1985–86 snooker world rankings: Difference between revisions

The [[World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association]] (WPBSA), the governing body for professional [[snooker]], first introduced a ranking system for professional players in 1976, with the aim of [[seed (sports)|seeding]] players for the [[World Snooker Championship]]. The reigning champion would be automatically seeded first, the losing finalist from the previous year seeded second, and the other seedings based on the ranking list. Initially, the rankings were based on performances in the preceding three world championships.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|p=107}}

After the [[1982 World Snooker Championship]], two other tournaments which were open to all members of the WPBSA – the [[International Open (snooker)|International Open]] and the [[Professional Players Tournament]] – carried ranking points. Points for world championship finishes from [[1983 World Snooker Championship|1983]] became worth double the previous tariff, with ten points for the winner, eight for the runner up, and so on.{{sfn|Everton|1985|pp=14–15}} In the [[1983–84 snooker season|1983/1984 snooker season]], the [[Classic (snooker)|Lada Classic]] was added as a ranking tournament.{{sfn|Everton|1985|pp=14–15}} The UK Championship and Dulux British Open were added for to the ranking list with effect from the [[1984–85 snooker season|1984/1985 season]], which meant that performances in those events were taken into account for the 1985/1986 rankings. In the same season, due to changes in sponsors, the Professional Players Tournament became the Rothmans Grand Prix, and the Lada Classic became the Mercantile Credit Classic.{{sfn|Morrison|1987|p=107}} The tournaments that counted towards the 1985/1986 rankings were those which were open to all professional players over the preceding three seasons.{{sfn|Everton|1985|pages=14–15}}

In additional to standard ranking points awarded as per the table below, a "merit" point was awarded for losers in the last 32 of the World Championship, and a half merit point awarded to losers in the last 32 of other ranking tournaments. No points were awarded to a player who did not win any matches in a given tournament (for example, a top 16 player [[seed (sports)|seeded]] into the last 32 of the world championship would not win any merit points if they lost their first match).{{sfn|Everton|1985|pages=14–15}} Merit points were only used to determine placings between players that had an equal opportunity to earn them. Players ranked from 77 to 102 had no ranking or merit points, with their positions determined by their performances in the 1985 World Snooker Championship, with frames won being taken into consideration if the round reached was equal.<ref name="SNSRANK"/>