The Rules of the Game of Rangoon Snooker

The Hill Club in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka,

Admin’s Note: The rules of Rangoon Snooker have been displayed on the wall of the billiard room at the Hill Club in Nuwara Eliya, Sri Lanka, for more than a century. Championships played under these rules were held there in the 1930s.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Club’s General Manager, Michael Armstrong, who kindly provided us with a high-quality photograph of the rules. Thanks to his assistance, we are now able to make the original text of the rules of this unique and intriguing game available to everyone.

AS APPROVED BY THE FOLLOWING CLUBS

Colombo Garden Club
Colombo Club
Princes Club
Kandy Club
Hill Club

United Club
Bogawantalawa Club
Kalutara Cricket and Sports Club
Galle Club
Uva Club

Kelani Valley Club
Agras Sporting and Athletic Club
Dimbula Athletic and Cricket Club
Dickoya & Maskeliya Cricket Club
Talawakelle Tennis Club

1.—Definition of Game.

The game of Rangoon Snooker may be played by two or more players, either as sides or independently. It is a game of winning hazards exclusively; cannons are ignored. The winner is the player, or side, making the highest score, if the game is played by time; or the one first scoring the points agreed on, if the game is played for an agreed number of points; or the one to whom the game, under Rule 19, is awarded.

2.—The Balls.

The balls should be of equal size and weight and nine in number; the diameter for match play may vary between 2½ inches and 2⅝ inches.

3.—Technical Terms.

(a) The plain-white ball is referred to as the cue-ball; the yellow, green, brown, blue, pink, black, and spot-white, as the pool balls; the red ball as the red.

(b) The cue-ball is in hand when it is off the table.

(c) To play from hand, the striker must play the cue-ball from some position on or within the lines of the D.

(d) A ball is forced off the table, which comes to rest otherwise than on the bed of the table, or in a pocket.

(e) The person about to play is termed the Striker; his opponent is the Non-Striker.

(f) The cue-ball is in play when it has been finally placed on the table and struck with the tip of the cue, and remains so until it has been pocketed. The red and pool balls are in play when placed on the table (as herein prescribed) and remain so until pocketed; any ball which is forced off the table becomes out of play.

(g) A stroke is made by a player aiming at and touching, or striking, the cue-ball, when it is in play, with the tip of his cue. No stroke is completed until all the balls have come to rest.

(h) A break is a series of consecutive scoring strokes made in any one turn.

(i) A winning hazard is made when a ball, other than the cue-ball, is pocketed after contact with another ball.

(j) A losing hazard is made when the cue-ball is pocketed after contact with another ball.

(k) A miss is a stroke where the cue-ball fails to touch any other ball; or where the cue-ball is struck more than once before contact with another ball.

(l) A spot is said to be occupied if a ball cannot be placed thereon, without touching or disturbing another ball.

(m) A player is said to be on a ball when such ball may be lawfully struck by the cue-ball under these Rules. He is exclusively on a pool ball nominated under Rules 5 and 16.

(n) A player is said to be snookered with regard to any ball when a direct stroke in a straight line of the cue-ball (if in hand from the centre of the baulk-line) to any point of such ball is obstructed by any ball which is not on.

(o) The cue-ball is said to be angled when the corner of the cushion prevents a stroke being made, in a straight line, directly on any ball that may be lawfully struck.

(p) The striker is said to volunteer if the cue-ball strikes a pool ball which is not on.

(q) A penalty ball is a pool ball for which the striker forfeits its value, if he fail to pocket it (without other contravention of these Rules).

(r) A free ball is a red, or pool ball, for which the striker incurs no penalty by reason merely of failing to pocket it.

(s) A foul stroke is one made in contravention of these Rules. (Examples of foul strokes are given in Rule 18.)

4.—Rules of Play.

All strokes must be made with the tip of the cue. The ball must be struck, and not pushed. The ball must not be struck more than once in the same stroke, either before or after contact with another ball. At the moment of striking, one of the player’s feet must touch the floor. No ball shall be forced off the table. The striker shall always play with the cue-ball. The impact of the cue-ball shall govern all strokes.

5.—Mode of Play.

Players must first determine, by lot or other convenient method, the order of their turns, which must remain unaltered. The first player shall play from hand. At each visit to the table the player must play on the red and pool balls alternately (commencing with the red). A player may volunteer a pool ball, which he may do at any time, except in the initial visit to the table, when his first stroke must be on the red ball. For this stroke only he may have removed from the table any ball which obstructs a direct stroke at any point of the red, such removed ball being replaced after the stroke.

