We all know that the time taken to complete a game of snooker or billiards can vary a lot, especially in a competition. However, in our club the average social game is usually completed in 30-40 minutes. Longer games occur sometimes and this is not necessarily a cause for concern – for example if there are no other members waiting to play.
That said, there can be times when there are a number of members waiting for a game and it can become frustrating when a game in play is taking a long time to complete. In that situation, those at the table are expected to curtail their game after 40 minutes or if one player needs more than two snookers to stay in the game. Doing this is a good way to show that you are mindful of the other people in the room.
The Committee has authorised the Match Captain to purchase and install two simple timers. These are to be used when the circumstances require the game time to be limited to 40 minutes because of other players waiting for a game. Players should set the timer to that time at the start of play and cease play when the timer alert sounds.
It is to be hoped that members will accept this small inconvenience in good spirit and agree that it in the interests of all members to avoid unduly long games. Of course, the use of timers is only expected for social games and not competition games.