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WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby Wildey

http://snookerscene.blogspot.com/2011/0 ... lesok.html

The WPBSA has tightened its disciplinary rules to cover a multitude of offences both big and small.

The new WPBSA players’ handbook includes specific fines for certain transgressions of the rules.

Conceding a frame before snookers are required, entering a tournament and then withdrawing from it without good reason and non attendance at tournament prize ceremonies, opening ceremonies, press conferences or other contracted events that are part and parcel of being a professional sportsmen will incur the following penalties:

First offence - £250 fine
Second offence - £500 fine
Third offence - £1,000 fine

After that players face suspension from tournaments.

However, the principle of ‘spent’ offences will apply for players with a poor disciplinary record who smarten up their acts. Therefore, if a reasonable amount of time has elapsed offences will be stricken from the record.

This is not draconian. Far from it, in fact. Other sports dole out harsher punishments than snooker.

Why shouldn’t players take part in official engagements for sponsors and those who put money into the tournaments they are competing in?

Why should they pull out of tournaments without notifying organisers?

Why should they give up in frames when there is still plenty on to win?

Players need to look at the bigger picture, that is the wider game and not just their own whims and moods.

However, there is no great discipline problem in general. And many of the problems that exist stem from the fact that the WPBSA has never really schooled its players into how to behave as a professional.

Yes there are written guidelines and rules but I’d like to see an induction day for all new professionals where they are sat down and have it explained to them exactly what being a snooker pro entails, what is expected of them and how they should conduct themselves.

Wise, experienced old heads such as Steve Davis and Ken Doherty would be perfect to lead such sessions.

In most cases, the flouting of the rules is done in genuine ignorance rather than through some malevolent desire for rebellion.

There was a general chat about this backstage at the Championship League this week where it became apparent that some players had just not thought through why the public would feel short-changed at them conceding early.

On this latter point, a little common sense is needed, though. There’s a world of difference between conceding with eight reds on and conceding while ten behind on the blue and leaving it over the pocket.

Punishment should apply for the former but not the latter, even though the strict etiquette of the game says that you should never concede when you are at the table, only after your opponent breaks down.

There are a couple of other general rules that have been clarified too.

Only the referee is allowed to clean the balls. Presumably there is an inference that players may try and polish the balls to make them react differently, although this raises the question of whether a player taking balls out of pockets at the end of a frame is classed as having ‘cleaned’ it.

Players also may not attempt to split prize money, something that has certainly happened before.

In a player’s head this makes sense. If the top prize is £100,000 and the runners-up prize £50,000 and they split it then they are each guaranteed £75,000.

It doesn’t mean they won’t still be trying but it is right that this is stamped out. If the public think players don’t care who wins and loses because they are getting the same money in any case then their confidence in snooker will decrease.

Ultimately, if you want to play professional snooker then you sign up to a certain code of conduct.

Nobody wants to see snooker players turned into automatons scared of doing anything that will land them in trouble but the sport is bigger than any of them and deserves to be treated with basic respect.

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby Wildey

lets be honest during the PTC Series fines would have been flying around like confetti.

im all for this but it still needs clarifying

After that players face suspension from tournaments.

However, the principle of ‘spent’ offences will apply for players with a poor disciplinary record who smarten up their acts. Therefore, if a reasonable amount of time has elapsed offences will be stricken from the record.


how long is reasonable amount of time ?

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby Monique

My position is very simple; none of this should be punished. A player conceedes early, he loses the frame: his loss. A player withdraws, he gets 0 points: his loss. He should notify the organisers though: basic courtesy. A player doesn't attend a press conference? WTF? Either he says harmless things heard 1000 times before and it's useless or he's honest and gets stick. What's the point? None IMO, except giving some journos the opportunity to exert their nastiness.
And it's not about Ronnie. I've seen it from other players just as often although maybe not as widely advertised, and at all levels of the rankings in all kind of events.
Where do you put the limit? Ding splitting the pack wide open in a last frame à la Quinten Hahn? Sorry but nothing in the rules prevents that. Mark Williams putting a crucial ball safe when frame won, while he could possibly make a century? (surely some people did bet on that) again it's not against the rules. Coming to play drunk? This is IMO a real lack of respect for the paying audience but for some reason the UK audience seems to be very forgiving (don't smoke weed 3 weeks before though, that's unforgivable!)
Leave the guys alone and do what they do best: play snooker. If they don't attend events they slide down the rankings and if not ranking they lose money (prize money and sponsoring). If they concede frames early, they lose them. If they play reckless they lose their matches. If they are drunk they won't play properly or they will be sent home by the ref: their loss. No need for further punishment.
As for controversy; anyone thinking the sponsors don't love it are deluded and/or naïve. The more it's talked about the better.

The only thing the WSA should really concentrate on and apply zero tolerance is about match fixing; deliberately losing either for money or to allow friends through when one has nothing to lose.

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby Wildey

Monique its called being professional if players cant do that my position is also very clear get another job and get out of my face.

id like ranking points fine as well.

time to get in the real word other sport deals with unproffesionalism so should snooker.

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby Casey

Players have to attend the press conferences, this is a bare minimum. Even if its repetition, that's not the point and its vital for the tournament promotion and exposure.

In other sports players./representatives get more heavily punished for failing to show for the press.

Punishment for conceding frames early is silly and I hope referees use common sense on this.

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby GJ

world champ can do what he likes in terms of as long as he arrives in time for the match as they dont do pre match interview in ranking events before the walk ons like other sports

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby Casey

I would also say players should be punished for pulling out of events without a proper reason. The tournament organisers/staff invest heavily in putting together a tournament and if they lead with their promotion on a player who pulls out with an invalid reason they lose out big time....certainly much more than the £250 the player gets fined. <doh>

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby GJ

The way i see it robbo promotes the game well unlike some and if he turns up just a few mins before a match its him who only may suffer so people who have a dig at him over that are rather silly

Re: WORLD SNOOKER RULES...OK?

Postby Wildey

JR did it! wrote:Players have to attend the press conferences, this is a bare minimum. Even if its repetition, that's not the point and its vital for the tournament promotion and exposure.

In other sports players./representatives get more heavily punished for failing to show for the press.

Punishment for conceding frames early is silly and I hope referees use common sense on this.

i agree on the frame thing unless its 3 reds down or something stupid like that .

67 up with 75 on and reds pottable should be ignored if the frame conceded but in the ptc frames was conceded when the scores was 25-16 which is totally unacceptable.