WPBSA

The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) is the global governing body for professional cue sports, primarily snooker and billiards. It represents professional players, regulates professional competition, and sets standards for conduct and integrity within the sport.

The WPBSA’s core responsibilities include establishing and enforcing the rules of professional play, issuing player licenses, and handling disciplinary matters. It acts as the collective voice for professional players and coordinates with national governing bodies to promote the development of cue sports worldwide. The association also collaborates with tournament organizers to sanction events and oversee eligibility and compliance.

The main professional competition framework overseen by the WPBSA is the World Snooker Tour, which stages the sport’s leading events. Flagship tournaments on the tour include the World Championship, the UK Championship, and the Masters, collectively known as the sport’s Triple Crown events. The WPBSA works in partnership with related bodies such as World Snooker Ltd to manage the tour and event production while retaining governance over player eligibility and discipline.

Historically, the WPBSA emerged from earlier governing bodies responsible for professional billiards and snooker, evolving to provide unified governance for players and professional competitions. It remains headquartered in the United Kingdom and maintains a board of directors, officers, and committees focused on player welfare, ethics, and development.