Shaun Murphy calls for snooker change as Magician savages rule 'that needs taken out the game altogether'
Shaun Murphy has called on snooker's rule-makers to scrap the miss rule and stop giving players a second chance.
The Masters champion was commentating on world champ Kyren Wilson's defeat to Joe O'Connor at the Welsh Open when he found himself again frustrated with the rule. Previously the Magician had said he felt that the regulation encouraged players to feel as if they will have two free hits at getting out of a snooker, and called for the ball in hand rule to be enforced for the opposing player when any foul is made.
Murphy, who said he was left feeling "sick" after a shock first round loss in Llandudno, said: "I just find it so weird that we have a rule in the game that allows players to have a sighter. I mean in my opinion the miss rule needs taken out of the game altogether. I don't like the rule at all."
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Commentator John Virgo agreed, saying: "So what would be the penalty then, a yellow card? A miss to me is messy with trying to replace the balls. In my day they didn’t have a miss rule, when I turned professional no one questioned the fact that someone was making good attempts. If you could, then you hit the ball."
It's not the first time that Murphy has been outspoken in his criticism of the law, in 2020 he slammed it on his social media and called for change, saying: "I would implement a spotted cueball We’re still the only cuesport not using one. I’d remove the miss rule all together as it encourages players to play deliberate misses as they know they’ve got two free goes. Instead I’d give ball in hand after any foul."
A ball in hand rule would allow the opponent to a fouled player to place the ball anywhere they want on the table to restart play. But if snooker chiefs are unwilling to introduce it, Murphy would like to see technology used rather than assistant referees communicating with referees on where to place balls as they rearrange the table.
He added: "In the events we play in China they have a different system that brings up a freeze image of where they were with almost sensors on spaces with where the balls were. This 'to me, to you' business doesn’t help anybody, but it’s the best we’ve got at he moment."
