Shaun Murphy demands Snooker rule change after Steve Davis rant | Other | Sport
Shaun Murphy is keen to see a World Snooker Championship rule changed. (Image: Getty)
Shaun Murphy is pushing for a snooker rule change in a bid to speed up the game and prevent frames dragging past the 100‑minute mark, a stance that has drawn strong support from Steve Davis. The World Snooker Championship saw Mark Allen and Wu Yize contest the longest frame in history during their semi‑final, lasting 100 minutes and 21 seconds.
At the time, six‑time world champion Davis delivered a scathing verdict on the BBC: “In a nutshell, that frame is an embarrassment to snooker, and the referees’ and the players’ association need to try to work out a way so that never happens again.” The previous record was 85 minutes, set by Mark Selby and Yan Bingtao in 2022.
Murphy wants frames capped at 900 seconds and for snooker to mirror the format that is set to be used at Friday’s inaugural Global Snooker 900 Championship in Reading, where frames last no longer than 15 minutes. The event also features a 30‑second shot clock and a spotted cue ball so fans can clearly see the spin and side applied on each shot.
“I’ve been a fan of the 900 since its inception,” the Magician told The Sun.“It’s very close to the rules that I’d like to see brought into normal snooker. With the spotted cue ball and the shot clock. A ball in hand is something I’m a fan of. I’ve been campaigning for that for many, many years. So I’m quite excited to try it.
“I feel like it’s a much more rounded version of the Shoot Out, which I really enjoy. It’s a new version of the game and it’s very popular. I’ve been clear. I’d like to see it in all forms of snooker. I’d like to see that in all tournaments, including the Crucible. With a ball in hand and a shot clock, you certainly wouldn’t have had the ridiculousness of the 100-minute frame that we had in the semifinals.”
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Murphy continued: “It would just take that away. I don’t think anybody enjoyed that. Least of all Mark Allen and Yuu Wize, who were taking part in it. Steve Davis called it a farce. I just think that’s the best advert for bringing in these types of things.
Mark Allen and Wu Yize played out the longest frame in Crucible history (Image: Getty)
“I’ve been saying this for years, since the Premier League days of shot clocks. I think it would be fantastic to see. It’d stop that deliberate foul that all pros play. I don’t like professional fouls. I don’t like the bending of the rules. I’d rather see, you know, players rewarded for aggressive play, attacking play, playing to win rather than playing not to lose.”
Seven-time champion Stephen Hendry was also critical of the incident in the Allen vs Wu match, questioning referee Marcel Eckardt’s handling of proceedings. “The referee needs to call this, I’m afraid,” he remarked. “In my opinion, he should have called it a while ago. This is the dark side of snooker.”
Murphy’s appearance at the Global Snooker 900 Championship, meanwhile, comes just weeks after narrowly missing out on the World Championship title, losing 18–17 to Wu. He still collected £200,000 in prize money. “It was a wonderful two weeks. It was a great season, one of my best seasons,” the 43-year-old admitted.
“And I came within a frame of snooker of it being the absolute icing on the cake, winning the second world title. The icing of my career. It’s the closest I’ve ever been since winning in 2005. I’d been in three further finals. I do like to go back to it – the air crash investigation is how I always describe it.
“Try and work out where it went wrong. It’s the best I’ve ever played there and lost. So I can’t be too hard on myself. I can’t be too critical of myself.”
