SNOOKER referees are crucial to any game – for pros or amateurs.
The role of a referee is to officiate matches and ensure players abide by all the rules.
Referees play a crucial role in the sport of snookerDan Istitene/Getty Images)
How much do snooker referees get paid?
The large majority of snooker referees do not receive a base salary and the instead get paid per day – rather than per game.
This is because the duration of snooker games can vary greatly.
Often, the salary of a snooker referee will depend on the level of competition they officiate.
Their fees can also vary depending on whether they are entry-level or professional.
Some officials choose to do be a snooker referee as their full-time job but the majority take on part-time snooker referee roles alongside other professions.
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How do you become a snooker referee?
The first step to becoming a licensed or certified snooker referee is to establish who your National Governing Body (NGB) is.
Once you have done this, you can then contact them and request further information as to the procedure in your country.
In the UK, the national governing body is the English Partnership for Snooker and Billiards (EPSB).
According to the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA), those interested in becoming a snooker referee should spend at least two years working their way up from local league level to refereeing for their NGB.
Once, ready to take the next steps in your career, those wanting to become snooker referees can register their interest with their NGB and the course they provide.
To do this, you simply visit the WPBSA website and express your interest via the site’s online contact form.
In England, the WPBSA Class 3 Referee course is aimed at prospective new referees who wish to gain their first formal qualification in the sport.
Those who make it onto the course will be required to meet set pre-course eligibility criteria, including providing a basic disclosure criminal record check.
All training is delivered online, providing trainees with match experience, safeguarding and child protection training and post-training referring.
Trainees will then gain match experience, supported by mentoring from qualified referees.
Part of the final assessment will be a match held at a WPBSA recognised event.
Once you pass the course, there is then the opportunity to work your way up the ladder and gain more qualifications.
Who is the best snooker referee?
A number of snooker referees have become household names over the years but fans, of course, have their own ideas about who should gain the title of “the best”.
Michaela Tabb, who is now retired, helped put female snooker referees on the map as she officiated at the top level of the sport for over a decade.
Brendan Moore, meanwhile, is one of the most recognisable snooker referees of this generation.
He enjoyed a 19-year career on the green baize – officiating three World Championships.
Marcel Eckardt is also regarded as one of the best snooker referees, after being selected to officiate the 2020 Snooker World Championship.
The retired snooker referee John Williams also left his mark on the world of snooker after residing over eleven World Snooker Championship finals, nine of which took place at the Crucible Theatre.
Williams was the man responsible for officiating the 1985 final between Dennis Taylor and Steve Davis – the most watched snooker match in history.