Referees & Rules
SBI qualified referees and official WPBSA rules of snooker
SBI Qualified Referees
Shane Mason
WPBSA Rules Committee member. One of Ireland's most experienced international referees, officiating at World Championship and Triple Crown events.
Official Rules of Snooker
Based on the WPBSA Official Rules — the globally adopted version used by all referees, officials, players and coaches.
The Game of Snooker
Snooker is played on a rectangular table with 15 red balls, 6 colour balls, and 1 white cue ball. The objective is to score more points than your opponent by potting balls in the correct sequence: a red followed by a colour, alternately, until all reds are potted, then the colours in ascending order of value.
A frame is won when all balls have been potted (or conceded) and one player has more points. A match consists of an agreed number of frames. The maximum possible break in a single visit is 147 — achieved by potting all 15 reds with the black, then all 6 colours in sequence.
SBI follows the official WPBSA rules as adopted globally. The WPBSA Rules Committee is chaired by senior referee Jan Verhaas and includes Ireland’s own Brendan Moore and Paul Collier.
English Billiards Rules
Read Full WPBSA RulebookSBI Tournament Regulations
Read Full WPBSA RulebookFoul & Penalty Schedule
Read Full WPBSA RulebookJunior Tournament Rules
Read Full WPBSA RulebookBecome an SBI Referee
SBI is always looking for dedicated members who want to take up refereeing. Whether you're interested in officiating at local club events or aspire to referee at national and international level, we provide a clear pathway and full training.
- WPBSA accredited training
- Officiate at ranked SBI events
- Full rulebook and training materials
- Regional → National → International pathway
- Travel to international tournaments
- Mentored by experienced referees