Snooker Rules & Scoring
Want to learn how to play snooker? Snooker is a two-player cue sport built around alternating reds and colours. This guide explains snooker rules, ball values, scoring, the red-colour sequence, fouls, the final colour clearance, and how a frame is won.
How to Play Snooker
A standard frame begins with 15 red balls and six coloured balls. While reds remain, pot a red for 1 point, then attempt any colour. A legally potted colour is re-spotted and the next target returns to a red. A scoring player continues until the break ends or a foul occurs.
Snooker Ball Values: How Many Points Is Each Ball Worth?
Reds are 1 point. Yellow 2, Green 3, Brown 4, Blue 5, Pink 6, Black 7.
What Happens After You Pot a Red in Snooker?
While reds remain, pot a red first, then nominate and pot any colour. A legally potted colour is re-spotted, so the sequence returns to red → colour → red → colour while you keep scoring.
What Happens After All the Red Balls Are Potted?
After the final red is gone and the following colour has been played, the six colours are cleared in order: Yellow → Green → Brown → Blue → Pink → Black. At this stage, each colour stays off the table once potted.
What Is a Foul in Snooker?
In PLOP, a foul is called if the cue ball is potted, if your shot fails to hit the current ball on first or hits the wrong ball first, or if you pot a ball that is not currently allowed. When a foul occurs, your turn ends and the opponent receives at least 4 points. If the ball on or the ball involved is worth more, that higher value applies, up to 7 points.
How Do You Win a Snooker Frame?
The player with the higher score when the frame ends wins. Points come from legally potted balls and penalties awarded after an opponent foul. If the scores are tied after the final black, the black is re-spotted and the next score or foul decides the frame.
Controls
Move to aim. Drag on the table to charge power and release to shoot. Move the red dot on the cue ball to apply spin.
Snooker Rules FAQ
A standard snooker frame begins with 15 red balls.
Yes. While reds remain, after legally potting a red you may nominate and attempt any one of the six colours.
While reds remain, a legally potted colour is re-spotted. During the final colour clearance, colours stay off the table when legally potted.
A foul awards the opponent at least 4 points. A higher-value ball involved in the foul can increase the penalty up to 7 points.