Snooker is a game where you need good eyesight, skill and strategy and the role of the snooker referee is crucial in ensuring that match is played fairly and according to established rules. Snooker referees are responsible for enforcing the rules, making judgements and providing clarity in difficult situations during the game.
The primary duty of Snooker referee is to oversee the game and make that both players adhere to the rules so that the match proceeds smoothly. Referees are tasked with making decisions on various situations, including fouls, free balls and whether a shot is legal. They also have to be familiar with the rules of the game which cover everything from how points are scored to the order in which balls are potted.
| Snooker Referees Salaries | ||||
| Category | Per Match Fees | Tournament Fees | Sponsorship Earnings | Annual Salary |
| Professional Referees | $750 | $1k – $2.5k | $1.5k – $5k | $150k |
| Women Referees | $450 | $750 – $1.5k | $1.5k – $5k | $55k |
| Entry-Level Referees | $100 | N/A | $500 | $10k |
Professional Snooker Referees Salary ($750) : Professional snooker match officials are the one’s who got selected for main tournament matches. Professional referee get paid maximum $5,000 maximum for international tournament according (TSM Sportz) sources. But recently a report claimed that, snooker referee earn ($1,500) to $2,500 maximum from International tournament. Professional snooker referees male and female selected on base of their tournament experiences. Mostly professional match officials selected for Master series, European series, world series and world cup.
Women Snooker Referees Salary ($450) : If we talk about women snooker referees “Michaela Tabb” leads the list. She made debut in professional (St. Andrew’s Cup nine-ball pool) in 1997. According to reports, a women referee maximum earn ($1,000) in tournament. A sources in 2015, revealed that per match fees will be differ as referee get paid from the sponsors of the tournament. Desislava Bozhilova currently best paid female referee in snooker and part of big tours, masters series and ranking event.
Entry-Level Snooker Referees Salary ($100) : Entry-level snooker referees are one of the lowest paid referees in the competition, they get paid $100 a match and maximum earnings depends on how many big events like international and continental events they attend as referee.
Snooker Referees Sponsorship Earnings ($5,000) : Tournament prize money adjusted after sponsorship confirmed. Snooker referees wear the outfits having logo’s on it, referees make some money from the sponsorship. There are no details yet how much sponsorship paid to match referees per match or in a tournament. The above details of snooker referees yearly sponsorship earnings are estimated.
World Snooker Tour such as major tournaments referees earn per day for their work as match official they earn between $450 to $750 a match from top events like World Championship, UK Championship and Masters event. They payout rate for the referees depend on experienced they have for working as match official in top tournament.
Expenses and Accommodation : Referees are often provided with accommodation and travel expenses for international events by the organizers but these depends on the event organizing body. The factor play key role in the match results is the decision of the referee the best officials top tier events most easily got selected based on their experienced the newcomers have to work hard for 2-3 years minor tournaments and local level tournament jobs.
| Category | Per Match Fees | Tournament Fees | Sponsorship Earnings | Base Salary |
| Desislava Bozhilova | $450 | $1.5k | $1.5k | $50k |
| Alex Crisan | $750 | $1.5k | $500 | $75k |
| Tatiana Woollaston | $450 | $1k | $1k | $50k |
| Christian Fock | $750 | $1.5k | $500 | $75k |
| Joery Ector | $650 | $1.5k | $1k | $55k |
| Eva Poskocilova | $450 | $1k | $500 | $35k |
| Hilde Moens | $500 | $1k | $500 | $40k |
| Proletina Velichkova | $450 | $1.5k | $1k | $175k |
| Ingo Schmidt | $750 | $3k | $2.5k | $150k |
| Jan Scheers | $750 | $3k | $2.5k | $100k |
| Kristof Azijn | $200 | $1k | $500 | $25k |
| Luise Kraatz | $200 | $1k | $500 | $25k |
| Maike Kesseler | $200 | $1k | $500 | $25k |
| Malgorzata Kanieska | $200 | $1k | $500 | $25k |
Jan Scheers is one of the highest paid referee. He has officiated the 2010 Brugges Open final. The biggest highlight of his career is his officiation at 2012 German Masters. He selected to referee at the IBSF World Championships in 2008. Since then, he acts as a referee in all important contests as well as in the finals.
Desislava Bozhilova is currently the most famous and among the highest paid female referees. Since her officiation, she officiated ranking events final and also served as a referee at the World Snooker Championship. The 29 years old referee will also officiate the 2022’s competitions.
