Editing Snooker (section)

==Governance and tournaments==
===Professional===
====World Snooker Tour====
{{Main|World Snooker Tour}}
Professional snooker players compete on the World Snooker Tour, which is a circuit of [[Snooker world rankings|world ranking]] tournaments and invitational events held throughout the snooker season. All competitions are [[Open (sport)|open]] to professional players who have qualified for the tour, and selected amateur players, but most events include a separate qualification stage. Players can qualify for the tour by virtue of their position in the world rankings from prior seasons, by winning continental championships, or through the [[Challenge Tour (snooker)|Challenge Tour]] or [[Q School (snooker)|Q School]] events.<ref name="qualifortour" /> Players on the World Snooker Tour generally gain a {{nowrap|two-year}} "tour card" for participation in the events.<ref name="qualifortour" /> Beginning in the [[2014–15 snooker season|2014–15 season]], some players have also received invitational tour cards in recognition of their outstanding contributions to the sport; these cards are issued at the discretion of the World Snooker Board, and have been awarded to players including [[Steve Davis]], [[James Wattana]], [[Jimmy White]], and [[Stephen Hendry]].<ref name="wpbsa_TourCards" /> Some additional secondary tours have been contested over the years. A {{nowrap|two-tier}} structure was adopted for the [[1997–98 snooker season|1997{{nbnd}}98 season]]; comprising six tournaments known as the WPBSA Minor Tour was open to all professionals, but only ran for one season.{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|pp=166–167}}<ref name="cajt secondary" /> A similar secondary UK Tour was first played from the 1997–98 season, which was renamed the Challenge Tour in 2000, Players Tour Championship in 2010 and returned as the Challenge Tour in 2018.{{sfn|Hayton|Dee|2004|pp=171–174}}<ref name="cajt secondary"/><ref name="wst._Worl" />

The global governing body for professional snooker is the [[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association]] (WPBSA),<ref name="wpbsa_gov.body" /><ref name="wst_wpbsa" /> founded in 1968 as the Professional Billiards Players' Association.<ref name="wpbsafounding" /><ref name="uia_wpbsa" /> The WPBSA owns and publishes the official rules of snooker,<ref name="wst_wpbsa" /><ref name="BusinessLive" /> and has overall responsibility for policy making in the professional sport of snooker.<ref name="wpbsafounding" /> World Snooker Ltd is responsible for the professional tour which is owned by both the WPBSA and [[Matchroom Sport]].<ref name="QbFUx" />

====World rankings====
{{Main|Snooker world rankings}}
Every player on the World Snooker Tour is assigned a position on the WPBSA's official world ranking list, which is used to determine the [[seed (sports)|seedings]] and the level of qualification each player requires for the tournaments on the professional circuit.<ref name="WPBSA Rankings FAQ" /> The current world rankings are determined using a {{nowrap|two-year}} rolling points system, where points are allocated to the players according to the prize money earned at designated tournaments.<ref name="RankingPointsSchedule" /> This "rolling" list is maintained and updated throughout the season, with points from tournaments played in the current season replacing points earned from the corresponding tournaments of two seasons ago. Additionally, "{{nowrap|one-year}}" and "{{nowrap|two-year}}" ranking lists are compiled at the end of every season, after the World Championship; these {{nowrap|year-end}} lists are used for {{nowrap|pre-qualification}} at certain tournaments and for {{nowrap|tour-card}} guarantees.<ref name="WPBSA Rankings FAQ" />

The top 16 players in the world ranking list, generally regarded as the "elite" of the professional snooker circuit,<ref name="top16-1" /> are not required to {{nowrap|pre-qualify}} for some of the tournaments, such as the [[Shanghai Masters (snooker)|Shanghai Masters]], the [[Masters (snooker)|Masters]] and the World Snooker Championship.<ref name="top16-2" /> Certain other events, such as those in the [[Players Series]], use the {{nowrap|one-year}} ranking list to qualify; these use the results of the current season to denote participants.<ref name="news_Cora" /> There are approximately 128 places available on the World Snooker Tour each season.<ref name="WPBSA tour1" /> As of the [[2024–25 snooker season|2024–25 season]], players in the top 64 on the official ranking list are guaranteed a tour place for the next season, as well as a maximum of 31 players who are currently on the first year of a {{nowrap|two-year}} tour card, and the top four prize money earners during the most recent season who are not already qualified; this being assessed after the World Championship.<ref name="WPBSA tour2" />
[[File:World Snooker Championship Trophy edited.jpg|thumb|upright=0.75|alt=A silver cup-shaped trophy with a trumpet base, a Greek shepherdess finial on top, and two deco square-section handles at the sides with green sponsor ribbons tied to them; the trophy is sitting on a green cylindrical plinth|The World Snooker Championship trophy]]

