Opinion by Nigel Slater, Snooker Chat editor
Snooker’s answer to T20 cricket has been on show – and it’s been brilliant.
This year the World Snooker Tour (WST) got the Shoot Out absolutely spot on.
Firstly, bringing it back to the iconic Blackpool Tower was a master stroke. It’s a wonderful venue that perfectly fits in with and symbolises the event’s uniqueness.
There was no over-the-top gimmickry this year – no extravagant dancing or nightclub style music blasting out in between frames.
Even the players’ shirts looked classy. The whole event was kept simple.
Players were enjoying themselves on the table and were also watching the action in the crowd.
The format makes 10-minute matches fun to watch and there is skill in it to succeed. It’s not just random play as is sometimes made out.
You still have to play the right shots at the right time.
Players lower down the rankings (or not in the rankings at all) can have their moment. At least five non-professionals made it through to the final night of action.
And the eventual winner Alfie Burden, despite being known on the circuit for some time, was competing as an “amateur”.
This has to be good for snooker.
Stan Moody’s brilliance
Stan Moody’s fantastic winning clearance against the clock proved that excellent snooker was on show.
The social media audience reach of his break was huge – no doubt boosting the youngster’s name and outstanding talent on the world snooker stage.
Even the scrappy and low-scoring frames in this format can make for absolute drama – a turn-on moment rather than turn-off.
Last year the competition was marred by offensive chants from the noisy crowd who took their shouting too far. It was not a great look and rightly made headlines.
But aside from a very few strange noises on the second afternoon – this event was a huge success and was played out in good fashion.
The format is like marmite – some love it and some hate it. But it is clear there is a market for it.
Tickets were sold out for its dramatic final day. That’s been the case for some years now.
Weeks before the Shoot Out some of the top pros featured in the “900” event on Pluto TV. This was not a WST tournament but again played to a similar relaxed format.
Taking the Shoot Out to the next level
After beating snooker legend Stephen Hendry, Neil Robertson spoke out and said snooker needs more formats and suggested some rules needed changing.
Maybe so – but there is now a real argument for the Shoot Out to be taken to the next level.
This does not mean getting rid of or replacing traditional snooker – but just increasing the presence of a new popular format.
Why not have an additional Shoot Out league played across the season? Blackpool could be its home, the event’s own Wembley Stadium lets say.
This format has the potential to attract bigger audiences to the game – something which is a priority for the WST.
The calendar is already packed to the hilt some may argue. That’s true.
The facts are more days of the Championship League are scheduled in the calendar when not even a man and his dog are allowed in to watch.
More Shoot Out action represents a win-win for WST. More bums on seats, more revenue, more excitement and the potential to reach more audiences globally.
There needs to be more Shoot Out snooker.
You could also tinker with some of the mid-week ranking event qualifying matches. Players moan about playing to no crowds in these events – that would not be the case with the Shoot Out.
If there is a market for it – then there’s definitely room for more.
Snooker has its own version of T20 cricket – lets make the most of it.
Main Image Credit: World Snooker Tour/YouTube
