The Rules of the Game of Volunteer Snooker

Published:
30 October 2024
Original:
1 July 1936

The Billiards Association and Control Council. The Rules of the Games of English Billiards, Snooker, Volunteer Snooker, Pyramids, Pool, and Russian Pool. 1936

1.—DEFINITION OF GAME.

The Game of Volunteer 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, or to whom the game, under Rule 19, is awarded.

2.—THE BALLS.

The balls should be of equal size and weight and twenty-two in number; the diameter for match play may vary between 2 1-16 inches and 2 3-32 inches.

3.—TECHNICAL TERMS.

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

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

(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, after the first score.

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 first 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 turn, which must remain unaltered. The first player shall play from hand. The cue-ball must first strike a red as the initial stroke of each turn, until a red has been lawfully pocketed. Each player (or side) must lawfully pocket a red before such player (or side) is at liberty to volunteer. The value of each red lawfully pocketed by the same stroke shall be scored, and the next stroke of the break shall be on a pool ball. In subsequent strokes of this and the following turns, if the cue-ball strike alternately reds and pool balls in the same break, or (reds being off the table) pool balls in the progressive order of their values, such balls shall be free. Pool balls volunteered out of this order (as determined by the stroke immediately preceeding) shall be penalty balls. 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 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, fur which any ball nominated by the striker shall be free. Each pool ball pocketed or forced off the table must otherwise be re-spotted before the next stroke until finally pocketed under these Rules. 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. The game is thus continued until all the reds are off the table. If the player who lawfully pockets the last red pocket any pool ball by the next stroke of his turn, this ball is re-spotted. After this stroke (or all reds off the table) the lowest valued pool ball then remaining, if lawfully pocketed, must not be re-spotted. A player must nominate, when requested by his opponent, which ball he is on, and may so nominate for his own protection.

6.—PLACING THE BALLS.

Balls ‘are placed on the table as follows: —

Fifteen reds, in the form of a triangle, the ball at the apex standing on the pyramid spot, the base being parallel with and nearest to the top cushion: black, on the billiard spot: pink, touching the apex ball of the pyramid, on the centre line of the table (and, after, on 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.

7.—SCORING.

The values of the balls are:—

red=1, yellow=2, green=3, brown=4, blue=5, pink=6, black=7.

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. Reds are never re-spotted If the spot named in rule 6, for each pool ball, is occupied when such ball should be placed thereon, the ball should 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 (other than two reds) must not be pocketed by the same stroke: nor two balls (other than two reds) 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 a 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 hi 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.

When only the black ball is left, the first score or forfeit ends the game, unless the scores are then equal, in which case the black is spotted, and the players draw lots for choice of playing at the black from hand. The next score or forfeit ends the game.

16.—SNOOKERING AFTER A FOUL.

After a foul stroke, if the next player is found to be snookered with regard to all reds, or the pool ball he is on, 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.

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.

18.—FOUL STROKES.

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

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

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

(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 have been spotted: or when wrongly spotted (Rules 6, 9 and 15).

(f) By striking or touching his ball whilst 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 5).

(i) By playing with the wrong ball (Rule 8).

(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:—

For striking a red with the cue-ball when on a pool ball. For playing with other than the cue-ball.	Seven points.
For a miss (whether the cue-ball goes 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 a red. 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.	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 other fools.	Four points, or The value of the ball fouled, 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 Jose 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. 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 should 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 nor express opinion on points affecting play.