Shot clock (billiards)

Complete system: software-based scoreboard on monitor in the case of a collision with integrated shot clock (three-color bar at the bottom) and timeout display (green bar below the player's score)

The shot clock is used in billiards, especially in three cushion , where it has become necessary, especially from the viewer's point of view, to limit the time of the move. However, it has also become more and more important for tournament organizers over the years in order to better plan and adhere to the schedule of a tournament. Before the shot clock was used, it was quite common that games “lasted too long” and the subsequent scheduled games started too late and thus dragged on into the late evening or night hours. With the advent of TV broadcasts, this timing had also become important because otherwise, when the broadcasting time had expired, game broadcasts would have to be canceled.

commitment

Collision

The shot clock is used almost exclusively in organized, higher tournament areas. The time limit has been in use with the three-cushion system since the late 1990s. The three-cushion World Cup was decisive . Due to the large field of participants, there were always long delays due to extremely slow players. Then the World and European Championships followed. It can now be found down to the federal level (Bundesliga). It was initially 50 seconds in the World Cup and World Championships, but was later reduced to 40 seconds, with the option of extending it two or three times ( extra time , overtime or extension).

Other disciplines

It has also become common in pool (e.g. Mosconi Cup , World Cup of Pool ), where the same problem arose with time delays caused by slow players. But not with snooker. In extreme cases, it is also possible that a player looks for a move for 15 minutes or more. Exceptions are the snooker shoot-out , the power snooker and the premier league snooker (2005–2012), at times also at the world seniors championship .

execution

In the early days, digital alarm clock-like clocks were placed next to the display board, which shows the "peak time" as digits and counts backwards. An acoustic warning signal sounds 10 seconds before the time expires. Since the introduction of computers with the appropriate software, the shot clock has been integrated into the monitor (display board) as a three-colored bar (green, yellow, red). The acoustic signal is usually omitted, the player has to "keep an eye on" the time.

Multi-part system