USDAA Rules Update Notice

Chapter 8 has been updated to clarify new rules for Snooker

The Snooker regulations have been revised to clarify scoring procedures following the announcement of an amendment made in October 2025.  The rules (effective 03/05/2026) address rules of play with regard to the performance of the Opening and Closing Sequences and course design parameters. The intent of these revisions is to reinforce the strategic nature of the class and reward accuracy and precision in obstacle performance, while ensuring consistent scoring when faults occur.

The principal changes and clarifications are summarized below.

Continuation of Play After Standard Obstacle Faults on Colors in the Closing Sequence

If a Color is faulted during performance:

• The round does not stop
• Zero points are awarded for that obstacle
• The competitor continues play through the Closing Sequence, receiving points for obstacles performed accurately, and zero points for any that are faulted or those that include hurdles or jumps with displaced poles or elements

When taking hurdles or jumps with displaced poles or elements, the dog must still pass between the uprights in the proper direction to maintain the Snooker sequence.

This provides a consistent scoring method when displaced poles occur during the round. Any standard obstacle faults are treated the same, by allowing all Competitors to complete the sequence whether a standard fault occurred in the Opening or the Closing Sequence.

Scoring ceases only when:

• The Snooker Sequence is broken,
• Allowed time expires, or
• A refusal fault occurs in the Closing Sequence in those class levels where refusals apply in the Standard class

These rules of play provide consistent application of the rules in maintaining Snooker as a strategic game based upon point-accumulation. 

Improved Definition of Colors in Course Design

The new rules of play require that obstacles defined as a Color are to be specifically identified.  Obstacles of handler choice are not permissible as substitutes for hurdles or jumps that have been displaced. This rule assures that the sequence options are the same for all competitors.

The course design shall identify the obstacle composition and flow for each obstacle (including obstacles in a Color Combination) so that the Color is clearly identifiable and the flow in the Combinations and the Closing Sequence is unambiguous.

Reorganization of Tables Listing Faults

The fault tables have been reorganized to provide align the types of faults into three categories based upon the scoring outcome:

1. Standard Obstacle Performance Faults – Play continues; no points are awarded.
2. Faults Ending the Round with Points Retained – Sequence errors or refusals (at appropriate class levels) in the Closing Sequence.
3. Faults Ending the Round with All Points Lost – Fouling the course, food on course, or serious rule violations.

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EXAMPLES:

Competitor #1 sets a plan to go after 48 points in the time allowed, by performing the following sequence: 

• Red (1) – Blue (5) – Red (1) – Black (7) – Red (1) – Pink (6) in the Opening, followed by the Closing for 27 points (sum of two through seven).
• The dog performs the 1st Red and then knocks an element from the Wall Jump on the Blue (5). They finish their plan for the Opening Sequence, completing each correctly.  In the Opening, they have earned 16 points (i.e., sum of the 3 Reds, the Black and the Pink).
• They then perform the Closing Sequence, and all Colors are performed successfully, with the Blue (0 points) performed with the dog passing properly between the uprights, earning 22 points.  They finish with a total score of 38 points.

Competitor #2 uses a plan to earn 50 points with an Opening Sequence of:

• Red (1) – Black (7) – Red (1) – Black (7) – Red (1) – Pink (6) in the Opening for 23 points, followed by the Closing for an additional 27 points.
• They performed the Opening without fault for 23 points, and perform the Closing sequence, faulting the Brown (4) and the Pink (6).  They finish with 17 points in the Closing for a total of 40 total points. 
• Under previous rules, Competitor #2 would have finished with 28 points, as their round would have concluded at the fault of the Brown (4) in the Closing. By comparison, the 1st competitor did not have to perform the Blue and had the opportunity to perform the Pink and Black for an additional 13 points.

Competitor #3 sets a plan to go after 44 points in the time allowed by performing the following Opening Sequence followed by the Closing Sequence: 

• Red (1) – Brown (4) – Red (1) – Pink (6) – Red (1) – Brown (4) in the Opening for 17 points, followed by the Closing for an additional 27 points.
• They performed the Opening Sequence, faulting the Brown following the first Red, then performed successfully the 2nd Red followed by the Pink without fault.  Instead of repeating the Brown for zero points following the 3rd Red, they take the Blue for 5 points, finishing the Opening Sequence with 14 points.  They finish the Closing Sequence without additional fault by running through the uprights of Brown (0), finishing the Closing with 23 points, and a final score of 37 points.
• Had Competitor #3 not modified their plan in the Opening because of the fault, they would have run through the Brown a second time for zero points, only earning a total of 10 points in the Opening Sequence with a final score of 33 points. 

Adaptive strategy is an important part of strategic games in head-to-head competition.  

Click here to see the revised Chapter 8.