Snooker star Shaun Murphy believes the miss rule should be scrapped in favour of a more punishing outcome for the player who’s fouled.
The 2005 world champion – who has been one of the sport’s leading ambassadors in recent years – says the miss rule encourages players to think they will have two “free goes” of getting out of a snooker, suggesting they can get away with little punishment.
Instead, Murphy who next year will start the defence of his Welsh Open success last season, believes the ball in hand rule should be enforced for the opposing player when any foul is made.
The ball in hand rule is implemented during the Snooker Shoot Out tournament and allows a player to place the cueball anywhere they wish on the table after their opponent has played a foul shout. This could allow a player the perfect start to go for a frame-winning break.
Murphy expressed changes he would like to see in the game when responding to a tweet from Women’s player Rebecca Kenna regarding an incident in the Northern Ireland Open when Ronnie O’Sullivan continued to play on when needing a high number of snookers.
He also said that snooker would benefit by introducing a spotted cueball as seen in English pool and other cue sports.
Murphy said “so much of the skill in snooker goes unseen because no one can see the spin used.”
Murphy tweeted: “I would implement a spotted cueball. We’re still the only cuesport not using one.
“I’d remove the miss rule all together as it encourages players to play deliberate misses as they know they’ve got two free go’s.
“Instead I’d give ball in hand after any foul.”
But fellow snooker star Joe Perry disagreed with Murphy, saying the ball in hand rule would possibly encourage negative play.
Perry tweeted back: “I also think ur (sic) idea would encourage a more negative style of play, players would roll up behind baulk colours hoping for white in hand.”
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