How does a game of snooker work?
B · Beginner · The game · 1 of 5Snooker is played with one white cue ball and 21 object balls: 15 reds worth one point each and six colours worth two to seven. A player pots a red, then a colour, and so on, until the reds are gone. The colours are then potted in order of value. The higher score wins the frame.
How it works
- Balls: fifteen reds worth 1 each; yellow 2, green 3, brown 4, blue 5, pink 6 and black 7.
- One cue ball: both players strike the same white ball.
- A turn: a red first, then a colour of the player's choice, then a red again, while the player keeps potting.
- Colours while reds remain: a potted colour is put back on its spot.
- When the reds are gone: the colours are potted in order from yellow to black and stay down.
- Points: pots score for the striker; penalty points for fouls go to the opponent.
- Snookers: leaving the opponent unable to hit the ball on in a straight line is a tactic at any time, and the main one for a player who needs more points than remain on the table.
- Winning: the frame goes to the higher score; a game is an agreed number of frames; a match is an agreed number of games.
The glossary has the red balls, the coloured balls, the pot, the break, the frame and the snooker.
Tricky cases
A player pots two reds with one shot. Do both count?
Yes. Every red potted in the same stroke scores one point. The player then plays one colour.
Is a colour ever left off the table while reds remain?
No. While reds remain, a colour potted, pocketed in a foul or knocked off the table is put back on its spot.
What is the highest break possible?
147 is the usual maximum: fifteen reds each with the black, then all six colours. A free ball early in a frame can, in theory, allow more.
Does a ball that drops in and bounces back out count as potted?
No. A ball that enters a pocket and rebounds on to the table does not count, and no player has a claim.
Why the rule exists
Alternating reds and colours makes every pot of a red an opening for a bigger score, so position on the next ball matters as much as the pot. That is what makes a long break, and the maximum of 147, so hard.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Snooker | Reds and colours alternately, then colours in order | WPBSA Snooker 3.1(b) |
| Six-reds snooker | Six reds in place of fifteen, with changes to the miss rule | WPBSA Snooker 3.19 |
| Snooker Shootout | A ten-minute single frame with a shot clock | WPBSA Snooker Shootout rules 1 to 3 |
| English billiards | Three balls; pots, in-offs and cannons all score | WPBSA Billiards 3.1 |
From the rule book
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Official Rules of the Games of Snooker and English Billiards (May 2022 update), snooker part, Section 2 Rules 1 to 4 and Section 3 Rules 1 and 3(g) to 3(m). Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the association's rule book, which covers snooker and English billiards together.