Century break explained

In snooker, a century break (also century, sometimes called a ton) is a of 100 points or more, compiled in one to the table. A century break requires potting at least 25 consecutive balls, and the ability to score centuries is regarded as a mark of the highest skill in snooker. Ronnie O'Sullivan has described a player's first century break as the "ultimate milestone for any snooker player".

In the 2013–14 season, Neil Robertson became the first player to compile 100 century breaks in a single season—a number that only some 60 other players have surpassed throughout their entire careers—and ended the season with 103 centuries, a record number for one season. In the 2019–20 season, Judd Trump became the second player to achieve a "century of centuries", ending the season with 102 century breaks. O'Sullivan holds the record for the most career centuries and is the only player to have achieved 1,000 century breaks, a milestone he reached in the final frame of the 2019 Players Championship in Preston.

Rules

A century is a score of 100 points or more within one to the table.^[1] The player does this by potting and alternately, where the coloured balls are repositioned on their starting locations. After repositioning the coloured ball paired to the last red on the table, the six coloured balls are potted in order of their increasing value. Because a break is defined as series of consecutive by a player during a single,^[2] scoring 100 points over the course of a whole frame does not necessarily constitute a century break, as it must be done on a single turn at the table. Points for a foul shot by the opponent do not count in a player's break.

Under normal circumstances, the highest possible century in snooker is 147 (a "maximum break"), composed of 15 reds (one point each), 15 blacks (seven points each) and the six remaining colours; yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black potted consecutively (two through seven points each for a total of 27). If for example only the least-valued colour (yellow, two points) would be used instead of the black ball, the break value would only be 72 points. This means that only a single century break is possible in a of snooker under a limited number of combinations, but it requires the potting of at least 25 consecutive balls (10 x (1 + 7) + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 = 100). To score one, there must be at least ten reds on the table when the player comes to play since if there are only nine reds left, only 99 (= 9 × (1 + 7) + 27) points may be scored. An exception exists if the opponent and leaves the incoming player on all the remaining reds. In such a situation, the player can nominate one of the other as a red, known as a "", which carries the same value as a red for just that shot, and therefore, a century break is still possible with only nine reds left.

Breaks above 147 are possible (up to 155) when an opponent fouls and leaves a with all fifteen reds still remaining on the table, creating a situation identical to as if there were 16 red balls on the table. This has happened only once in professional competition, when Jamie Burnett made a 148 at the qualifying stage of the 2004 UK Championship.^[3]

A "century of centuries" refers to a total of 100 breaks of at least 100 points each. By December 2001, only 15 players had reached this milestone in professional snooker tournaments.^[4] With the increased occurrence of centuries compiled in professional competition in the past decades, another 27 players had achieved a "century of centuries" by October 2011, bringing the total to 42.^[5] By the end of the 2013–14 season, the total number of players reaching the 100 centuries threshold had increased to 52.^[6] In October 2018, there were 66 players that had reached the 100 century breaks marker.^[7] As of February 2024, there are 79 players with more than 100 career centuries.^[8]

Players with 500 or more

The following players are reported to have made 500 confirmed century breaks in professional competition, and at least the given threshold above this.

Threshold	Player	Date threshold reached
1,200		22 April 2023^[9]
950		11 September 2023^[10]
		29 November 2023^[11]
900		1 September 2023^[12]
800		22 January 2024^[13]
700		30 January 2007^[14]
600		13 November 2022^[15]
		16 February 2023^[16]
		21 September 2023^[17]
		13 February 2024^[18]
500		28 April 2021^[19] ^[20]
		12 December 2019^[21] ^[22]
		9 November 2023^[23]

Records

Career

• Joe Davis compiled the first televised century break in 1962.^[24]
• The record for the most century breaks scored in official tournament play has been held by Ronnie O'Sullivan since January 2015, when he broke the record of 775 career centuries previously held by Stephen Hendry.^[25]
• The first player to have recorded 1,000 centuries in public performance is Horace Lindrum.^[26] Ronnie O'Sullivan is the only player to have compiled more than 1,000 century breaks in professional competition, having achieved his 1,000th century at the 2019 Players Championship on 10 March 2019.^[27]
• Stacey Hillyard became the first female player to record a competitive century in January 1985.^[28]
• The fastest recorded century break in tournament play was by Tony Drago at the 1996 UK Championship – he took 3 minutes 31 seconds (211 seconds) to score one hundred points. During the 2022 Scottish Open, Ronnie O'Sullivan came three seconds shy of Drago's record with a century break in 3 minutes 34 seconds (214 seconds).^{[29] [30]}
• The youngest player to record a witnessed century break is Michael White, who scored his first century in March 2001 at the age of nine.^{[31] [32]}

