Shaun Murphy has renewed his calls for significant rule changes in snooker, including the introduction of a shot clock, the abolition of the 'foul and a miss' rule, and the adoption of a spotted cue ball. The 42-year-old, who won the Masters in January, has been vocal about his frustrations with the sport's current regulations.
Murphy has long advocated for a shot clock to speed up play, criticising players like Mark Allen for taking excessive time between shots. After Allen's UK Championship semi-final in December, Murphy said on his podcast: 'I'd bring in a shot clock. I've been saying this for 20 years, so I'm super-consistent on this.' Allen responded on social media, accusing Murphy of making personal comments.
The Magician also wants to scrap the 'foul and a miss' rule, which forces players to retake a shot if they fail to make a sufficient attempt to hit a ball. After his first-round exit at the Welsh Open last month, Murphy commented: 'I just find it so weird that we have a rule that allows players to have a sighter. In my opinion, the miss rule needs to be taken out of the game altogether.' He previously suggested giving 'ball in hand after any foul' as an alternative.
Additionally, Murphy is pushing for the use of a spotted cue ball, similar to those used in billiards and nine-ball. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he said: 'I actually think we should be using one of these in tournament play. It's great that you can see the spin. Maybe it's time that snooker moved on, just so you guys can see what's happening.'
Murphy also criticised the frequency of toilet breaks in the sport, calling it an 'epidemic' and 'ridiculous' on his podcast last month. While he did not propose a specific rule change, he expressed frustration at how often players leave the table during matches.
