Snooker Rules Explained – Beginner's Guide

Snooker Rules Explained
Introduction
Snooker is a cue sport played by two players (or teams in doubles) on a table with 15 red balls, 6 coloured balls and a white cue ball.
The objective is simple: score more points than your opponent by potting balls in the correct order and avoiding fouls.

The Balls

There are 22 balls on the table:
15 Red balls (1 point each)
Yellow (2 points)
Green (3 points)
Brown (4 points)
Blue (5 points)
Pink (6 points)
Black (7 points)
White cue ball

How a Frame Starts
At the beginning of every frame:
The 15 red balls are arranged in a triangle.
The coloured balls are placed on their designated spots.
The opening player breaks from inside the "D".

How to Score

The correct sequence is:

Pot a Red (1 point).
Then pot any Colour.
The coloured ball is returned to its spot.
Pot another Red.
Repeat until all 15 reds have been potted.
Once every red has gone, the coloured balls must be potted in this order:
Yellow
Green
Brown
Blue
Pink
Black

Unlike earlier in the frame, these colours are not replaced once potted.

Ball Values

Red | 1
Yellow | 2
Green | 3
Brown | 4
Blue | 5
Pink | 6
Black | 7
Fouls

Common fouls include:
Hitting the wrong ball first.
Missing the ball that is "on".
Potting the white cue ball.
Potting the wrong coloured ball.
Knocking a ball off the table.
Touching any ball with your hand, clothing or cue.
A foul awards your opponent at least 4 points, or the value of the ball involved if it is worth more.

Examples:
Illegal contact with the Pink = 6 points.
Illegal contact with the Black = 7 points.

What Is a Snooker?
A player is snookered when they cannot hit both sides of the correct ball directly because another ball blocks the path.
Players often play safety shots to leave their opponent snookered and force a foul.
Free Ball
If a player is snookered following a foul, the referee may award a Free Ball.
The player may nominate another ball to act as the ball "on" for that shot.

Winning the Frame
A player wins the frame by:
Scoring more points than their opponent.
Their opponent conceding the frame.
Leaving their opponent needing more points than remain available on the table.

Maximum Break
The highest possible break in standard snooker is 147.
This is achieved by potting:
15 Reds
15 Blacks
Then Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink and Black.
Common Beginner Mistakes
Trying to pot two reds in a row.
Forgetting coloured balls are replaced while reds remain.
Hitting the wrong ball first.
Forgetting the colours must be potted in order after the reds have gone.

Quick Summary
Pot a Red.
Pot a Colour.
The Colour is replaced.
Repeat until all Reds are gone.
Pot Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink and Black in order.
The player with the highest score wins the frame.

MyCue Tip
Snooker isn't just about potting balls. Good safety play, cue ball control and tactical thinking are just as important as building high breaks. Practice your positioning as much as your potting to become a stronger all-round player.