Season

• Hendry was the first player to reach 50 century breaks in a season, compiling 53 in the 1994–95 season.^{[33] [34]} He again exceeded 50 centuries in the 1995–96 season, with 51, and O'Sullivan came close with 48 in the 2006–07 season.^[35]
• Hendry's record was broken in the 2010–11 season by Mark Selby with 54 centuries,^{[33] [36] [37]} and again by Selby with 55 century breaks in the 2011–12 season.^{[38] [39]} The record was broken for a third successive season in 2012–13 when Judd Trump compiled 61 centuries.^[40]
• The first player to reach the "century of centuries" (100 century breaks) mark during a single season is Neil Robertson, who compiled his 100th century of the 2013–14 season on 30 April 2014 during his quarter-final match against Judd Trump at the 2014 World Championship.^[41] In total, Robertson compiled 103 century breaks throughout the season,^[42] and in doing so broke Trump's record from the previous season. Trump matched the feat in the curtailed 2019–20 season, compiling 102 century breaks in total.^[43]

Event

• The most centuries made by a player in a single match during a professional tournament is seven and the record is shared by Stephen Hendry, Ding Junhui and Judd Trump.
  • Hendry set the record during the final of the 1994 UK Championship.^[44] During this match, Hendry compiled six centuries in a span of eight frames.^[45]
  • Ding tied the record in his semi-final match at the 2016 World Championship. This is also a record for a match at the Crucible Theatre, beating the previous record of six shared by Mark Selby and Ronnie O'Sullivan.^[46]
  • Trump tied the record in the final at the 2019 World Championship.^[47] This equalled Ding's record at the Crucible Theatre and Hendry's record for a final. It also set a new record for a World Championship final at the Crucible, surpassing O'Sullivan's tally of six centuries during the final of the 2013 World Championship.^[48]
  • Selby's six-century haul in a second round match at the 2011 World Championship set the record for a best-of-25 match.^[49]
  • O'Sullivan holds the record for making the most centuries in a best-of-9 match, compiling five centuries (including a 147) to beat Ali Carter 5–2 at the 2007 Northern Ireland Trophy.^[44]
  • Fergal O'Brien holds the record for most centuries in a best-of-11 match, compiling five centuries to beat Barry Hawkins 6–5 at the 2016 UK Championship.^[50]
• The record for combined number of century breaks in a single match by both players is eleven, achieved by Judd Trump (seven) and John Higgins (four) in the final of the 2019 World Championship. This broke the previous record of ten, achieved by Ding Junhui (seven) and Alan McManus (three) in their semi-final tie at the 2016 World Championship.^[51]
• The most century breaks in a ranking event is eighteen centuries by Ding during the 2016 World Championship, compiling three during qualifying and a further fifteen at the Crucible Theatre during the main event.^{[52] [53]} Hendry previously set a record of sixteen at the 2002 World Championship, which remains a televised, Crucible and venue record.^[44] Mark Williams tied Hendry's records twenty years later at the 2022 World Championship.^[54]
• O'Sullivan has compiled more century breaks than any other player in the World Championship competition at the Crucible Theatre. He broke Hendry's record of 127 centuries at the 2013 Championship,^{[46] [55]} extending his total to 200 at the 2023 Championship.^[56] John Higgins is the only other player besides Hendry and O'Sullivan to compile more than 100 centuries at the world championship in the Crucible era.^[57]
• An aggregate Crucible record of 109 centuries was set at the 2022 World Championship, breaking the previous record of 108 in 2021. The only other time the 100-century threshold has been breached was at the 2019 world championship, with 100.^[58]

