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A new World Championship format.

Postby vodkadiet1 » 08 May 2025 Read

Top 8 seeds through to last 16:

Seeds 9-16 play 8 qualifiers (winners play top 8 seeds).


Qualifying rounds best of 19 frames.


First televised round: Best of 19: Played first weekend in February: (Friday afternoon through Sunday evening). 2 tables in play; 8 sessions.


Last 16: 4 matches played on next weekend in February (best of 25)
4 matches played following weekend (best of 25)


Quarter finals; (First weekend of March). Thursday afternoon through Sunday afternoon. Best of 31 best frames.


Semis: Middle March: One table: best of 35 frames: Friday afternoon through Sunday evening.


Final: Last weekend in March: No morning play: Friday afternoon through Sunday afternoon (5 sessions of play)

Best of 41 frames: (8,8,8,8,9).

This is this the basic outline of the new World Championship format.

I welcome any new initiatives; a fresh set of eyes if you like.


The broad idea is fantastic for players and fans alike. It will mean there is a welcome break between what are without doubt the biggest matches of the year by far.

The present situation is unsustainable. For example. every match in The Masters (from last 16) is played on a single table, yet the most important event by far has a double table situation until the end of the quarters.


Players and fans need a break. There would be a nice rest period and then a build up before the most important matches in the snooker calendar.

In addition, matches will be played across the globe (China, Germany, UK; with only the final being played at The Crucible).


I fear much dissent, but minds are like parachutes. They only work when they are open.

Don't be staid in your thoughts. The fans are the most important element of any sport.


Peace and love.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby vodkadiet1 » 09 May 2025 Read

I just realised that most of this will clash with the 6 Nations.

It needs refining.

I will get back to you snooker fans with a more steadfast model.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby ThePearl » 09 May 2025 Read

The last 16 and the quarters being the same length strikes me as a bit strange, I’d have the last 16 BO21 and the quarters BO29, other than that, the length of matches is fine, maybe with a rest day between the semis and final

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby badtemperedcyril » 09 May 2025 Read

ThePearl wrote:The last 16 and the quarters being the same length strikes me as a bit strange, I’d have the last 16 BO21 and the quarters BO29, other than that, the length of matches is fine, maybe with a rest day between the semis and final

How would you propose to fit BO21 and BO29 into sessions? I mean, eight frames seems to be the optimum number for a session, with a MSI after four frames.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby ThePearl » 09 May 2025 Read

badtemperedcyril wrote:
ThePearl wrote:The last 16 and the quarters being the same length strikes me as a bit strange, I’d have the last 16 BO21 and the quarters BO29, other than that, the length of matches is fine, maybe with a rest day between the semis and final

How would you propose to fit BO21 and BO29 into sessions? I mean, eight frames seems to be the optimum number for a session, with a MSI after four frames.

Fag paper calculations really, not too bothered about the numbers as long as it’s going up all the time, it could be BO19, BO23, BO27, BO31 and BO35. Think the most important thing is the break between the semis and final

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby badtemperedcyril » 09 May 2025 Read

ThePearl wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:
ThePearl wrote:The last 16 and the quarters being the same length strikes me as a bit strange, I’d have the last 16 BO21 and the quarters BO29, other than that, the length of matches is fine, maybe with a rest day between the semis and final

How would you propose to fit BO21 and BO29 into sessions? I mean, eight frames seems to be the optimum number for a session, with a MSI after four frames.

Fag paper calculations really, not too bothered about the numbers as long as it’s going up all the time, it could be BO19, BO23, BO27, BO31 and BO35. Think the most important thing is the break between the semis and final

That kinda is important though for logistics and selling sessions to the public. To put it another way: you need to go up in sequences of 8 or 9.
So the present format is thus,
L32 BO19 (9/10)
L16 BO25 (8/8/9)
Q/F BO25 (8/8/9)
S/F BO33 (8/8/8/9)
Final BO35 (8/9/8/10)

Personally, the only changes I’d make would be to start a day earlier (i.e. start on Friday), and introduce a “rest day” between the semi-finals and final. That day could be used for a junior tournament — give the best promising under 16’s the opportunity of playing at the Crucible.
I would also make the second session of the final 8 frames and and make the fourth session one of a possible 11 frames. That way it will be possible for the final to be level overnight.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby badtemperedcyril » 09 May 2025 Read

ThePearl wrote:
badtemperedcyril wrote:
ThePearl wrote:The last 16 and the quarters being the same length strikes me as a bit strange, I’d have the last 16 BO21 and the quarters BO29, other than that, the length of matches is fine, maybe with a rest day between the semis and final

How would you propose to fit BO21 and BO29 into sessions? I mean, eight frames seems to be the optimum number for a session, with a MSI after four frames.

