There’s no hiding place for anyone at the Shoot Out, the event aimed at reaching new audiences

Updated 23/01/2023 at 21:46 GMT

Dave Hendon assesses the merits of the Shoot Out ahead of its return this week. The event has been described as both a brave new world for the sport and an affront to the game. The Shoot Out was introduced by Barry Hearn in 2011 shortly after he took over the reins of WST to inject a bit of fun and interaction into a sport where spectators traditionally have to sit quietly observing the action.

Vafaei thrills crowd at Snooker Shoot Out with 123 clearance

Few snooker events divide opinion as sharply as the Shoot Out, variously described as a brave new world for the sport and an affront to everything that’s good about the green baize game.

In fact, it’s neither. It’s a fun four days, albeit controversially carrying ranking points, and a respite from the grind of regular tournaments. Players can express themselves, the crowd can get involved and a number of matches are genuinely thrilling.

It also gives amateurs and lesser lights a chance to shine. It’s the only ranking event with a full field that is played on one table. There’s no hiding place for anyone.

Shoot Out

‘It is absolutely nuts in here’ - Allen reacts to victory over Cao in front of raucous crowd

00:01:33

10/12/2023 at 10:44

World Snooker Tour have wisely not over-saturated the product and risked losing its novelty value by having more than one event played under this unique format. There’s no reason to because the traditional form of snooker is so compelling and can stand on its own merits, as we saw at Sunday’s gripping World Grand Prix final in Cheltenham.

The Shoot Out circus rolls into town again at the Morningside Arena in Leicester this week, with supporters and detractors sure to be in full cry, but the event works for the audience who enjoy its thrills and spills.

However, the spectacle does somewhat muddy the waters in terms of what image snooker is trying to present to the world.

The Masters at Alexandra Palace was a stunning success earlier this month, with a packed arena and high-end corporate hospitality emphasising prestige. The Shoot Out is a completely different affair. Firstly, matches are capped at 10 minutes with a shot-clock and rule changes such as ball in hand after any foul. It’s a rapid carousel of matches and faces, something of a lottery although smart thinkers tend to thrive.

The atmosphere is lively – singsongs and shouting out encouraged – and the bar does a roaring trade. By the end of the night there usually isn’t a dry throat in the house.

In the constant and increasingly competitive fight for eyeballs, all sports have had to adapt to changing times and audiences.

Cricket has done so successfully first with T20 and now the Hundred, a short form bash-up which has been enthusiastically embraced by punters. The long form Test version is still regarded as the gold standard but there is pressure on the calendar to squeeze in the various formats, with players expected to prioritise either red or white ball versions of the game.

The Shoot Out was introduced by Barry Hearn in 2011 shortly after he took over the reins of WST to inject a bit of fun and interaction into a sport where spectators traditionally have to sit quietly observing the action.

Hearn has an instinctive idea of what makes a good day out for everyday people, without the need for focus groups or expensive market research.

He had seen audiences flock to his PDC darts events in huge numbers and leave having had an enjoyable time and wanted snooker to offer a similar experience.

Shoot Out spectators indeed do enjoy the event as against those who find the whole thing somewhat demeaning given snooker’s hard earned reputation, through its smart attire and general air of politeness, as a more refined sporting offering. Some people gravitate towards the game precisely because it lacks the pressure to get too involved. Not everyone wants to be on a dance-cam.

WST take the pragmatic view. A spokesman said: “We can appeal to everyone with a variety of tournaments and formats. The Masters is all about prestige, history, an elite field – and the traditional uniform is part of its identity. It’s the one event where we have an arena big enough to host the Century Club and VIP packages, which offer an exclusive experience.

“The Shoot Out is fast and exciting, with more crowd interaction and modern clothing, and a chance for lower-ranked players or amateurs to shine in the limelight. Both events are very successful and unique in their own way. A lot of people who follow snooker love all the events and formats. There is no reason to limit ourselves to a single audience.”

Most contentious is making the Shoot Out a ranking event, but this is really just a savvy move to try and persuade as many players as possible to compete in it. Notably, Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump, Neil Robertson and John Higgins are giving it a miss but the rest of snooker’s great and good will be in Leicester this week.

Last year, Hossein Vafaei created history by becoming the first Iranian to win a professional title. It was an emotional moment for Vafaei, whose grandmother had passed away shortly before the event. He was also acutely aware of the impact it would have back home as he attempts to inspire the next generation. Try telling him that the Shoot Out doesn’t matter.

‘Knock me over!’ – Vafaei produces ‘perfect frame’ to win Shoot Out

Stan Moody, at just 15, also made a name for himself at last year’s event by beating Lu Ning and has since won the English under 16 and under 18 national titles and is the subject of a forthcoming CBBC documentary.

Luck can play a big part in the Shoot Out. Three years ago, Thailand’s Mink Nutcharut travelled several thousand miles to take part in the tournament, broke off and sat out a total clearance from her opponent, Thor Chuan Leong.

Whoever does prevail will pocket £50,000 and enjoy a rankings boost, which could dig a player otherwise struggling out of the mire, or possibly help someone gain a top-16 seeding at the World Championship.

So many players down the ranking list slog away in anonymous qualifiers and on outside tables, so the Shoot Out is a reminder to friends and family that they are a snooker professional.

Everyone else is free to either enjoy or ignore it. It’s worth remembering that snooker only exists because a group of British army officers messed around with the rules of other cue sports in India back in the 19th century when the rainy season forced them indoors.

The dignity of the game they invented can survive four days of mayhem, and if the Shoot Out brings a new audience to the sport and creates some added interest in snooker then all the better.

- - -

Stream top snooker action live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk

Shoot Out