Snooker · Guide
Snooker fouls and penalties
A foul gives your opponent points: 4 at least, up to 7 when the black is involved. They also choose whether to play the next shot or make you take it.
How much a foul is worth
The penalty is the highest of these, with a minimum of 4:
- the value of the ball you were supposed to hit (the "ball on"),
- the value of the ball you hit first,
- the value of any ball that went in because of the foul.
So missing the reds and hitting nothing gives away 4. Hitting the black when you were on a red gives away 7.
The common fouls
| Foul | What happens |
|---|---|
| Missing the ball on completely | Usually 4. Often also called a miss (see below). |
| Hitting the wrong ball first | The value of the higher ball involved, minimum 4. |
| Potting the white (an "in-off") | At least 4. Your opponent plays from the D. |
| Potting the wrong ball | The value of that ball or the ball on, whichever is higher. |
| Touching a ball with your cue, hand or clothing | The value of the ball touched or the ball on, minimum 4. |
| A push shot or hitting the white twice | At least 4. |
| Both feet off the floor when you strike | At least 4. |
| Forcing a ball off the table | The value of that ball, minimum 4. |
| Fouling after potting a red, before choosing a colour | 7. |
The miss rule
If the referee thinks you did not make your best attempt to hit the ball on, they call "foul and a miss". Your opponent gets the points and can choose to have every ball put back where it was and make you play the same shot again.
If you had a clear, unobstructed shot at the ball on and miss it three times in a row, you lose the frame. The referee warns you before the third attempt.
The free ball
If a foul leaves you snookered, so that you cannot hit both sides of any ball you are allowed to play, the referee calls a free ball. You may nominate any other ball and treat it as the one you are on. Pot a free ball while on the reds and it is worth 1, and you then play a colour. It is how breaks above 147 become possible; see the 147 guide.
After a foul: your choice
When your opponent fouls, you can play the next shot from where the balls are, or ask them to play again. If they potted the white, you play with the white in the D.
Quick answers
- How many points is a foul in snooker?
- At least 4. If the ball you should have hit, the ball you hit first or a ball you potted is worth more, the foul is worth that: 5 for the blue, 6 for the pink, 7 for the black. It never goes above 7.
- What is a free ball in snooker?
- After a foul, if you are snookered on every ball you are allowed to hit, you can choose any other ball instead. It counts as the ball you were on: a red is worth 1, a colour is worth what that colour would have been.
- What does 'foul and a miss' mean?
- The referee has decided the player did not make a good enough attempt to hit the right ball. As well as getting the points, the opponent can ask for the balls to be put back where they were and make the player try again.
- Can you lose a frame for missing?
- Yes. If a player has a clear shot at the ball they must hit and misses it three times in a row, the referee awards the frame to their opponent. Players are warned after the second miss.
- Is it a foul if the white goes in?
- Yes. Potting the white is a foul, and your opponent then plays with the white anywhere in the D.