Consecutive

• The record for the most consecutive centuries in a match is shared by Kyren Wilson and Anthony Hamilton who compiled six between them at a qualifier for the China Open on 11 February 2016.^[59] The previous record of five centuries was jointly held by Ronnie O'Sullivan and Stephen Hendry at the final of the 2003 British Open, and by Stephen Maguire and Neil Robertson in a quarter-final at the 2009 Masters.^[44]
• Stephen Maguire made five consecutive centuries at the 2004 British Open, comprising the last three frames of his quarter-final and the first two frames of the semi-final.^[44]
• Eight players have made four consecutive centuries in a match: John Higgins in the final of the 2005 Grand Prix, Shaun Murphy at the 2007 Welsh Open,^[44] Neil Robertson at the 2013 Ruhr Open,^[60] Gary Wilson at the 2019 UK Championship,^[61] Stephen Maguire in the first round of the 2020 Tour Championship,^[62] Mark Allen at the 2020 European Masters,^[63] Lu Ning in the 2020 UK Championship,^[64] and Jack Lisowski at the 2022 UK Championship.^[65] At the 2022 European Masters, Robertson became the first player to do the feat twice.^[66] At the 2023 English Open Allen became the second player to perform the feat twice and also the second player, after Robertson in 2013, to achieve it in a best-of-7-frame match.^[67]

