The reduced version - provisionally titled 'Super6s' - will feature the same number of colours per frame as the regular format but only six reds.

It is hoped the new format will help snooker replicate the success of Twenty20 cricket.

It will be trialled with a contest between a legends team and a rising star side at the Crucible event.

"As an observer of snooker you cannot churn out the same diet year after year," said the chairman of World Snooker, Sir Rodney Walker. "Look at what Twenty20 has done for cricket.

"It has brought in a whole new audience so what we have in mind we think would be appealing to a younger audience.

"The working party who looked into this thought that a six-ball tournament with matches that take an average of six to seven minutes to play, with maybe the best of five, best of 10 frames," he added in the Guardian.


Can't quite believe it personally.... :S

We having it Nick?

1. Theres no cent

2. How can you have the best of ten?

i know the lads that are contesting in it.. i have played one of them in a tourney .. some good players

Sounds cool. I would love this to also be trialled on FunkySnooker.

As was said very often after Ronnies's memorable outburst last year, I agree with those wondering what possible difference fewer balls will make.

It will speed up the results, but it wont speed up the game. Indeed safety could become an even stronger and more frequent strategy due to the limited amount of points/shots avaliable.

Personally I agree with an attempt at revitalising the sport, but would rather see a timed game trialed, as that could make things more exciting and entertaining.

However, even without any game changes, taking the showbiz format adopted by darts for player entrances etc, bigger arena's, and allowing people to cheer, wave signs etc, would make all the difference.

Imagine 20 - 50 thousand people screaming, and fireworks going off following the sinking of the final black, or after a 147...

Ah well, we can dream i guess..

I think in terms of revitalizing the sport, Premier League Snooker does a good job of that. People can cheer when players enter, add the music for entrance and it would be a great atmosphere. If we have more time limit tourneys and almost un-snooker like tourneys the sports will be totally different.

Fireworks and snooker do not belong in the same sentence IMO. Snooker is a gentlemens game, and its because of this I watch it, if it turned to a darts atmosphere, it just wouldn't work, Darts has its place in sport, but it is a different one to snooker.

Ronnie is ruining snooker IMO.

Got to totally agree with you there Mike about it being a gentleman's game. I think that the addition of such 'bells and whistles' will turn Snooker from a skillful sport into showbiz. Yes, it may popularise it but not in a good way - if anything I think it is patronising to the supporters to think that they can only be entertained by glitz an glamour. Its not as though Snooker is really on a desperate decline - just try getting tickets for the World Championships.

Saying all that, different tournament formats etc. would not be such a bad thing as recent format tweaks have proven.

Think about golf for example. Thas massive all over the world but it still is a gentlemans game if you think about it. Snooker is exactly the same...

Just been watching some old video's of the Alex Higgins era from the early 80's.

Really loud crowds, fans flocking onto the floor at the end of a match, entrance music for both players (in the Embassy and UK Masters at least - dunno about the non-televised events. I'd forgotten singing along to Higgins theme! I still have the '45 of it )

Taking the game as it is and moving it onto a bigger stage won't take anything away from the sport as a "gentlemans game"

The recent relaxation of dress code and appearance, and especially alteration of rules and gameplay, are far more detrimental in that respect.

But to get back to my point - until new players come along who connect with the audience in the way Higgins and Davis did, they wont care what game is being played or what sort of presentation is given.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdsfQIv8Qbs