====Tournaments====
{{See also|List of snooker tournaments}}
The oldest current professional snooker tournament is the [[World Snooker Championship]],<ref name="BBCWSN1" /> which has taken place as an annual event most years since 1927.<ref name="World Snooker list" /><ref name="vDR55" /> Hosted at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield since 1977,<ref name="World Snooker list" /> the championship was sponsored by tobacco company Embassy from 1976 to 2005<ref name="GuardianSponsor" /> and has since been sponsored by various betting companies after the introduction of an {{nowrap|EU-wide}} ban on the advertising of tobacco products.<ref name="BBC 4732047" /><ref name="Np1Uq" /><ref name="sbcn_Betf" /> The World Championship is the most highly valued title in professional snooker,<ref name="wcvalue" /> in terms of financial reward (the tournament has carried a £500,000 winner's prize since 2019), ranking points and prestige.<ref name="wcprizemoney" /><ref name="earnings_and_era_dominance" /> 

The [[UK Championship]], held annually since 1977, is considered to be the second most important ranking tournament after the World Championship.<ref name="WST_UKchamp" /> These two events, and the annual {{nowrap|non-ranking}} [[Masters (snooker)|Masters]] tournament, make up snooker's [[Triple Crown (snooker)|Triple Crown]] Series;<ref name="dottmasters" /><ref name="TC winners" /> among the oldest competitions on the professional circuit, the Triple Crown events are valued by many players as the most prestigious.<ref name="TC winners" /> {{As of|2024|04}}, only eleven players have won all three events,<ref name="SN Triple Crown" /> the most recent being [[Judd Trump]] who completed the Triple Crown in May 2019.<ref name="BBC20190506" /> The Triple Crown events are televised in the UK by the BBC,<ref name="bbc_deal2022" /><ref name="bbc_deal2024" /><ref name="bbc_deal2027" /> while most other tournaments are broadcast across Europe on the [[Eurosport]] network,<ref name="eurosport_deal2016" /> or [[ITV Sport]],<ref name="SportsPro Media" /> as well as numerous other broadcasters internationally.<ref name=wst_broadcasters22 /><ref name="wst_WatchLive" />

After facing some criticism for matches taking too long,<ref name="GuardianDull" /> Matchroom Sport chairman Barry Hearn introduced a series of timed tournaments: the {{nowrap|shot-timed}} [[Premier League Snooker]], held between 1987 and 2012, featured seven players invited to compete at regular United Kingdom venues and was televised on [[Sky Sports]].<ref name="earnings_and_era_dominance" /> The players had 25 seconds to take each shot, with each player allowed five {{nowrap|time-outs}} per match. The format did achieve some success but was not afforded the same amount of press attention or status as the regular ranking tournaments.<ref name="GuardianDull" /> The event was removed from the professional tour after the 2012–13 season, when the [[Champion of Champions (snooker)|Champion of Champions]] was {{nowrap|re-established}};<ref name="en.e_O'Su" /> players qualify for this tournament by virtue of winning other events in the season, with sixteen champions competing.<ref name="cham_Cham" />{{efn|Under certain circumstances, some runners-up participate at the Champion of Champions.<ref name="cham_Cham" />}}

Classified as a "precision sport" by the [[International Olympic Committee]], snooker has never been contested at the [[Summer Olympics]].<ref name="telegraph_olympics" /><ref name="sky.history" />{{efn|Snooker was contested at the [[Paralympic Games]] from 1960 until 1988.<ref name="wdbs_Olympics" />}} In 2015, the WPBSA submitted a bid for snooker to be included at the [[2020 Tokyo Olympics]],<ref name="Snookerolympic" /> but without success.<ref name="eN1gH" /> Since its launch in October 2017, the [[World Snooker Federation]] (WSF) has been advocating for snooker to be added to the Olympic and Paralympic programme.<ref name="itg_wsf" /><ref name="wsf" /> Their initial bid for the [[2024 Paris Olympics]] was unsuccessful,<ref name="KpBpW" /><ref name="T9wCo" /> but the WSF is campaigning for snooker to be included at the [[2032 Brisbane Olympics]].<ref name="telegraph_olympics" /> Olympic status would create a significant public funding opportunity for the sport and boost its global exposure.<ref name="telegraph_olympics" /> A trial of the format for [[cue sports]] to be played at the 2024 Games was conducted at the [[2019 World Team Trophy (cue sports)|2019 World Team Trophy]], which also featured [[Nine-ball|{{nowrap|nine-ball}}]] and [[carom billiards]].<ref name="azbi_Inau" /> Snooker has been contested at the [[World Games]] since [[Cue sports at the 2001 World Games|2001]] and was included as an event at the [[Snooker at the 2019 African Games|2019 African Games]].<ref name="jtHKc" /><ref name="eN7hQ" /><ref name="pHlSh" />

