New Rule Book for Billiards and Snooker

[Londonlad147]

After a couple of years of intense consideration and debate by a small team, led by Jan Verhaas, the eagerly awaited new rules of snooker and billiards were published on Monday 12th August 2019. Until everyone has had an opportunity to consider and digest the content, the books will only be available online. A printed book will follow in due course.

For now the rules can be accessed via this link: https://www.wpbsa.com/wp-content/upl...rds-2019-3.pdf

There are also some brief explanatory notes highlighting the changes available here: https://www.wpbsa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Explanatory-Notes-to-the-2019-Rewrite-of-the-Rulebook.pdf

The full WPBSA announcement is available here: https://www.wpbsa.com/new-wpbsa-rulebook-published/

[DeanH]

yep, been waiting years
cheers for the info

[vmax]

Interesting to read that under the section The Referee it doesn't state that the referee has to stand behind the striker although that is the norm these days thus slowing down the faster players who need to get into a groove to perform at their best. And there were instances of referees walking past the striker already down on the shot in order to get behind him in china recently.
So the referee is allowed to slow the proceedings down and put off the striker by moving in front of him but either player can be penalised under Time Wasting and Unsporting Behaviour for doing the same.

And I think it's time that the Shootout rule of a ball must be potted or made to touch a cushion on every stroke was implemented in the general rules to stop the easy roll up snooker and cut down the number of re-racks.
I put this to our league committee this season at the AGM and it was laughed at, yet in a handicap league not only are the poor players given up to 50 points start but they are also allowed to defend that start by rolling in reds and rolling up behind a colour.
They argued against it by stating it wasn't in the general rules and we must adhere to the actual rules, but I countered that the miss rule is in the general rules but not applied in our league yet it should be if we have to adhere to the actual rules so in effect our league can change the playing rules if we want to because we already have. :mad-new:

[Londonlad147]

Interesting to read that under the section The Referee it doesn't state that the referee has to stand behind the striker although that is the norm these days thus slowing down the faster players who need to get into a groove to perform at their best. And there were instances of referees walking past the striker already down on the shot in order to get behind him in china recently.
So the referee is allowed to slow the proceedings down and put off the striker by moving in front of him but either player can be penalised under Time Wasting and Unsporting Behaviour for doing the same.

And I think it's time that the Shootout rule of a ball must be potted or made to touch a cushion on every stroke was implemented in the general rules to stop the easy roll up snooker and cut down the number of re-racks.
I put this to our league committee this season at the AGM and it was laughed at, yet in a handicap league not only are the poor players given up to 50 points start but they are also allowed to defend that start by rolling in reds and rolling up behind a colour.
They argued against it by stating it wasn't in the general rules and we must adhere to the actual rules, but I countered that the miss rule is in the general rules but not applied in our league yet it should be if we have to adhere to the actual rules so in effect our league can change the playing rules if we want to because we already have. :mad-new:

For a referee, where best to position himself comes with experience and guidance from more senior referees and examiners. However, *World Snooker* have much stricter guidance as to where they expect their referees to position themselves.

As for 're-racks' (sadly the term has now found its way into the rule book), you surely can't be suggesting this is a common problem?

[HemiRR]

Use this link to get the new rules
https://www.wpbsa.com/wp-content/upl...iards-2019.pdf
Use this link to get the explanatory notes
https://www.wpbsa.com/wp-content/upl...ULEBOOK-V2.pdf

[DeanH]

Use this link to get the new rules
https://www.wpbsa.com/wp-content/upl...iards-2019.pdf
Use this link to get the explanatory notes
https://www.wpbsa.com/wp-content/upl...ULEBOOK-V2.pdf

?
the first post has these links already?
?

[Londonlad147]

?
the first post has these links already?
?

The update to the 2019 rules was issued last Thursday.

[Nifty50]

?
the first post has these links already?
?

Link doesn?t work for me, get one of those 404 errors.

[DeanH]

The update to the 2019 rules was issued last Thursday.

oh sorry, they have already updated the latest update?
I will check

apologies HemiRR

[DeanH]

yep, there is a new September version of the new 2019 rules; some 50 edits, most are punctuation or capitalisation additions and changes but there some text changes involved.

[DeanH]

Link doesn?t work for me, get one of those 404 errors.

you can try this one and follow the links on the webpage
https://www.wpbsa.com/new-rulebook-updated/

[wade]

Section 2 Rule 17 - Snookered The Rule where the curved face of the cushion took priority over a ball not on in determining whether the cue-ball was snookered or not has been removed. The cue-ball can only be snookered by balls that are not on.

So does this mean that if I'm behind the curve and there is no snookering ball, a miss will always be called if I don't hit the object ball because I'm not snookered? And I can lose the frame after 3 misses?
Seems a bit harsh...

[DeanH]

wade - possibly...
It wont ALWAYS be called because remember the first line of the Foul and a Miss rule: "The striker shall, to the best of their ability, endeavour to hit the ball on..."
If you have tried your best, you should not be penalised with a Miss, still a foul but not a Miss.
If you have not tried your best, Miss, and rightly so

And if so then the 3 Misses will apply, if cue ball is put back to the original position.

Of course in the pro game a Miss is rarely NOT called - as it is deemed they have the ability to get out of nearly every situation


Interested if other refs come on

The curved face of a pocket has not been considered for snookering for many years (since 1995 IIRC), so the only change is that the commentary about the curved face has been removed and a snooker is purely down to an intervening ball not on.
See the following and the section Jaw of Pocket, i.e. with and without an intervening snookering ball. of course this needs rewriting with regards ""and the jaw" removed
https://www.thesnookerforum.co.uk/bo...f-you-have-one

[wade]

Sure, but if the curve is no obstacle following the new rule, you are not snookered and you can (in theory) hit the ball on directly. That's why it will always be a miss. If the cueball is not behind the curve and you can hit the object ball directly but miss, it will also always be a miss.

On a pro level, it might be ok. But on a low level there will be (even more) abuse of the rule I'm afraid. I know players that can't even make a 30 break, but they will ALWAYS ask to replace when their opponent misses (even when the ref didn't call it ). I would be ashamed... I hardly ever have it replaced. I would be happy if the whole miss-rule would only be applicable in pro/semi-pro lvl, not on an amateur level.

[DeanH]

In ACTUALITY there is no direct shot to the ball on, so the difficulty is increased and so "ability" comes in to the equation and hence first line of the rules must be remembered.
so for a player of lower ability, then maybe Miss wont be called.
This first line is so often forgotten, especially at low level games when it really should be paramount

Often a club event will announce whether the Miss Rule will be applied or not, especially when the match is self-refereed; so when playing with your usual partners and also when playing someone new ask whether the rule is applied or not and then move on

Hope other refs come on