Match stats

[Billy]

When the match stats come up with the players' percentage for safety play, I always wonder what the definition of a 'successful' safety shot is. Is it a safety shot your opponent fouls from, fails to gain an advantage from, leaves you an easy pot from.... what??

I would say a snooker was a 'successful' saftey shot, but if your opponent escapes from it and doesn't leave you a pot, was it successful?

[ferret]

It is based on if your opponent pots of not.

Player 1 safety
Player 2 safety
Players 1 safety
Player 2 Safety

This would give player 1 a 100% safety success

Player 1 safety
Player 2 safety
Players 1 safety
Player 2 pot Red

This would give player 1 a 50% safety success

[eWil]

Good question, Billy! I've always been wondering about this as well.

So, if I got this right: if player A plays a poor safety, and player B does NOT pot but replies with an excellent hard-to-get-out-of snooker, then A's initial safety shot would still be rated as "successful"?

[ferret]

Yeah I think that is correct.

What you got to think about is automated systems that deliver us the statistics, somebody is there tapping in if a pot is made, a long pot is made, a pot is not made and a long pot is not made or indeed a safety shot is made, a computer then gives you the stats based on simply equations.

If you had to stick a human judgment into this then its not that automated as everybody's judgment is different, now when I was doing the stats for the Williams v Higgins game lastnight, I had to make a call that anything that traveled over half the tables length not including doubles would be classed as a long pot, I am not sure if this is the same as the BBC do it but that was my decision and I will use that line of measurement from this point on if I do more stats.

[Theguywithaplan]

Funnily enough I thought this was the way it worked as well, but in one of the semi's this year the safety percentage was at 88% and then a shot was played which left a ball close to a pocket and it dropped to 87%. Higgins missed the ball but it remained at 87%.

[ferret]

Interesting, you could always ask David Hendon! I know that Clive Everton and Dave supply The BBC with head to head stats and player info, maybe he will know how it works if I am incorrect.

[Billy]

Well thanks very much for all the replies, people. I'm not sure we're any nearer the answer, but ferret's answer is a starting point.