====Criticism====
Several players, including [[Ronnie O'Sullivan]], [[Mark Allen (snooker player)|Mark Allen]] and Steve Davis, have claimed that there are too many tournaments in the season, causing [[occupational burnout|burnout]] of players.<ref name="JrHL1" /> O'Sullivan played only a subset of tournaments in 2012, so he could spend more time with his children; as a result he ended the 2012–13 season ranked 19th in the world despite being the world champion. O'Sullivan played only one tournament in 2013, the [[2013 World Snooker Championship|World Championship]], which he won.<ref name="theg_Ronn" /> He suggested that a "breakaway tour" with fewer events would be beneficial to the sport, but none was organised.<ref name="bbc._Ronn" /> <!--The number of ranking events on the World Snooker Tour has continued to increase, from eight in [[2002–03 snooker season|2002–03]], to eleven in [[2012–13 snooker season|2012–13]], and fifteen in [[2022–23 snooker season|2022–23]].{{cn|date=August 2024}}-->

Some players, including 2005 world champion [[Shaun Murphy]], have asserted that a 128 player professional tour is financially unsustainable.<ref name="Eurosport bread" /><ref name="Eurosport JT" /> {{nowrap|Lower-ranked}} professional players can struggle to make a living from the sport, especially after paying tournament entry fees, travel costs and other expenses.<ref name="Metro_Haigh_2022" /> In 2023, [[Stephen Maguire]] criticised the World Snooker Tour and WPBSA, claiming that "the game is dying right in front of our eyes",<ref name="Express_2023_01_27" /> and stating that some players ranked within the world's top 30 were seeking jobs outside the sport due to lack of earning potential from tournaments.<ref name="Mirror_2023_01_27" />

===Amateur===
Non-professional snooker (including youth competition) is governed by the [[International Billiards and Snooker Federation]] (IBSF).<ref name="ibsf" /> The highest level competition in the amateur sport is the IBSF World Snooker Championship.<ref name="trib_Muha" /> Events held specifically for seniors are handled by the WPBSA under the [[World Seniors Tour]],<ref name="LANCS" /><ref name="J3Vse" /><ref name="worl_WPBS" /> the highest level of the senior sport being the [[World Seniors Championship]].<ref name="worl_WPBS" /> World Disability Billiards and Snooker (WDBS) is a WPBSA subsidiary that organises events and playing aids in snooker and other cue sports for people with disabilities.<ref name="BBC get inspired" /> The most prestigious amateur event in England is the [[English Amateur Championship]]; first held in 1916, this is the oldest snooker competition still being played in the world.<ref name="wst._Hanc" />

Snooker is a mixed gender sport that affords men and women the same opportunities to progress at all levels of the game. While the main professional tour is open to male and female players alike, there is also a separate women's tour organised by [[World Women's Snooker]] (formerly the World Ladies Billiards and Snooker Association) which encourages female players to participate in the sport and take part in high level amateur competitions.<ref name="BBC get inspired" /><ref name="wws_about" /> The leading tournament on the women's tour is the [[World Women's Snooker Championship]], the winner of which receives a {{nowrap|two-year}} tour card to the main professional tour.<ref name="wst_wwsc" />

[[Reanne Evans]] won the women's world title a record twelve times, including ten consecutive victories from [[2005 World Women's Snooker Championship|2005]] to [[2014 Women's World Snooker Championship|2014]].<ref name="bbc_evans12th" /><ref name="WWSC" /> She has also participated on the World Snooker Tour and has taken part in the qualifying rounds of the main World Snooker Championship on five occasions, reaching the second round in 2017.<ref name="bbc._Wome" /> Evans holds the record for the highest break made in WWS competition, having achieved a 140 break twice (in 2008 and 2010).<ref name="wome_Worl" /> Other successful female players are [[Kelly Fisher]] (with five women's world titles), [[Ng On-yee]] (with three), and most recently [[Nutcharut Wongharuthai]], [[Siripaporn Nuanthakhamjan]] and [[Bai Yulu]], who won the World Women's Snooker Championship in 2022, 2023 and 2024 respectively.<ref name="WWSC"/>

Some leagues have allowed clubs to exclude female players from tournaments.<ref name="BBC_Leeds_2019_03_26" /><ref name="bIhfn" /> A committee member of the Keighley league defended allowing such teams in the league as necessity: "If we lose two of these clubs [with the {{nowrap|men-only}} policies] we would lose four teams and we can't afford to lose four teams otherwise we would have no league."<ref name="BBC_Leeds_2019_03_26" /> A World Women's Snooker spokesperson commented, "It is disappointing and unacceptable that in 2019 that {{Sic|}} players such as [[Rebecca Kenna]] have been the victim of antiquated discriminatory practices."<ref name="BBC_Leeds_2019_03_27" /> The [[All-Party Parliamentary Group|{{nowrap|all-party}} parliamentary group]] for snooker said, "The group believes that being prevented from playing in a club because of gender is archaic."<ref name="BBC_Leeds_2019_03_27" />