one phase of the table light (15 minutes). The purpose of the game is not so much to 'win' at all costs but to accumulate as many points as possible by potting balls, with bonus points for early success.
Entry to the Crash is £2 with proceeds going to the winner's prize, a bottle of festive spirit of his choice from the bar. (Please note that the use of the male personal pronoun - he, his - in this document is for ease of understanding only and should be taken generically: female members are welcome to participate in the Christmas Crash.) The Crash takes place on Wednesday 18 December from 6pm, with a random draw for the Round 1 pairings to take place at 5.45pm in the bar.
Round 1 - The Crash
Players should toss a coin before the match, with the winner electing to break or put his opponent in to break. Play starts as soon as the light goes on and stops immediately the light goes off or if all balls are potted whichever is sooner. (If the light goes off after the cue ball is struck but before the object ball comes to rest any points scored from that shot will be valid.)
Time bonuses
As an incentive to pot balls quickly, there are time bonuses in addition to the normal ball values:
2 points bonus for every ball potted inside the first five minutes of the game.
1 point bonus for every ball potted between the fifth and tenth minute.
No safety play
The Christmas Crash positively discourages snookers and safety play. As a disincentive to safety, an incoming player who does not like the position he is left with can ask his opponent to play again at any time except when nominated to play the break-off shot or nominated to play again. This includes snookered positions or playing from hand. Penalty points from fouls are as normal snooker.
Finish bonus
The game finishes only when the final black is potted or the light goes off. Any pair who manage to complete their game before the light goes off will receive a finish bonus as follows:
20 points bonus for the player with the higher score
10 points bonus for the player with the lower score
15 points bonus to each player if the game finishes on a tie (no re-spotted black in these games).
Each player's score including bonuses is carefully tallied for a reckoning at the end of Round 1.
Round 2 - the Double-Up-Clear-Up
The top two scorers from Round 1 automatically go into the semi-final and do not take part in Round 2. (See below for procedure in the case of tied scores.)
All other players get the chance to improve their score tally by taking part in an individual one-chance double-up-clear-up, starting with the lowest scorer and continuing until all except the top two scorers have attempted a clear-up.
The colours only are placed on their spots and each player is invited to attempt a colour clearance in the normal snooker sequence, starting with the white ball in any position the player chooses for his first shot. For each ball potted in the sequence the player will double up on points as follows:
Yellow: 1 point
Green: 2 points
Brown: 4 points
Blue: 8 points
Pink: 16 points
Black: 32 points
The player receives as a bonus the point value of the last ball he pots in the sequence, and this is added to his previous score tally. (EXAMPLE: A player has 44 points from his Round 1 match. In his attempt at the double-up-clear-up he clears up to and including the pink, but misses the black. Bonus: 16 points. Final tally: 44 + 16 = 60 points).
At the end of the clear-up round the final cumulative scores are tallied, and the semi-final placings are given with the order of play as follows:
Highest scorer from Round 1 plays second highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
Second highest scorer from Round 1 plays highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
Tied scores
In determining the four places for the semi-final there may be a situation where two players are tied with the same score tally. This could be:
a) determining the two players who automatically qualify for the semi-final, or their ranking as first or second from Round 1
and/or:
b) determining the two players who qualify for the semi-final from Round 2, or their ranking as first or second from Round 2.
In each case, at the appropriate time, the two players on the same score will play a re-spotted black. The winner of a coin toss can elect to take the first shot or nominate his opponent to start first. After the first shot, the no safety play rule applies: the incoming player who does not like the position he is left with can put his opponent in again if he wishes. This continues until the black is potted or the first foul occurs to resolve the tied position. The winner of the re-spotted black outranks the loser, but no points are added to his final score.
Semi-finals
Highest scorer from Round 1 plays second highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
Second highest scorer from Round 1 plays highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
The rules of the semi-final are exactly the same as Round 1. Again, the object is not necessarily to 'win' the game but to make as high a score as possible.
Final
The two highest scorers from the semi-finals will play each other in the final.
(If scores are tied the tied score rule of a re-spotted black comes into play, as explained above).
The rules of the final are exactly the same as Round 1 and the semi-finals except that if scores are tied at the end of the game (when the light goes off or the final black is potted) the ultimate winner will be determined using the tied score rule, a re-spotted black.
