USDAA Courses includes a snooker course. 

Super Q Table quick reference for how many Super Qs will be awarded.

Snooker is a very fun course to plan and run. It tests the control and send-away ability of the team. The course is divided into an opening and closing. Handlers are free to create their opening in a manner that they feel will give them the most points before proceeding through the closing which is designated 1 through 7. The "Reds" used in the opening are worth 1 point each. A SCT is set in which the point accumulation period ends for the class, and 37 points is required to qualify. The highest points accumulated in the fastest time wins.

To begin planning, time the length of time it takes to perform the closing sequence. This gives one an estimate of how much time is left over in order to work the opening. Generally the idea is to accumulate the most amount of points in the opening as possible and still complete the closing.

In the opening think of the "reds" as a key to the door to complete one of the "colors", the numbered obstacles in the closing on course. Complete a red and you have earned the key which unlocks the door to go ahead and perform a color obstacle. If you fault in the opening, do a red. That's the easiest way to remember what you need to do to continue. When you have completed all of the reds, followed by a color, on course you may then proceed to the closing sequence which is numbered 1 through 7.

Be sure you know where the finish line is in snooker. Whether you close or the whistle blows, notifying you of a fault, run as quickly as you can to the finish so that you can stop the clock.

In Master Snooker 3 Super Q's are required in order to earn the Snooker Master title. The Super Q's, or Q+, are awarded to the top 15 percent of the class. The minimum number of dogs running in each class are: 

12" - 5

16" - 5

22" - 7

26" - 7

If a class is short on entries then they combine with the other class, 12" with 16" or 22" with 26".

Agility Ability

In opening there are 3 red jumps that can be taken in any order. After each of these jumps you must take one of the obstacles in the closing sequence (they each have a point value equal to their position in the closing sequence).

Once you have completed each of the red jumps and an obstacle you go on to the closing sequence. It must be preformed in the correct order (like a regular run).

Say the closing sequence is a tunnel (2 pts), jump (3), jump (4), jump (5), a-frame (6), weave poles (7).

You have to 'make up' your own opening, trying to get as many points as possible....you take one red jump (1 pt) and then the A-frame (6), then a second red jump (1) then the tunnel (2) pts, then the third red jump (1) and then the A-frame (6) again....now you have 17pts. Then you do the closing sequence: tunnel, jump, jump, jump, A-frame, weaves for  another 27 pts and a grand total of 47 points.

Of course there are some 'rules' about not getting points if you knock bars in the opening sequence and you have to do all this in a certain amount of time. Ruth Carolyn Miller.

In snooker you have 3 jumps with red flags next to them (usually they are red and marked with a 1). The remaining obstacles are marked 2 thru 7 with different colored flags.  Here's how it works:

1). Take one red jump then go on and take a colored obstacle numbered 2-7
2).  After taking that colored obstacle go back and take one of the remaining un jumped red obstacles go and take another colored one (at the discretion of the judge you may be able to take the obstacles 2-7 more that once)
3). Take the remaining red jump and one more colored obstacle

Steps 1-3 are called your opening and can be any pattern you like as long as you take
each red jump only once

4). Upon completing your 3rd colored obstacle you want to run the course in numerical order 2-7 (do NOT go back and do the ones numbered one.)

The numbers on the flags are the points each obstacle is worth i.e.: red jumps are 1pt
So if you were to do the following:

Red jump (1pt), Weaves (marked with a 5=5pts), 2nd Red Jump (1pt) A-Frame (marked with a 3=3pts), Final Red Jump (1pt), Tunnel ( marked with a 2=2pts) This is your Opening and you accrued 13 pts in it.

Then once completing the tunnel which was your 3rd colored obstacle as it is marked with the number 2 you take it again and then proceed to 3 -4 - 5 etc around the course and across the finish.  If you took all the obstacles correctly you will have accrued :40 pts altogether.  Your placing is determined by time and pts accrued. Pat Wellheuser

In a Snooker run with three reds, the total maximum points available is 51. A quick and easy way to calculate total points is to start with the number 51, then subtract from that whatever the team didn't complete. Say a team attempted a 5, 5 and 7 in the opening, then managed to close. To figure the final calculation in your head, take 51, subtract 2 from that to get 49 and another 2 for 47. The 2s come from the two 5s the team completed, when they could have attempted two 7s instead.

Look at it the long way:
1+7+1+7+1+7+2+3+4+5+6+7=51 (the team completes three 7s in the opening)
1+5+1+5+1+7+2+3+4+5+6+7=47 (the team completed 5, 5, 7 in the opening)

Try figuring Snooker results this way at the next trial you see. Remember what the team did in the opening, then subtract those numbers each from 7, then subtract that total from 51. It takes a little practice but in the end is the most efficient way to calculate Snooker results quickly. Sarah Eudy

SNOOKER STRATEGY

To qualify in snooker you need a minimum of 37 points. Points are accumulated in the opening sequence by taking red-color, red-color, and red-color. A fourth red-color combination may be available depending on the course. The following table shows the points available in the closing sequence.

 

Obstacle Value	2	3	4	5	6	7
Obstacle Color	Yellow	Green	Brown	Blue	Pink	Black
Cumulative Score	2	5	9	14	20	27

Assume that you can get through the pink in the closing, which will give you 20 points. You then need to make 17 points in the opening. The three reds are worth 1 point, each which then leaves you needing 14 points.

© 1999 Katie Greer  Agility Ability and the individual authors of some of the posts. Expressed written permission is needed to reproduce or copy this material.

Snooker from Good Dog Agility Club.