Snooker back on Sky

zack01

Snooker will back on Sky Sports in the new season with the introduction of the 'World Snooker Shoot-Out'. This is one of chairman Barry Hearns new and exciting additions to the snooker calendar.
The top 64 players will be playing in this random drawn, one frame match format with a twenty second shot clock with no time outs, the event will be held over a single weekend.
'It will be snooker at full throttle' Hearn said adding that it may not be one for the purists as it's going to be played in a lively atmosphere.The winner will receive £32,000, not a bad figure for a weekends work, in fact such a figure is £2K more than the winner received for each of several ranking tournaments over the last few seasons.
The date penciled is Jan 28-30 2011 the venue is
yet to be confirmed,at least Hearn is keeping to his word of reinventing the game and bringing it into the mainstream, I've already heard it been touted as 'pot black on steroids'!
Exciting times for snooker

Pighead

Don't really like the sound of this to be honest. I never really warmed to the whole twenty second shot clock rule. It basically just encourages mistakes and silly shots unless you are comfortable playing quickly (which rules out about 90% of the players on tour).

Still, at least Hearn is trying something different and the fact that it's on SKY can only draw in more viewers to the sport.

ArmaniJeanss

Barry Hearn wrote:

it's going to be played in a lively atmosphere.

Wonder does he mean the fans will be allowed make noise whilst a player is taking a shot? I know Ronnie has suggested this in the past.

Speak Now

Interesting viewing if nothing else, what's the the 12 minute maximum frame time though?

KrazeeEyezKilla

Its only a gimmick tournament so the shot clock is fine. It'd be interesting to see what players do well in this.

Speak Now

KrazeeEyezKilla wrote: »

Its only a gimmick tournament so the shot clock is fine. It'd be interesting to see what players do well in this.

Good that it goes down to the top 64 as well, no money being made really by those outside the top 32.

LukeQuietus

Ronnie O Sullivan, Shaun Murphy and Graham Dott will clean up in this fast paced game. As long as Dott doesn't meltdown like he did in the final against Nei Knobertson (hate that smug git) he should do quite well this season.

Dave!

Neil Robertson (Knobertson? Wow, dead mature!) is smug? He comes across to me as one of the most modest people in the sport