Snooker news - Mark Williams reveals one big change he'd make to snooker rule book

Williams - world champion in 2000, 2003 and 2018 - admits he has benefited from the miss rule in the past, but does not feel it is a fair way to settle a frame or potentially a match.

According to the sport's official rule book: "A miss is when the cue ball fails to first contact a ball on and the referee considers that the striker has not made a good enough attempt to hit a ball on."

A player can request the balls be put back to the original positions if the referee decides a player has failed to make a fair attempt to hit the ball escaping from a snooker and misses it. He can be forced to replay the same shot indefinitely if the referee continues to call foul and a miss enabling a player to rack up points simply by sitting in their chair.

"I'd love it to be three or four misses then ball in hand," said Williams on Instagram.

"I hate it when people have the chance to take the red on or something behind the black to win the frame, but would rather snooker you and win the frame by you missing. By the time you hit it, they are already safe.

"I think it should be three or four attempts then ball in hand and force somebody to win the frame themselves rather than you keep missing it seven or eight times.

"I've seen some frames where one player is 30 behind, but by the time the other player hits the ball they are 20 in front from one snooker.

"I've done it myself, shaft someone by rolling up behind the black, but it is something I'd like to see changed."

Meanwhile, Williams says he will not take part in the Championship League tournament that is being planned behind closed doors next month.

Under strict UK government guidelines, snooker will bid to come out of hibernation from the coronavirus health crisis with a 64-man tournament held between 1-11 June at the Morningside Arena in Leicester.

"Too early for me, " said Williams on Twitter.