Notes and References

1. News: Liam . Fitzgibbon . Neil Robertson makes century of snooker 100s . 1 May 2014 . . 2 May 2014.
2. Book: BCA Rules Committee . Billiards: The Official Rules and Record Book . Billiard Congress of America . Iowa City, IA, US . November 1992 . 1-878493-02-7 . registration .
3. Web site: Everton. Clive. Burnett's break goes one better. The Guardian. 9 May 2012. 18 October 2004.
4. News: Century king Ronnie. Everton. Clive. BBC Sport. 16 December 2001. 5 May 2014.
5. Web site: Snooker's Leading Century Makers. https://web.archive.org/web/20130308120937/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Centuries.htm . 8 March 2013 . cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk . Chris Turner's Snooker Archive . 30 October 2011.
6. Web site: World Snooker . Robertson Wins / Makes Historic Century . 30 April 2014 . 1 May 2014 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140502002731/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0%2C%2C13165~3797700%2C00.html . 2 May 2014 .
7. Web site: Century Break . RKG Snooker . 17 October 2018. 17 October 2018.
8. Web site: Centuries & Stats . SnookerInfo . 12 February 2024 . 13 February 2024 . 13 February 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240213234247/https://snookerinfo.co.uk/.
9. News: Ronnie O'Sullivan rockets past Hossein Vafaei at Crucible with session to spare . 22 April 2023 . . 22 April 2023.
10. Web site: Dings scores opening Shanghai win . https://web.archive.org/web/20230918110041/https://wst.tv/ding-scores-opening-shanghai-win/ . dead . 18 September 2023 . wst.tv . . 11 September 2023.
11. Web site: Oladipo . Aramide . UK Championship 2023: Judd Trump books his spot in quarter-finals after whitewash win over Jamie Jones . . 29 November 2023 . 29 November 2023.
12. Web site: Robertson makes 900th century . 1 September 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230901172524/https://wst.tv/robertson-makes-900th-century/ . dead . 1 September 2023 . . 1 September 2023 .
13. Web site: Selby Wins With Landmark Moment . . 22 January 2024 . 23 January 2024 . 23 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240123024331/https://www.wst.tv/news/2024/january/22/world-open-quals-day-one/.
14. News: Hendry reaches century milestone . BBC Sport . 30 January 2007 . 1 February 2023.
15. Web site: Higgins joins York casualties . https://web.archive.org/web/20221113225829/https://wst.tv/higgins-joins-york-casualties/ . dead . 13 November 2022 . 13 November 2022 . World Snooker Tour . 14 November 2022.
16. Web site: Amateur Wells sinks Trump . https://web.archive.org/web/20230216201703/https://wst.tv/amateur-wells-sinks-trump/ . dead . 16 February 2023 . 16 February 2023 . World Snooker Tour . 17 February 2023.
17. Web site: Mark Williams, The Welsh Potting Machine . WPBSA . 14 October 2023.
18. Web site: Southby . Ben . Welsh Open 2024: John Higgins continues record-extending title bid, Mark Allen hits 600th century to progress . . 13 February 2024 . 13 February 2024.
19. Web site: Neil Robertson builds quarter-final lead over Kyren Wilson at Crucible . Press Association . 2021-04-27 . 2021-04-29 . The Argus.
20. Web site: World Championship 2021: Stuart Bingham wraps up 500th career century against Anthony McGill . 2021-04-28 . 2021-04-29 . Eurosport.
21. Web site: Top Ten Break Builders . 6 March 2020 . wst.tv . . 17 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200329135456/https://wst.tv/top-ten-break-builders/ . 29 March 2020 . dead.
22. Web site: 19.com Scottish Open (2019) . snooker.org . 2023-11-29 . 2019-12-29 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191229154658/http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=848 . live.
23. News: Jordan Brown books semi-final spot at International Championship as impressive run continues . Michael . Turnbull . 9 November 2023 . Irish Mirror . 9 November 2023.
24. News: . Steve. Davis. The rise of snooker's century breaks . 7 January 2015 . 13 January 2015.
25. Web site: Shamoon. Hafez. Masters 2015: Ronnie O'Sullivan breaks Stephen Hendry's record. BBC Sport. 15 January 2015. 15 January 2015.
26. Book: Hayton, Eric . The CueSport Book of Professional Snooker . 2004 . Rose Villa Publications . Suffolk . 978-0-9548549-0-4 . 5.
27. Web site: Ronnie O'Sullivan – The Millennial Man . wst.tv . . 10 March 2019 . 20 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220173139/https://wst.tv/ronnie-osullivan-the-millennial-man/ . 20 February 2020 . dead.
28. Web site: On This Week: Steve Davis hits first televised 147 . Eurosport . 11 January 2010 . 20 September 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150715022451/http://www.eurosport.com/snooker/on-this-week-nugget-147_sto2179445/story.shtml . 15 July 2015 . dead . Stacey Hillyard made a break of 114, the first century by a woman in competitive play, in a league match in Bournemouth..
29. News: 2022-11-28 . Scottish Open: Ronnie O'Sullivan misses fastest TV century break by three seconds . 2024-01-11 . BBC Sport . en-GB.
30. Web site: Walker-Roberts . James . 28 November 2022 . RONNIE O'SULLIVAN ALMOST BREAKS RECORD FOR FASTEST-EVER SNOOKER CENTURY IN RAPID SCOTTISH OPEN WIN . 11 January 2024 . Eurosport.com.
31. Web site: Welton . Blake . Who are the Welsh players set to compete at the Snooker World Grand Prix? . . 5 March 2015 . 20 September 2015.
32. Web site: Youngest person to score a century break in snooker. 1 May 2024. Guinness World Records.
33. News: Clive . Everton . Mark Selby breaks Crucible century record and Stephen Hendry . 24 April 2011 . . 5 May 2013.
34. News: Neil . Goulding . Snooker: Selby sets record to leave Hendry clinging on . 25 April 2011 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20110427181820/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/snooker-selby-sets-record-to-leave-hendry-clinging-on-2274494.html . 27 April 2011.
35. News: John . Dee . Ronnie O'Sullivan pegs back Stephen Hendry . 1 May 2008 . . 5 May 2013.
36. Web site: Betfred.com World Championship (2011) . Snooker.org . 5 May 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190816033208/http://www.snooker.org/res/index.asp?event=28 . 16 August 2019 . dead .