Pool balls volunteered out of their order shall be penalty balls, provided that, if the striker has volunteered and pocketed a penalty ball, any pool ball shall then be a free ball for the next stroke, instead of the red which shall not be free, and cannot be volunteered, after which the red ball only shall be free as before. If the striker fail to pocket a penalty ball, the stroke shall be foul. If the penalty ball is pocketed without further contravention of these rules, the foul shall be condoned, and the value scored, provided that, if any pool ball shall be pocketed from the same spot three times in succession in the same turn, it shall remain off the table until after the next stroke, for which any ball nominated by the striker shall be free (including the red), after which the red ball only shall be free as before. Subject to the above provision, any ball pocketed or forced off the table must be re-spotted before the next stroke. If the striker fail to score, the next player shall play from where the cue-ball came to rest. If the cue-ball is pocketed or forced off the table, the next player shall play from hand. A player must nominate, when requested by an opponent, which ball he is on, and may so nominate for his own protection; in default of such nomination, for the purpose of imposing any penalty, the player shall be deemed to have been on the ball at which in the opinion of the marker or referee (as the case may be) he shall appear to have aimed.

6.—Placing the Balls.

Balls are placed on the table as follows:—

Black, on the billiard spot; pink, on the pyramid spot; red, on a spot half way between the centre spot and the pyramid spot; blue, on the centre spot; brown, on the middle of the baulk line; green, on the left, and yellow on the right hand corners of the D; spot-white on a spot between the centre of the D and the middle of the bottom cushion 12½ inches from the face of that cushion.

7.—Scoring.

The values of the balls are:—red = 1, yellow = 2, green = 3, brown = 4, blue = 5, pink = 6, black = 7, spot-white = 8.

8.—Baulk.

Baulk is no protection.

9.—Re-Spotting Balls.

The striker must see that every ball required to be re-spotted is properly placed, before he plays his stroke. If the spot named in Rule 6 for each ball is occupied when such ball should be placed thereon, the ball shall be placed on the spot first named in Rule 6 that is then unoccupied. If all the spots are occupied the ball shall be placed as near its own spot as possible, between that spot and the nearest part of the top cushion. (No ball shall be held to be spotted unless placed on such spot by hand.)

10.—Two Balls Pocketed by same Stroke or Struck Simultaneously.

Two balls must not be pocketed by the same stroke; nor two balls be struck simultaneously.

11.—Cue-Ball Touching.

If the cue-ball is touching another ball, the striker must play the cue-ball away from the touching ball without moving it; or he must be held to have pushed it. If the cue-ball, when played away from a touching ball without moving it, strike (the same or) another ball which is on, such ball, if lawfully pocketed, shall be scored. The striker thus playing away from a ball that is on (whether the red, or a pool ball which he has nominated) shall incur no penalty for a miss, or striking another ball.

12.—Ball on the Edge of a Pocket.

A ball which has stopped on the edge of a pocket shall, if it falls in from vibration, be replaced; if it balances momentarily on the edge and falls in, it must not be replaced. If it drops in while the striker is playing, the balls shall be replaced, and the stroke played again.

13.—Ball Moved by other Agency than Player.

If a ball is disturbed otherwise than by the player, it shall, if moved, be replaced on the table by the Referee on the spot which, in his judgment, the ball had, or, if moving, would have, occupied. This rule covers the case in which a non-striker or non-player causes the striker to touch or move a ball.

14.—Interference by Non-Striker.

The non-striker shall, when the striker is playing, avoid standing or moving in the line of sight; he should sit or stand at a fair distance from the table. He may, in case of his enforced absence from the room, depute a substitute to watch his interests, and claim a foul if necessary.

15.—End of Game and Tie.

If the game is played to an agreed number of points, the player who first scores the points agreed on wins the game for himself or his side. Such player cannot be called on to finish his break after so scoring the points agreed on.

If the game is played by time, the player (or side) who makes the largest number of points wins the game, each player being entitled to an equal number of turns; in such a case, if the last player scores a sufficient number of points to make the total of his or his side’s score exceed that of the other player or side, he or his side shall be the winner, and he cannot be called on to finish his break.

If at the end of the agreed time, after the completion of the round, the scores are equal, another round or rounds shall be played until one player or side shall have made a winning score. When the game is played by time, four minutes before the expiration of the time, the Marker shall announce “next round last round” and, after that round is finished, shall announce “last round,” and the players shall play until such last round is completed notwithstanding that the agreed time shall be thereby exceeded.

