Most people's first game of snooker is spent quietly copying whoever they came with, hoping nobody asks them to explain the rules. This guide is the explanation nobody gave you. Read it once and you will walk up to a table knowing exactly what you are doing.
The table
A full-size snooker table is 12 feet by 6 feet — noticeably bigger than a pool table, with six pockets that are cut tighter and rounded at the jaws. That tightness is the whole character of the game: a ball that would drop on a pool table will rattle out on a snooker table.
Two markings matter to a beginner. The baulk line is drawn across one end, with a semicircle called the D sitting on it — that is where the cue ball starts. And there are six spots where the coloured balls live.
The 22 balls
Snooker uses 22 balls: one white cue ball, fifteen reds, and six colours. You only ever strike the white. Everything else is a target.
| Ball | Value | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Red (×15) | 1 point | Triangle below the pink |
| Yellow | 2 points | Right corner of the D |
| Green | 3 points | Left corner of the D |
| Brown | 4 points | Middle of the baulk line |
| Blue | 5 points | Centre of the table |
| Pink | 6 points | Just in front of the reds |
| Black | 7 points | Behind the reds, near the top cushion |
An easy way to remember the order of value: the further a colour sits from the baulk end, the more it is worth. Yellow, green and brown are cheap and close; blue, pink and black get progressively more valuable as you move up the table.
The one rule that runs the whole game
Here it is: you must pot a red, then a colour, then a red, then a colour, alternating, for as long as reds remain on the table.
Every red you pot stays down. Every colour you pot in this phase is put back on its spot — so the same black can be potted again and again. That is how big scores are built.
The sequence in one line: red (1 point, stays down) → any colour (2–7 points, comes back out) → red → colour → red → colour… until the last red is gone.
When you pot a red, you may nominate any colour you like as your next target. Most players go for the black (7) if it is available, because that is where the points are. If the black is awkward, the blue or pink is a sensible fallback.
When the reds run out
After the final red is potted, you take one more colour — and after that the game changes. Now the colours must be potted in ascending order of value: yellow (2), green (3), brown (4), blue (5), pink (6), black (7). From this point on they stay down instead of being respotted.
Once the black is potted, the frame ends and the higher score wins. This closing sequence is often where a close frame is actually decided — a player who is 20 points behind with the colours left can still win, because 2+3+4+5+6+7 is 27 points still on the table.
Your turn at the table
You keep playing for as long as you keep potting legally. A run of pots without missing is called a break — so "a break of 30" means a player scored 30 points in one unbroken visit.
The moment you miss, foul, or fail to pot, your turn ends and your opponent comes to the table. Wherever you left the balls is where they play from — which is why good players think about where the cue ball is going, not just what they are potting.
Fouls
A foul gives points to your opponent — a minimum of four, or the value of the ball involved if that is higher (so up to seven). The common ones:
- Missing everything — the cue ball fails to hit any legal target ball.
- Hitting the wrong ball first — going for a colour when you owe a red, or vice versa.
- Potting the cue ball — the white goes down a pocket. Known as an in-off.
- Potting the wrong ball — a colour goes down when a red was on.
- Knocking a ball off the table.
- Touching a ball with your hand, sleeve, cue or clothing.
After a foul, your opponent may play from where the white lies, or ask you to play again. Nothing more dramatic than that — it is a points penalty, not a punishment.
What "snookered" actually means
The game is named after this. You are snookered when another ball blocks your straight path to the ball you are supposed to hit — you physically cannot strike it cleanly in a direct line.
This is why snooker is not simply a potting contest. When a shot is not on, strong players deliberately leave the white somewhere awkward, forcing the opponent into a foul and picking up free points. That is called playing safe, and it is half the game.
Winning
A single game is a frame, won by whoever has more points when the black goes down. Matches are usually played over several frames — best of three or best of five is normal for a casual evening.
If a player is further behind than there are points left on the table, they will usually concede the frame rather than play it out. That is normal courtesy, not surrender.
Your first frame: five practical things
- Start with fewer reds. A full 15-red frame between two beginners can take a long time. Six or ten reds gets you a complete game with a proper ending.
- Chalk the tip before every shot. It takes two seconds and prevents the miscue that ruins your best chance of the frame.
- Aim for the middle of the pocket, not the edge. Snooker pockets punish anything else.
- Take the easy pot. Beginners lose frames by attempting the spectacular one when a simple red sits over a corner.
- Watch where the white stops. Even thinking about it a little will improve your game faster than anything else on this list.
Try it at XD Arena. We run four open tables set for 6, 10 or 15 reds, priced per frame — so a first frame that takes forty minutes costs no more than a quick one. Tell the counter you are new and we will set the table up for you. See snooker at XD Arena →
Common beginner questions
Do I have to say which colour I am going for?
In a formal match, yes — you nominate it. In a friendly game most players just play the obvious one. If there is any doubt, say it out loud; it saves arguments.
What happens if I pot a red and a colour in the same shot?
That is a foul. You may only pot the ball that is "on".
Can I pot two reds at once?
Yes — when reds are on, potting more than one is legal and you score a point for each.
How long does a frame take?
Between beginners, a 15-red frame can run 30–45 minutes. Six reds is closer to 10–15. See our guide to frame formats for how to choose.