37. Web site: Dave . Hendon . Wuxi Rivalry for World Cup Team-Mates . 10 July 2011 . Snooker Scene Blog . 5 May 2013.
38. News: Hector . Nunns . Judd Trump sets century breaks record in victory over Dominic Dale . 24 April 2013 . . 5 May 2013.
39. News: Selby Takes First UK Crown . 10 December 2012 . wst.tv . . 20 February 2021 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220232345/https://wst.tv/selby-takes-first-uk-crown/ . 20 February 2020 . dead.
40. Web site: Murphy 147 / Robertson Centuries Record . 9 January 2014 . World Snooker . 9 January 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140109140018/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0%2C%2C13165~3611925%2C00.html . 23 April 2014 . dead .
41. Web site: Robertson's historic 100th century . 30 April 2014 . BBC Sport . 30 April 2014.
42. News: Robertson Tops centuries Chart . 11 August 2016 . wst.tv . . 23 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220231733/https://wst.tv/robertson-tops-centuries-chart/ . 20 February 2020 . dead.
43. Web site: Wilson Beats Champion Trump. 11 August 2020 . wst.tv . . 13 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200813214942/https://wst.tv/wilson-beats-champion-trump/ . 13 August 2020 . dead.
44. Web site: Turner. Chris. Various Snooker Records. https://web.archive.org/web/20130128045831/http://www.cajt.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Records.html . 28 January 2013 . Chris Turner's Snooker Archive. 11 May 2011.
45. Web site: UK Championship (1994) . Snooker.org . 7 May 2013.
46. News: Ronnie O'Sullivan takes the title . 6 May 2013 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20130509235353/http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/article/2/8696455/ronnie-osullivan-wins-title . 9 May 2013.
47. Web site: Trump Tops the World . 6 May 2019 . wst.tv . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220212246/https://wst.tv/trump-tops-the-world/ . 20 February 2020 . dead.
48. News: Neil . Goulding . Snooker: Ronnie O'Sullivan defends world title against Barry Hawkins as if he'd never been away . 7 May 2013 . . 6 May 2013.
49. News: BBC Sport . World Snooker: Selby beats Hendry to reach last eight . 25 April 2011 . 24 April 2011.
50. News: Five-Ton Fergal Floors Hawk . 27 November 2016 . wst.tv . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220224414/https://wst.tv/five-ton-fergal-floors-hawk/ . 20 February 2020 . dead.
51. Web site: China's Ding Into First World Final . 30 April 2016 . wst.tv . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220225655/https://wst.tv/chinas-ding-into-first-world-final/ . 20 February 2020 . dead.
52. Web site: World Championship Qualifiers – Centuries . livescores.worldsnookerdata.com . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160518061146/http://livescores.worldsnookerdata.com/Centuries/CenturyBreaks/13869/world-championship-qualifiers . 18 May 2016.
53. Web site: World Championship – Centuries . livescores.worldsnookerdata.com . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160517142855/http://livescores.worldsnookerdata.com/Centuries/CenturyBreaks/13868/world-championship . 17 May 2016.
54. Web site: Trump Beats Williams in Epic Semi-Final . 30 April 2022 . World Snooker . . 30 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220430234644/https://wst.tv/trump-beats-williams-in-epic-semi-final/ . 30 April 2022 . dead.
55. Web site: BBC Sport . Ronnie O'Sullivan unsure over defending world snooker title . 6 May 2013 . 7 May 2013.
56. News: Snooker results: Ronnie O'Sullivan dishes out 13-2 hiding against Hossein Vafaei at the Crucible . 22 April 2023 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20230423134000/https://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/snooker-results-ronnie-osullivan-dishes-out-13-2-hiding-against-hossein-vafaei/208924 . 23 April 2023 . 23 April 2023 . live.
57. News: Crucible centuries since 1977 . 14 April 2016 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160430091347/http://www.sportinglife.com/snooker/news/article/663/10242797/world-championship-snooker-century-breaks-at-the-crucible . 30 April 2016.
58. Web site: Crucible Centuries Record Beaten . 2 May 2022 . wst.tv . . 2 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220502205955/https://wst.tv/crucible-centuries-record-equalled/ . 2 May 2022 . dead.
59. Web site: Kyren Wilson & Anthony Hamilton make history with six straight tons . 11 February 2016 . BBC Sport . 30 April 2014.
60. Web site: World Snooker . Trump Storms Into Last 16 . 5 October 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131008160527/http://www.worldsnooker.com/page/NewsArticles/0,,13165~3482928,00.html . 8 October 2013.
61. Web site: White Delight after Respot Drama . 3 December 2019 . wst.tv . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200220211707/https://wst.tv/white-delight-after-respot-drama/ . 20 February 2020 . dead.
62. News: Stunning Maguire Downs Robertson . 20 June 2020 . World Snooker . . https://web.archive.org/web/20200622165057/https://wst.tv/stunning-maguire-downs-robertson/ . 22 June 2020 . dead . Bisset . Roddy .
63. Web site: European Masters 2020 – Ronnie O'Sullivan beaten by teenager Aaron Hill . Eurosport . 26 September 2020 . 26 September 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200926143540/https://www.eurosport.com/geoblocking.shtml . live.
64. Web site: Ronnie O'Sullivan and Shaun Murphy Lose in 2020 UK Championship . Dsvid . Caulfield . 30 November 2020.
65. Web site: 18 November 2022 . Four-Ton Lisowski Thumps Murphy . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20221119011933/https://wst.tv/four-ton-lisowski-thumps-murphy/ . 19 November 2022 . wst.tv . WPBSA.
66. Web site: Robertson narrowly misses snooker history . https://web.archive.org/web/20220222220815/https://wst.tv/robertson-narrowly-misses-snooker-history/ . dead . 22 February 2022 . 23 February 2022 . World Snooker Tour.
67. Web site: Allen equals centuries record . https://web.archive.org/web/20231002152253/https://wst.tv/allen-equals-centuries-record/ . dead . 2 October 2023 . 2 October 2023 . World Snooker Tour.