There are all sorts of sports being played in the world, in terms of time duration. Cricket can last for days. Football matches go on for hours. But they can become boring at times.
However, that’s not the case with snooker. Every second brings something exciting.
Have you ever given it a thought while immersed in cheering for your favorite player in a live game that how long does a snooker game last? Or, is there any time for a snooker match?
There is no time limit of a snooker game.
However, there are certain factors that affect the length of each game. That I’m going to discuss in this article. So the next time you sit to watch any snooker game, you know how long it is going to last.
But first, let’s learn if there is a maximum shot time in snooker?
Officially, there’s no shot time limit in snooker. There have been instances in which players took more than a few minutes to take a shot — but that was also for a reason. And referees, opponents, and the crowd too can understand why a player is taking longer in a certain shot than he would have done in normal circumstances.
On the other hand, in casual environments, where players are likely to take longer shot time to cause delay in the play, certain limits are imposed — for example 15-20 — in order to overcome this issue.
Besides the snooker shot time, there is also a snooker interval time — some also call it mid session interval — that is normally fifteen minutes. During this interval, players can exit the theatre to visit the toilet or to have a coffee or any drink/refreshment.
Though this time is fixed, when discussing the total time of a snooker game, it must be taken in account so you can have a more accurate idea of an average snooker game’s duration.
With that being said, it’s time to discuss the factors that can affect the duration of the overall snooker game.
Let’s start with one of the basic ones, number of frames.
Snooker games consist of an odd number of frames, normally 11,15 and 17. In the last stages of professional tournaments, they are played in best of 17 — means the later stages of any tournament result in the longest games.
However, in some tournaments, the number of frames in a single match can exceed 30 frames — and these matches usually last for multiple days. Please note that some people confuse snooker frames with matches — it’s fine if you want to call them games. Keep in mind that they are the same.
So, the next time when you want to figure out how long a certain snooker game is going to last, count the number of frames and you’ll get a rough idea.
You know the number of frames to be played in a particular game, but you never know how long each of them is going to last. Sometimes a frame ends after the black ball has been potted or fouled, so we finally have a winner.
And sometimes a frame ends in a flash. For instance, In 1997, April 21, at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, Ronnie O’Sullivan played the fastest 147 break – it took him only 5 minutes and 20 seconds to finish off all the balls on the table.
Snooker games go down to the wire when bests clash with each other. And this factor has a big role in determining the overall duration of the game.
For instance, legendary players like Ronnie’ O Sullivan and Mark Selby are up against each other. Chances are this game is going to last for hours. And we’re unlikely to have a winner early.
On the other hand, if one of these two players is playing against a novice, chances are high that we’ll have a winner even before the end of the total number of games.
In the mid 90s, snooker games used to last for weeks — since there were more frames and each frame could last for hours. Even today, snooker games do last for a day or two — especially the finals.
The final of the 1985 World Snooker Championship lasted for 14 hours and 50 minutes — total time of play. A winner was decided after 35 frames. Even today, this is considered the longest ever snooker game played.
How long can a snooker frame last?
Snooker frames, when two pros come head to head, can last up to an hour.
How short can a snooker frame be?
There have been instances in which a snooker frame lasted only for a few minutes and won by a player.
Who has scored the fastest 147 break?
In 1997, Ronnie O’Sullivan scored the fastest 147 break, in only 5 minutes and 20 seconds
So, if we sum it up, how long a snooker game lasts depends on multiple factors. First is the number of frames to be played in a single game. And then the skill level of two players, which also impacts the duration of a single game. While there is no shot time limit that can help us to reach any estimate regarding the time duration — or any fixed time.