Fag paper calculations really, not too bothered about the numbers as long as it’s going up all the time, it could be BO19, BO23, BO27, BO31 and BO35. Think the most important thing is the break between the semis and final

That kinda is important though for logistics and selling sessions to the public. To put it another way: you need to go up in sequences of 8 or 9.
So the present format is thus,
L32 BO19 (9/10)
L16 BO25 (8/8/9)
Q/F BO25 (8/8/9)
S/F BO33 (8/8/8/9)
Final BO35 (8/9/8/10)

Personally, the only changes I’d make would be to start a day earlier (i.e. start on Friday), and introduce a “rest day” between the semi-finals and final. That day could be used for a junior tournament — give the best promising under 16’s the opportunity of playing at the Crucible.
I would also make the second session of the final 8 frames and and make the fourth session one of a possible 11 frames. That way it will be possible for the final to be level overnight.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby vodkadiet1 » 10 May 2025 Read

The overall point is that there is far too much snooker crammed in to a very short space of time.

These matches are the most important matches of the year.

Spreading the matches out over at least 6 weeks is better all round for players and fans alike. You wouldn't play The Ashes test series for 25 days in a row!

You need much longer matches in this event to separate it from the other events.

If The Masters has every match played on a single table then that needs to be the case from at least the last 16 for The World Championship.

A quarter final of The Worlds is a more important match than the final of any other event so the fans need to be able to watch these matches without flicking back to the other match that is going on.

I would say that quarter finals should best of 31; semis best of 35; final best of 41.

If you starting out to today to devise an ideal format for The World Championship and you came up with the current format you would have your idea thrown out as ridiculous.

Presently, you often have matches decided before they have started because of scheduling which starts with one player lemon fresh and his opponent knackered and unable to give much.

But of course it will never change whilst you have dinosaurs running the game.
Last edited by vodkadiet1 on 10 May 2025, edited 1 time in total.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby Juddernaut88 » 10 May 2025 Read

Why fix something that isn't broken. As far as I'm aware there's not been much discussion in recent years of making changes to the World championship. I'm not sure why that's changed all of a sudden.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby SnookerEd25 » 10 May 2025 Read

There’s possibly only two Crucible World Championships left, so may as well leave it as it is for those. As Judders says: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And I don’t think it is broken.

Post 2027, who knows what’s in store?

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby vodkadiet1 » 10 May 2025 Read

SnookerEd25 wrote:There’s possibly only two Crucible World Championships left, so may as well leave it as it is for those. As Judders says: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And I don’t think it is broken.

Post 2027, who knows what’s in store?


Well as long as there are only 2 more Crucibles left then I guess it should continue as it is until then. But if it stays there, then it will have to change.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby Iranu » 11 May 2025 Read

vodkadiet1 wrote:
SnookerEd25 wrote:There’s possibly only two Crucible World Championships left, so may as well leave it as it is for those. As Judders says: if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. And I don’t think it is broken.

Post 2027, who knows what’s in store?


Well as long as there are only 2 more Crucibles left then I guess it should continue as it is until then. But if it stays there, then it will have to change.

Interesting use of the phrase “have to”

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby vodkadiet1 » 11 May 2025 Read

It needs to change now. This is the time to take The World Championships elsewhere.

The Crucible should be confined to the trash can.

Give it to China for a couple of years until a far better format is worked out.

Spread the event out for 2 months.

It isn't rocket science! Why are people so staid in their limited mindsets?!!

The event should be played to a finish in March.

I emailed Jason Ferguson earlier. He knows me from live spectating days. He will no doubt get back to my good self.

Re: A new World Championship format.

Postby Iranu » 11 May 2025 Read

vodkadiet1 wrote:It needs to change now. This is the time to take The World Championships elsewhere.

The Crucible should be confined to the trash can.

Give it to China for a couple of years until a far better format is worked out.

Spread the event out for 2 months.

It isn't rocket science! Why are people so staid in their limited mindsets?!!

The event should be played to a finish in March.

I emailed Jason Ferguson earlier. He knows me from live spectating days. He will no doubt get back to my good self.

Interesting use of the phrase “needs to”
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