The snooker world rankings are the official system of ranking professional snooker players to determine automatic qualification and seeding for tournaments on the World Snooker Tour. They are maintained by the sport's governing body, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association. A player's ranking is based on their performances in designated ranking tournaments over the preceding two years, and it is updated after every tournament. The world rankings were inaugurated in the 1976–77 season and the point tariffs used to be set by the governing body, but the rankings transitioned to a prize money list in the 2014–15 season.
The UK Championship is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It is one of snooker's prestigious Triple Crown events, along with the World Championship and the Masters. It is the second-biggest ranking tournament, after the World Championship. Ronnie O'Sullivan has won the tournament a record seven times, followed by Steve Davis with six titles and Stephen Hendry with five. Ding Junhui is the reigning champion.
The World Open is a professional ranking snooker tournament. It had previously been known as the Professional Players Tournament, the LG Cup and the Grand Prix. During 2006 and 2007, it was played in a unique round-robin format, more similar to association football and rugby tournaments than the knock-out systems usually played in snooker. The knock-out format returned in 2008 with an FA Cup-style draw. The random draw was abandoned after the 2010 edition. Judd Trump is the defending champion.
The German Masters is a professional ranking snooker tournament, which was first held in 1995. Judd Trump is the reigning champion.
The Australian Goldfields Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament. The final champion is John Higgins.
The Premier League Snooker was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament. It was held from 1987 until 2012. The tournament was played in a round-robin format over a number of weeks, normally from mid-September to early-December, around the other World Snooker events in various locations.
The Wuxi Classic was a professional snooker tournament held from 2008 to 2014 in the city of Wuxi, China. It was a ranking event from 2012 through 2014. For the 2015/16 season, World Snooker reduced the number of ranking events held in China, which saw the tournament replaced by the snooker World Cup, also held in Wuxi. The last champion was Neil Robertson, who won the event in 2013 and retained his title in 2014.
The Tolly Cobbold Classic was a non-ranking snooker tournament staged between 1979 and 1984. It was held at the Corn Exchange in Ipswich and sponsored by local brewers Tolly Cobbold. It is not to be confused with the Classic ranking event.
The 2010–11 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played between 20 May 2010 and 2 May 2011. The German Masters was the first ranking tournament in Germany since the 1997/1998 season. The Grand Prix was renamed to World Open, and the format of the tournament was change with 32 amateurs joining the Main Tour professionals. The Players Tour Championship minor-ranking series was introduced to the calendar. These events were open to amateurs and professional with a separate Order of Merit. The top 24 in the Order of Merit qualified to the Finals, which was a ranking event. The Premier League was for the first time part of the Main Tour. The Jiangsu Classic was renamed to the Wuxi Classic, and other events were introduced to the calendar: the new cue sport Power Snooker, the World Seniors Championship, and Snooker Shoot Out. The Scottish Professional Championship was held for the first time since 1989.
The 2012 Wuxi Classic was a professional ranking snooker tournament held between 25 June–1 July 2012 at the Wuxi City Sports Park Stadium in Wuxi, China. It was the first year of the tournament as a ranking event, having been non-ranking in its previous playings. It was also the first ranking event of the 2012/2013 season.
The 2013 BetVictor Welsh Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament that took place between 11–17 February 2013 at the Newport Centre in Newport, Wales. It was the seventh ranking event of the 2012/2013 season, and the first time that BetVictor sponsored the event.
The Champion of Champions is a professional non-ranking snooker tournament. It was held in 1978 and 1980 and was then revived in 2013 by Matchroom Sport. The reigning champion is Neil Robertson.
The 1979–80 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played between 9 July 1979 and 17 May 1980. The following table outlines the results for the ranking and the invitational events.
The 1978–79 snooker season was a series of snooker tournaments played between August 1978 and June 1979. The following table outlines the results for the ranking and the invitational events.
The 2015 BAIC Motor China Open was a professional ranking snooker tournament, that took place between 30 March and 5 April 2015 at the Beijing University Students' Gymnasium in Beijing, China. It was the tenth ranking event of the 2014/2015 season.
The 1987 British Caledonian Tokyo Masters was a professional non-ranking snooker tournament that took place in September 1987 in Tokyo, Japan. This was the first and so far only professional snooker tournament to be held in Japan.
The 1980 Gaware Paints Bombay International was a professional invitational snooker tournament held in February 1980 in Bombay, India.
The 1979 Gaware Paints Bombay International was a professional invitational snooker tournament held in February 1979 in Bombay, India. This was the first professional snooker tournament to be held in India.
The 1979 Holsten Lager International was a non-ranking snooker tournament held on one occasion in January 1979 in Slough, England.