16.—Snookering after a Foul.

After a foul stroke, if the next player is found to be snookered with regard to the red, he is then on the nearest ball (if in hand measured from the centre of the baulk line) as a free ball, or may volunteer, provided that, if two or more balls be equally near, he is then on the ball of lowest value. For the purpose of this Rule a foul stroke does not include the mere failure to pocket a penalty ball.

17.—Cue Ball Angled.

If the cue-ball is angled it must be played from where it lies; but, if angled after a foul, it must be played from hand. For the purpose of this Rule a foul stroke does not include the mere failure to pocket a penalty ball.

18.—Foul Strokes.

The player contravenes these Rules by the following means (among others):—

(a) By touching his ball more than once in one stroke (Rule 4).

(b) By making a losing hazard (Rule 1).

(c) By forcing a ball off the table (Rule 4).

(d) By playing when both his feet are off the floor (Rule 4).

(e) By playing before the balls have come to rest (Rule 3); before they are properly spotted; when wrongly spotted (Rules 6, 9 and 15).

(f) By striking or touching his ball while in play, otherwise than with the tip of his cue (Rule 4).

(If a player desires to clean a ball, he may, with his adversary’s permission, remove it for that purpose; should permission be refused, he may request the Referee to clean and replace the ball.)

(g) By touching or striking a ball in play otherwise than is allowed under these Rules (Rule 4).

(This covers touching a ball with the rest, and not getting the cue out of the way of a ball in motion.)

(h) By playing improperly from hand (Rule 3 (c) and Rule 6).

(i) By playing with the wrong ball (Rule 5).

(j) By playing out of turn (Rule 5).

(k) By causing the cue-ball to strike a ball he is not on (Rule 5).

(l) By making a miss (Rule 5).

(m) By failing to pocket a penalty ball (Rule 5).

(n) Generally by any stroke in contravention of these Rules.

A foul stroke must be awarded by the Referee, or claimed by the non-striker, before the next stroke is made, otherwise it is condoned.

(Example:—If the striker play with the balls improperly spotted, he scores all points made until the foul is awarded by the Referee or claimed by the non-striker.)

19.—Penalties.

If, during a stroke, any Rule of this game is contravened, the striker (a) cannot score; (b) loses his turn; (c) under Rule 16 loses the right of snookering his opponent; and (d) forfeits such points as are exacted under these Rules.

All points forfeited must be added to the opponent’s score.

The highest numerical forfeit must be exacted, but only one such forfeit for any one stroke.

The striker shall forfeit:—

Offence	Forfeit
For striking a red with the cue-ball, when on a pool ball.	Eight points.
For playing with other than the cue-ball.
For a miss (whether the cue-ball go into a pocket, or off the table).	Four points or the value of the ball he was on.
For striking with the cue-ball a pool ball, when he is on the red.	The value of the ball struck, or the value of the ball he was on, or the value of any ball pocketed or forced off the table.
For thus striking a pool ball, other than that which he is on.
For failing to pocket a penalty ball.
For forcing a coloured ball (or the cue-ball after impact) off the table.
For other fouls.	Four points; the value of the ball handled or pocketed; or the value of the ball the striker was on.

For refusing to continue the game, or for conduct which, in the opinion of the Referee, is wilfully or persistently unfair, a player shall lose the game, and forfeit all points he may have scored. His opponent shall score 150 points or the value of his score and the balls then on the table (counting 8 for each), whichever is the higher.

20.—The Marker’s Duties.

The Marker shall keep and call the score, hand the rest, and attend to the players, and in the absence of a Referee act as such. He shall not give advice or express opinion on points affecting play, but may, if desired by the players, announce after each stroke what ball is a free ball for the next stroke. If requested to do so by the striker, the Marker may move and hold in position any light-shade which interferes with the action of the striker.

Spectators shall not interfere with the game, the players or the Marker.

21.—The Referee’s Duties.

The Referee shall be the sole judge of fair or unfair play, and shall be responsible for the proper conduct of the game under these Rules, and shall, of his own initiative, interfere if he observes any contravention. He shall (at any time) on appeal by a player decide any question of fact connected with the play. If he have failed to observe any incident, he may take the evidence of the spectators best placed for observation, to assist his decision.

He shall decide all questions arising between players on the interpretation of these Rules, and on any point arising thereunder for which he considers there is no direct provision. He shall be careful to see that a player is not better situated by reason of a contravention of these Rules than he would be by their strict observance.

The Referee shall not give advice or express opinion on points affecting play.