Another free ball conundrum.

[wlorcb]

This is the definition of a snooker:

17. Snookered
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.
(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”.
(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.
(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.
(d) The striker is said to be snookered when the cue-ball is snookered as above.
(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.

You are snookered if you cannot hit both extreme edges of at least one ball on. If the ball on is very close to the cue ball, that means simply playing left and right to the finest edges, which will be very close to the centre of the ball. If you're 12 feet away, then this will almost be the very left and right sides of the object ball.

In your question, this means that if the cue ball is sandwiched between two colours, then you cannot hit both extreme edges, so you are snookered.

So in the picture posted by the OP, even though you can hit the red full, it is considered a snooker because both edges of the red are obstructed by the 2 colours?

And it would be a snooker(not in the OP picture) even if you can see one edge? Both edges have to be obstructed?

thanks for the info