Ssb - hearn: Players need to shape up

[beechy1212]

If you smash the reds up in a professional game, bringing the game into disrepute and showing a lack of respect for the game, fans and your oppoenent, would be the least of my worries. I'd suspect match fixing. It needs stopping.

Saying that, taking on a stupid long red could also arouse suspicion.

[King T]

If you were a professional player, bearing in mind the fact that you are human, you have a level of tolerance, you can get frustrated and sometimes at some certain points you might want to leave the table and go back home.

Conceding the whole match is no solution since fans paid money to watch the game, and break off the pack of reds is against the rules of discipline. What would you do then? What if you can't keep on "trying" anymore for the sake of professionalism and the fans surrounding you, then what would you do?

You must leave room for players to decide in those scenarios

[miscuehamburg]

What about ROS-Selby (fourth frame) in the Premier League last week? I hope Barry's staff will look into that also. Somehow I'm not convinced that all players are equally treated by the disciplinary proceedings

[tcollick]

If you were a professional player, bearing in mind the fact that you are human, you have a level of tolerance, you can get frustrated and sometimes at some certain points you might want to leave the table and go back home.

Conceding the whole match is no solution since fans paid money to watch the game, and break off the pack of reds is against the rules of discipline. What would you do then? What if you can't keep on "trying" anymore for the sake of professionalism and the fans surrounding you, then what would you do?

You must leave room for players to decide in those scenarios

I guess players would start taking on low percentage shots or just play poorly due to lack of concentration. There's no law against that, they are human after all. But to enter and not turn up, or smashing the reds off the pack is just taking the p*#s. It crosses the line. And the fact that Ding was playing Wenbo makes it look worse...as if he wasn't bothered and he'll give his mate a chance to win the tourney. I've got no problem with the likes of Hendry not entering the PTC's, its totally his prerogative. He's been at the top of the game for 20 years and a decent ambassador for the game.
I reckon Neil Robertson will eventually lead by example, cos he seems like a top bloke with decent ethics/manners and well proud to be #1. John Higgins was obviously the main man to look up to in terms of professionalism, and over time hopefully he'll go a long way to repairing the damage that's been done. One win and one final aint a bad start!

[gerbisto]

OK, forget about splitting the pack, I think that he is too agressive when he speaks, like when he mentioned the 10 minute lateness of Robertson.

He wants to show he is really tough but when he had the opportunity to prove his toughness, with John Higgins, he failed miserably.

Having said all this, I still am all for Hearn's revolution and feel that he is the best man to lead the sport.

[crosnooker]

I'm not sure what is Hearn trying to do with proposed punishments regarding player's attitude towards the game. He want to make changes from which snooker will become more popular, but i think that this is wrong way to do it. One of the problems why snooker doesn't get enough attention is because during the matches most players are boring to watch. Perhapse the best thing will be to produce robots like Shaun Murphy so that all fun can disappear in thin air. This is another example where is Hearn failing to do his job properly, after failure with John Higgins. I hope that he will find the way to make right choices.

[ace man]

Making players follow certain rules has nothing to do with popularity of snooker as a whole game. Snooker is never going to become a mass appeal game like football anyway. For most casual tv viewers it will be a bit boring even if Ronnie plays in full flow. Besides, players can show up on time, be themselves and show respect to others at the same time, how hard can that be?

If some of you are worried that Ronnie would leave the game if he were to be punished financially, well he won't, no matter what he says. All these players know only how to play snooker and nothing else. That's because they've been doing it all their lives. They couldn't possibly leave.

[gerbisto]

He is frustrated that the PTC's are not being taken seriously. I understand this. But he over reacts in his speeches.

He needs to get all ranking events (except for the world championships) with equal ranking points.

In football, teams play every week for a win which gives them 3 points. How would Man Utd play if they only got 1 point for a win in November and 5 points for a win in December?

[eWil]

How would Man Utd play if they only got 1 point for a win in November and 5 points for a win in December?

Well, sounds not unreasonable if matches in November last for only 20 minutes and in December for 90 minutes.

[tcollick]

Must admit that he does overdo it a bit. A lot of this talk could be done behind closed doors. Don't think naming names is the way to go about it if he wants to earn the respect of the players. Do agree completely with what hes saying, just that he should do it with a bit more discretion.

[erezpa]

Probably the players need to alter their attitude. Last year we had 6 tournaments + masters, so every player needed to play each game in order to receive enough ranking points.
this year there are 20 + masters and next year about 25. so the players will have to choose which events they enter and not enter all and abandon them sometimes.
snooker now is more like the fis ski world cup (where for instance some racers omit the slaloms), no more like a football league with each player playing each event

[gerbisto]

Must admit that he does overdo it a bit. A lot of this talk could be done behind closed doors. Don't think naming names is the way to go about it if he wants to earn the respect of the players. Do agree completely with what hes saying, just that he should do it with a bit more discretion.

Exactly

[Jools]

I don't think smashing the reds on the break should result in a disciplinary hearing. There's nothing in the rules that says you can't do it and at least some percentage of the time you will pot a ball. JayBee, you might say this is not a winning tactic. How different is this from taking on a "low-percentage" red?

Over the years people have said Drago plays too quickly and makes careless mistakes as a consequence. He should never be told to play more slowly or be more careful! I don't think breaking hard means you don't want to win, it just makes for a different game. How many times have you seen a player break off defensively and not get another shot? Davis was rolling into the reds off two cushions for a while for this reason. The current break off is not a real advantage or disadvantage, so it's not necessarily forfeiting control.

If a player wants to break them hard, roll into them or play the standard opening shot, I think you should let them. I think you have to!

The break off shot has to be a safety shot as there is no attacking shot off this, there is absolutely no benefit only for your opposition so it could be seen as throwing the frame or at the very least playing with indifference. If a player feels like this they should concede, not play under duress. As for smashing into the pack at any other point, yes thats perfectly ok, especially when using another ball to smash the pack ie. white onto brown or green onto reds as it can be played with safety in mind, then thers is no doubt you could be wanting 'a different game' as you put it, leaving opportunities but leaving white ball on cushion or behind another. Aggressive play like this is very important and legitamate but never acceptable on a break off where there is no escape. Perhaps should be written into the rules.

[magicman]

I think Barry Hearn is annoyed at the lack of support from the top echelons of the game. You cant argue no comps and then not turn up when they're there. We all know these are smaller, less lucrative etc, but if the top players were turning up, then maybe sponsors/tv would become more interested more quickly which in turn may turn the event into a full blown ranking tournament. Why cant the players have some foresight and see that their participation may bring about the very state of play they're looking for?


There are ways and means of ensuring players turn up for PTC tournaments on time/at all. All PTC events happen before the World Championship. All Barry Hearn has to do in order to ensure sufficient participation is state that 6/7 events must have been entered and played in for each player to be allowed entrance in to the World Championship Competition. Who won't turn up then? You still have autonomy to choose which events you play in, but as a professional you must appear in 6/7 of them in order to be allowed to compete for the World Title.

[Odrl]

I think it's ridiculous to dictate how players should play certain shots. There is no rule preventing an aggressive break-off shot, and if a player thinks it would give him an advantage, he should have every right to play it.

But it's another thing if there is suspicion that a player is deliberately trying to lose. In that case, it shouldn't matter if it's a controversial break-off shot, or a simple black off the spot like in the O'Sullivan-Tian match. By all mean have a hearing or an investigation in that case.

But a rule that dictates players' shot selection would be preposterous.