Officials Discussing Replacement of Red, Green, and Brown Snooker Balls with Gold, Purple, and Orange Options in Private Talks
Officials in the snooker community are ready to introduce major reforms to the sport, designed to assist fans who suffer from color blindness.
Private talks have taken place about substituting the classic red, green, and brown balls for alternatives that offer enhanced vibrancy and visibility.
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This initiative is a result of comprehensive medical studies ordered by World Snooker Tour officials to address challenges faced by individuals with color blindness.
The traditional red balls are proposed to become GOLD, the green to change to PURPLE, and the brown ball is set to be a fluorescent ORANGE.
Additionally, there are ongoing discussions about potentially changing the baize color of the table from green to MAGNOLIA.
A representative from WST stated: “Our goal is to support fans experiencing red-green color blindness.
“The colors of the balls have remained the same since the inception of the sport in 1875 by British Army officer Neville Chamberlain in India.
“I believe he would concur that any changes which improve the viewing experience are of great value.
“We hope these adjustments will attract a fresh audience and maintain snooker’s relevance in the fast-changing 21st century.”
Insiders indicate that snooker authorities dismissed proposals to introduce crimson and white STRIPED balls, akin to those in American pool, asserting that “that would be a bit excessive.”
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If ratified in a special WPBSA meeting today, these alterations will be revealed at the upcoming World Championship at the Crucible, starting later this month.
Mark Allen, the Northern Irish player with 11 ranking titles, including the 2022 UK Championship, is partially color blind.
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At the same time, three-time world champion Mark Williams, now 50, shared this month that his eyesight is worsening, admitting he “couldn’t even see the scoreboard at the end of the table.”
The hues of snooker balls have always been a topic of contention, especially after the late, legendary BBC commentator Ted Lowe famously remarked: “For those of you watching in black and white, the pink is next to the green.”
Prominent British ophthalmic optician Dr. Pat Firrils supported WST’s recommended colors for the balls and the changes being proposed.
He commented: “In tests conducted with club players, gold, purple, and orange were found to be the most effective colors.
“We also experimented with spotted and striped balls, but we aimed to preserve the integrity of Mr. Chamberlain’s original game.”
This is not the first instance of color changes in the sport — in 2005, the iconic player Jimmy White briefly altered his name to Jimmy BROWN following a sponsorship deal with HP Sauce.
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