If I were Barry Hearn: the final draft
After numerous drafts, I think this is about as good a tour as I could come up with:
Major Tournaments
World Championship, UK Championship, The Masters, World Matchplay, Grand Prix
Ranking points
The World Championship 3 times as much as much as a Grade Two event
The UK Championship 2 times as much as a Grade Two event
The Masters will carry no ranking points
World Matchplay & Grand Prix 1.5 times as much as Grade Two event
Formats
World Championship: R1(19), R2(25), QF(25), SF(33), F(35)
UK Championship: R1(17), R2(17), QF(17), SF(19), F(31)
Masters: R1(11), R2(11), QF(11), SF(17), F(19)
World Matchplay (win by two, unless max number played): R1(9, max13), R2(9, max13), QF(9, max 13), SF(11, max 15), F(17, max 21)
Grand Prix: R1(9), R2(9), R3(9), QF(11), SF(17), F(19)
Venues
World Championship: The Crucible
UK Championship: Guild Hall
Masters: Wembley
World Matchplay: Beijing
Grand Prix: Hexagon
Quirks:
World Championship: Same as it ever was
UK Championship: Extended semi-final to best of 19 frames, Final extended to best of 31)
Masters: Extended semi-final to best of 17 frames. Reduced to 16 players, top 14 in the provisional rankings, a wild-card and a qualifier.
World Matchplay: Matches are win by two frames, unless the maximum number of frames has been played.
Grand Prix: 64 players, open draw all the way through.
Grade Two Events
Irish Masters, International Open (Manchester), Scottish Open, British Open (Wales), Shanghai Masters, European Open (Berlin)
Formats: All will hold the standard format for a ranking tournament nowadays, besides the British Open.
Quirks:
The British Open will feature a sets format. Each set is best of three frames.
R1 (best of 3 sets), R2 (best of 3 sets), QF, (best of 3 sets), SF (best of 5 sets), F (best of 7 sets)
Grade Three Events
Premier Championship (shot clock), 14xPlayers Championship Tournaments, Players Championship Finals
Ranking points:
Premier Championship will feature half the points awarded for a Grade Two event. The Players Championship will have quarter.
Formats:
Premier Championship: R1(11), R2(13), QF(13), SF(15), F(17)
Players Championship: Group Stages (5), QF (7), SF (9), F(11)
Players Championship finals: QF(9), SF(11), F(15)
Quirks:
Premier Championship: Will have a 25 second shot clock
Players Championship: 14 events. Two will commence at the same time. The top 16 are split evenly and randomly prior to each pair of Player events, as well as the 16 qualifiers. 4 Wild Cards from the host nation will also take part. 4 groups of 5, with the top two advancing. The top 8 points earners from Players Championship events will advance to the finals in Macau.
Players Championship venues:
Canada, USA, Brazil, Northern Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Russia, Malta, Dubai, Macau, Australia, Portugal
Grade Four Events (non-ranking, outside of the Masters)
Six Reds World Championship, Sprint Snooker, Premier League, Challenge Cup, World Doubles
Six Reds: Will feature 96 players between professional and amateur, and a sets format.
Sprint Snooker: Shot clock, six reds
Premier League: Shot clock, 8 players, matches on Wednesdays as well as Thursdays, each match best of 8 frames (matches end when someone has won 5 or 8 frames have been played). 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw. Semi-finals best-of-11, Final best-of-17
Challenge Cup: The FA Cup of snooker. Spread out over a few months, with matches played at free weekends. Open to amateurs and professionals, random draw.
World Doubles: 16 pairings. Players to decide their partner between themselves.
Major Tournaments
World Championship, UK Championship, The Masters, World Matchplay, Grand Prix
Ranking points
The World Championship 3 times as much as much as a Grade Two event
The UK Championship 2 times as much as a Grade Two event
The Masters will carry no ranking points
World Matchplay & Grand Prix 1.5 times as much as Grade Two event
Formats
World Championship: R1(19), R2(25), QF(25), SF(33), F(35)
UK Championship: R1(17), R2(17), QF(17), SF(19), F(31)
Masters: R1(11), R2(11), QF(11), SF(17), F(19)
World Matchplay (win by two, unless max number played): R1(9, max13), R2(9, max13), QF(9, max 13), SF(11, max 15), F(17, max 21)
Grand Prix: R1(9), R2(9), R3(9), QF(11), SF(17), F(19)
Venues
World Championship: The Crucible
UK Championship: Guild Hall
Masters: Wembley
World Matchplay: Beijing
Grand Prix: Hexagon
Quirks:
World Championship: Same as it ever was
UK Championship: Extended semi-final to best of 19 frames, Final extended to best of 31)
Masters: Extended semi-final to best of 17 frames. Reduced to 16 players, top 14 in the provisional rankings, a wild-card and a qualifier.
World Matchplay: Matches are win by two frames, unless the maximum number of frames has been played.
Grand Prix: 64 players, open draw all the way through.
Grade Two Events
Irish Masters, International Open (Manchester), Scottish Open, British Open (Wales), Shanghai Masters, European Open (Berlin)
Formats: All will hold the standard format for a ranking tournament nowadays, besides the British Open.
Quirks:
The British Open will feature a sets format. Each set is best of three frames.
R1 (best of 3 sets), R2 (best of 3 sets), QF, (best of 3 sets), SF (best of 5 sets), F (best of 7 sets)
Grade Three Events
Premier Championship (shot clock), 14xPlayers Championship Tournaments, Players Championship Finals
Ranking points:
Premier Championship will feature half the points awarded for a Grade Two event. The Players Championship will have quarter.
Formats:
Premier Championship: R1(11), R2(13), QF(13), SF(15), F(17)
Players Championship: Group Stages (5), QF (7), SF (9), F(11)
Players Championship finals: QF(9), SF(11), F(15)
Quirks:
Premier Championship: Will have a 25 second shot clock
Players Championship: 14 events. Two will commence at the same time. The top 16 are split evenly and randomly prior to each pair of Player events, as well as the 16 qualifiers. 4 Wild Cards from the host nation will also take part. 4 groups of 5, with the top two advancing. The top 8 points earners from Players Championship events will advance to the finals in Macau.
Players Championship venues:
Canada, USA, Brazil, Northern Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Russia, Malta, Dubai, Macau, Australia, Portugal
Grade Four Events (non-ranking, outside of the Masters)
Six Reds World Championship, Sprint Snooker, Premier League, Challenge Cup, World Doubles
Six Reds: Will feature 96 players between professional and amateur, and a sets format.
Sprint Snooker: Shot clock, six reds
Premier League: Shot clock, 8 players, matches on Wednesdays as well as Thursdays, each match best of 8 frames (matches end when someone has won 5 or 8 frames have been played). 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw. Semi-finals best-of-11, Final best-of-17
Challenge Cup: The FA Cup of snooker. Spread out over a few months, with matches played at free weekends. Open to amateurs and professionals, random draw.
World Doubles: 16 pairings. Players to decide their partner between themselves.
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Tubberlad - Posts: 5009
- Joined: 02 October 2009
- Location: Ireland
- Snooker Idol: Ronnie OSullivan
- Highest Break: 49