How the Christmas Crash works
This is a fun game for Christmas, based on quick-potting balls over matches not exceeding one phase of the table light (15 minutes). The purpose of the game is not so much to 'win' at all costs but to accumulate as many points as possible by potting balls, with bonus points for early success.
Entry to the Crash is £2 with proceeds going to the winner's prize, a bottle of festive spirit of his choice from the bar. (Please note that the use of the male personal pronoun - he, his - in this document is for ease of understanding only and should be taken generically: female members are welcome to participate in the Christmas Crash.) The Crash takes place on Wednesday 18 December from 6pm, with a random draw for the Round 1 pairings to take place at 5.45pm in the bar.
Round 1 - The Crash
Players should toss a coin before the match, with the winner electing to break or put his opponent in to break. Play starts as soon as the light goes on and stops immediately the light goes off or if all balls are potted whichever is sooner. (If the light goes off after the cue ball is struck but before the object ball comes to rest any points scored from that shot will be valid.)
Time bonuses
As an incentive to pot balls quickly, there are time bonuses in addition to the normal ball values:
2 points bonus for every ball potted inside the first five minutes of the game.
1 point bonus for every ball potted between the fifth and tenth minute.
No safety play
The Christmas Crash positively discourages snookers and safety play. As a disincentive to safety, an incoming player who does not like the position he is left with can ask his opponent to play again at any time except when nominated to play the break-off shot or nominated to play again. This includes snookered positions or playing from hand. Penalty points from fouls are as normal snooker.
Finish bonus
The game finishes only when the final black is potted or the light goes off. Any pair who manage to complete their game before the light goes off will receive a finish bonus as follows:
20 points bonus for the player with the higher score
10 points bonus for the player with the lower score
15 points bonus to each player if the game finishes on a tie (no re-spotted black in these games).
Each player's score including bonuses is carefully tallied for a reckoning at the end of Round 1.
Round 2 - the Double-Up-Clear-Up
The top two scorers from Round 1 automatically go into the semi-final and do not take part in Round 2. (See below for procedure in the case of tied scores.)
All other players get the chance to improve their score tally by taking part in an individual one-chance double-up-clear-up, starting with the lowest scorer and continuing until all except the top two scorers have attempted a clear-up.
The colours only are placed on their spots and each player is invited to attempt a colour clearance in the normal snooker sequence, starting with the white ball in any position the player chooses for his first shot. For each ball potted in the sequence the player will double up on points as follows:
Yellow: 1 point
Green: 2 points
Brown: 4 points
Blue: 8 points
Pink: 16 points
Black: 32 points
The player receives as a bonus the point value of the last ball he pots in the sequence, and this is added to his previous score tally. (EXAMPLE: A player has 44 points from his Round 1 match. In his attempt at the double-up-clear-up he clears up to and including the pink, but misses the black. Bonus: 16 points. Final tally: 44 + 16 = 60 points).
At the end of the clear-up round the final cumulative scores are tallied, and the semi-final placings are given with the order of play as follows:
Highest scorer from Round 1 plays second highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
Second highest scorer from Round 1 plays highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
Tied scores
In determining the four places for the semi-final there may be a situation where two players are tied with the same score tally. This could be:
a) determining the two players who automatically qualify for the semi-final, or their ranking as first or second from Round 1
and/or:
b) determining the two players who qualify for the semi-final from Round 2, or their ranking as first or second from Round 2.
In each case, at the appropriate time, the two players on the same score will play a re-spotted black. The winner of a coin toss can elect to take the first shot or nominate his opponent to start first. After the first shot, the no safety play rule applies: the incoming player who does not like the position he is left with can put his opponent in again if he wishes. This continues until the black is potted or the first foul occurs to resolve the tied position. The winner of the re-spotted black outranks the loser, but no points are added to his final score.
Semi-finals
Highest scorer from Round 1 plays second highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
Second highest scorer from Round 1 plays highest cumulative scorer from Rounds 1 & 2.
The rules of the semi-final are exactly the same as Round 1. Again, the object is not necessarily to 'win' the game but to make as high a score as possible.
Final
The two highest scorers from the semi-finals will play each other in the final.
(If scores are tied the tied score rule of a re-spotted black comes into play, as explained above).
The rules of the final are exactly the same as Round 1 and the semi-finals except that if scores are tied at the end of the game (when the light goes off or the final black is potted) the ultimate winner will be determined using the tied score rule, a re-spotted black.