In the rarefied air of snooker's highest achievements, where a maximum 147 break is the undisputed pinnacle of perfection, a new, almost mythical feat has entered the lexicon: the 167 golden break. But what exactly is it? How can a player possibly score more than the theoretical maximum in a single visit to the table?
BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team is here to unravel this fascinating concept. To understand the 167, one must first grasp the fundamental scoring of snooker. A player pots 15 red balls, each worth one point, followed by 15 colours, from the yellow (2 points) up to the black (7 points). After all reds are cleared, the six colours are potted in sequence, culminating in the black for a total of 147 points.
The golden break, therefore, is not just about potting balls; it's about a perfect, uninterrupted break that begins from the very first shot of the frame—the break-off. A conventional 147 starts with the balls already in open play. The 167, however, is a theoretical construct that incorporates the break-off shot itself, adding a potential 20 points to the perfect score and creating a new, almost unattainable benchmark.
The Mechanics of the Impossible Break
So, where do the extra 20 points come from? The answer lies in a combination of supreme skill, tactical genius, and a scenario that hinges on a "free ball" declaration. A free ball occurs when a player is snookered—unable to hit both extreme edges of at least one object ball—after a foul by the opponent.
For the 167 to be possible, the opponent must commit a foul on the very first shot of the frame, the break-off. If the cue ball fails to hit any red, or goes in-off (potted), it's a foul, awarding a minimum of four points to the incoming player. Crucially, if this foul also leaves the incoming player snookered, the referee will award a free ball.
At this moment, the stage is set for history. The player can nominate any other colour on the table to act as a red ball. They pot this nominated "red" (scoring 1 point), then pot a colour (scoring its value, typically the black for 7 points), and then proceed to pot the actual red ball that was just replaced (another 1 point), followed by another colour (another 7 points).
This sequence effectively adds an extra red and an extra black to the frame's total pottable points. The math then becomes: 16 "reds" and 16 "blacks" (15 normal, plus 1 from the free ball), followed by clearing the six colours. The calculation looks like this:
- 16 reds × 1 point = 16 points
- 16 blacks × 7 points = 112 points
- Yellow, Green, Brown, Blue, Pink, Black = 2+3+4+5+6+7 = 27 points
- Opponent's foul on the break-off = 4 points
16 + 112 + 27 + 4 = 159 points.
The Final Piece of the Puzzle: A Second Foul
A 159 is already a monumental score, but we're still 8 points short of the fabled 167. This is where the scenario becomes even more improbable. To reach 167, the opponent must commit a second foul during the break, specifically when the pink and black are the only balls left on the table.
If the opponent were to foul—for example, by disturbing the pink or black while the player is on a colour—it would be a foul on the highest-value ball remaining. With only pink (6) and black (7) on the table, the foul would be on the black, awarding 7 points to the breaker. This final, crucial 7-point foul brings the total to 166.
The final point? Potting the black to conclude the frame. Adding this last pot to the total gives us the legendary 167. As one snooker statistician explained to the BBC, "It requires a perfect storm of misfortune and genius."
Has a 167 Golden Break Ever Been Achieved?
In the official, televised world of professional snooker, the answer is a definitive no. The 167 remains a theoretical peak, a "what if" scenario debated by fans and pundits. The conditions are so specific and require such a catastrophic start from one player paired with flawless execution from the other that it has never been recorded at the professional level.
However, the concept was spectacularly demonstrated in an exhibition match. In 2021, snooker legend Ronnie O'Sullivan, playing against his friend and rival, multiple world champion Mark Selby, executed the sequence perfectly. In a relaxed, non-competitive setting, Selby intentionally fouled on the break-off, leaving O'Sullivan a free ball. O'Sullivan then proceeded to clear the table for a 167.
While this exhibition feat doesn't count as an official record, it served as a stunning proof of concept. It showed the snooker world that the 167 is mechanically possible. O'Sullivan himself remarked after the exhibition, "It's just a bit of fun, but it shows you what could be done."
The barriers to achieving it in a real match are immense. Not only does it require the initial foul and snooker on the break-off—a rare event in itself—but it also demands that the player capitalizes on this opportunity with a flawless maximum-break-level performance, and then benefits from a second, perfectly timed foul at the very end of the frame.
The 167 vs. The Traditional 147 Break
While the 167 is a fascinating theoretical exercise, the 147 break remains the gold standard of snooker excellence. It is the recognized and celebrated perfect break, the benchmark against which all players are measured. A professional 147 is a career-defining moment, often accompanied by a substantial bonus from the tournament.
The key distinction is that a 147 is achieved through pure offensive play, potting all the balls in a single visit without any assistance from opponent fouls. The 167, by its very definition, is dependent on the opponent's mistakes. This dependency is why, even if it were achieved in a ranking event, many purists would still hold the 147 in higher esteem.
A commentator for the World Snooker Tour summed up the prevailing sentiment, stating, "The 147 is a solo masterpiece. The 167 is a duet, albeit one where your partner plays a single, disastrous wrong note at the beginning and another at the end."
Conclusion: The Everest of Snooker Theory
The 167 golden break represents the absolute outer limit of what is theoretically possible in a single frame of snooker. It is a captivating "thought experiment" that pushes the game's rules to their logical extreme. For now, it stands as snooker's Everest—a peak that has been mapped and demonstrated in controlled conditions but never summited in the heat of professional competition.
It serves as a testament to the incredible depth and complexity of snooker, a game where the scoring potential can be extended beyond the obvious through a nuanced application of its laws. While players continue to chase the glory and financial rewards of the 147 break, the 167 remains the ultimate "what if"—a ghost score that continues to capture the imagination of the snooker world.
As the BBC Sport team concludes, the 167 is less a realistic target and more a symbol of snooker's infinite potential for surprise and perfection, a reminder that even in a game with a defined scoring system, the boundaries of achievement can always be stretched.
