Snooker is a type of billiard game that originated in the UK in the 1870s. It is played using a snooker cue and balls of different colours. Players are supposed to score points by potting balls or "potting" them in a designated spot. Their goal is to score more points than their opponents. While some players will play safe, others are more risky. One player might even deliberately foul another player to get out of the frame.
The snooker rules are not complicated. However, the rules can get confusing if you don't know them well. These are the basics you should know:
First, understand that there are many kinds of fouls. Most common is not hitting the ball "on". The referee will call it a foul if this happens. A foul may be called multiple times in one stroke. A legal shot on the other side is a shot that has been potted or is permitted to be taken.
Moreover, you also need to know that the snooker rules aren't just about potting balls. Or you could lose. For instance, if you foul your opponent while on the up and down table, you will not be able to do anything useful.
Another rule in snooker refers to your opponent being allowed to foul you. If your opponent fouls, you can choose to play a free game or to just lay snooker. However, you need to ensure that your next shot doesn't result in foul play. If you deliberately make a foul, you will forfeit your frame and lose.
There are also other rules. In snooker, you are prohibited from playing a "free" snooker ball in front or a coloured one. This is called a double foul. You should also not place all your balls on the table before the free ball. A game won't be won if the opponent has all the balls on the table.
You must put your cue ball into an in-off position according to snooker rules. An in-off situation is one in which the cueball touches another ball in the pocket.
You should also remember that it is against snooker rules to try and take all your balls at once. This is done to avoid the horrible game of snooker. If you do decide to pocket all your balls, you must do so in the correct order.
Another rule to keep in mind when playing snooker, is that you should aim for and score the most important ball. You should have a good chance at scoring a points. Of course, you don't want to miss your cue ball because you didn't have the right ball in the right place.
The snooker rules also state that you can tally a red ball. You will need to perform a few keystrokes in order to do this. In particular, you will need to put a ball either in your pocket (or a coloured balls on the Centre Spot).