If you’re playing as an amateur, then you can take your pick. A quick snooker match can be best of 3 frames if you wish, or even just the one frame can be played. In professional snooker however, the number of frames played per match depends on the tournament. That number is of course a maximum, as matches are played on a ‘best of’ basis, much like darts or tennis.
In general, professional snooker matches range from best of 7 up to best of 35. The extreme example there being the final of the World Championship, though that tournament starts as a best of 19. The escalating frame numbers in a tournament in fact bring up another point. Is it fair?
Those capable of entertaining the crowd with their speed can make quick starts, often winning shorter matches 6-1, 6-2 and the likes in the blink of an eye. Those with more longevity on the other hand will handle the later stages better but could be in danger of being knocked out early if they make a slow start to matches.
True, both players at the table know what is required before the match starts. In theory however, a player could be 12-6 up and dominating before losing 18-17. Who knows though, they may also have gone on to win 22-20 had that many frames been available.
The point is that, we hand out trophies to the player reaching the lead at just the opportune moment. If all snooker matches were played over the same number of frames, just as all football matches are 90 minutes, it would take the slight element of lucky timing out.
Frames Per Session
A whole professional snooker match is rarely if ever played in one session. Players need a break, and so the match takes a short pause after a certain number of frames are played. In major tournaments in fact, the break can be long and separates a morning session from an evening session.
Using the World Championship at the Crucible as an example, this is how the sessions are broken down:
- Round One: The first session contains 9 frames, then the second session will feature a maximum of 10 frames.
- Round Two to Quarter-Finals: Matches are played across three sessions. The first two feature 8 frames, the third session continuing until a result is reached.
- Semi-Finals and Final: This time, four sessions are needed. The first three sessions contain 8 frames, while the fourth session is played on until we have a winner.
Frame Numbers by Tournament
The most prestigious snooker events are the Triple Crown tournaments. These are the aforementioned World Championship, the Masters and the UK Championship.
World Snooker Championship
- Qualification Rounds – best of 19 frames
- First Round – best of 19
- Second Round – best of 25
- Quarter-Finals – best of 25
- Semi-Finals – best of 33
- Final – best of 35
Even in qualifying, these matches are pretty long. The World Championship is about longevity, stamina and skill. The number of frames required moves up as the massive field is whittled down.
The Masters
- First Round – best of 11 frames
- Quarter-Finals – best of 11
- Semi-Finals – best of 11
- Final – best of 19
There is a smaller and more select field for the Masters. The only time the potential match time jumps up is when we reach the final.
UK Championship
- Qualifying Rounds – best of 11 frames
- First Round – best of 11
- Second Round – best of 11
- Quarter-Finals – best of 11
- Semi-Finals – best of 11
- Final – best of 19
This is an elite tournament, following the same format as the Masters when it comes to the maximum number of frames. The potential match time however is still significantly shorter than the World Championship offers.
Other Tournaments
The three tournaments above are major events, but how many frames are played in a more run-of-the-mill tournament on the circuit?
The Players Championship runs the same way as the Masters and the UK Championship, starting at best of 11 with the final being a best of 19 affair. The World Grand Prix on the other hand moved from only best of 7 in the last 32 and last 16 to best of 9 in the quarters, 11 in the semis and eventually best of 19 in the final.
The Welsh Open final is played over best of 17, as is the Scottish Open. Best of 19 is standard in finals, with best of 7 being about the shortest matches you’ll see in the early rounds of a ranking tournament.
Snooker Frames: The Time Factor
Snooker tournament organisers can start to plan knowing how many players are involved over how many potential frames. They’d of course have a problem if every match went the full distance, and it the time problem doesn’t stop there. How long is a snooker frame? Well, how long is a piece of string? Organisers can only plan based on an average of how many frames they believe will be played in a typical ‘best of 19’ round for example. Even within that, they must average out how long each of those frames may last.
The typical professional snooker frames lasts between 20 and 30 minutes but is so fluid. The frame duration varies greatly however depending on the match situation, shot difficulty and of course the skill and speed of the players involved in the match. Many frames played between fast and experienced pros can last under ten minutes. Beginners on the same size table can take much, much longer.
- Average Frame Time: Most end between the 20 and 30-minute marks.
- Unskilled Frame Time: A frame between amateurs will average closer to 40 minutes. This can be down to required thinking time, or more likely because of more missed shots.
- Professional Short Frames: Speedy pros can clear the table in under ten minutes, as long as things fall right.
- Long Professional Frames: Some frames can take an hour or more, if lots of snookers are achieved and the frame becomes attritional. In 2017, David Gilbert and Fergal O’Brien played out a frame lasting 2 hours, 3 minutes and 41 seconds.