In another brutally honest moment that only The Rocket could deliver, Ronnie O’Sullivan has shared his unfiltered opinion on the current state of refereeing in snooker — and it’s safe to say he’s not impressed.
Speaking candidly about how modern officials handle the game, O’Sullivan criticized what he sees as “overtraining” and unnecessary procedures that, in his view, slow the game down and disrupt players’ rhythm.
Ronnie didn’t hold back when asked about the standards of refereeing today:
“I just think they’re overtrained — or over-taught. You know, ‘do this, do that.’ Just get the ball out and stand still!”
He went on to explain that he doesn’t care where the referee stands — even if they’re right in his eyeline — as long as they’re not constantly moving.
“You know, when we were playing snooker in the club, you’d have fruit machines going, people arguing — and it wouldn’t put you off. The noise, the movement… you just got used to it. So as long as the ref gets the ball out and stands still, he can stand right in front of my eyeline and it wouldn’t make any difference.”
But what frustrates O’Sullivan most is the rigid choreography referees are now trained to follow.
“Now they say, ‘Oh, you have to go around the back of the player’s shoulder.’ So they put the ball down and walk around — and it just slows everything down.”’
The seven-time world champion recalled one specific match where the referee’s movements were distracting him so much that he had to take matters into his own hands.
“I’ve been in matches where I’ve said to the ref, ‘Look, you’re in my way.’ And he’s like, ‘You know, I have to move here.’ I said, ‘Listen…’”
He laughed as he told the story:
“I think I made about a 50 or 60 break, and I had to tell him every time I potted a ball — ‘Stop!’ Because he was still moving. I said, ‘You’re breaking my rhythm. I’d rather you just stay right in front of me!’”
After a while, O’Sullivan said, the referee “kind of got it” — but only after being corrected repeatedly throughout the frame.
Beyond referee positioning, O’Sullivan also questioned why modern officials spend so long re-spotting balls with absolute precision, even when the difference is virtually meaningless.
“They’re trying to get every ball back perfect. But who cares? Is it really going to make any difference? I don’t get it.”
He continued, shaking his head at what he sees as wasted time:
“It takes ages to put the balls back. Just put them back! As long as the player’s not gaining a massive advantage, it’s fine. He’s going to play the same shot anyway. Does it really matter?”
O’Sullivan’s comments reflect his well-known nostalgia for the more straightforward, raw style of snooker he grew up with — when matches were quicker, rules were looser, and referees didn’t need choreography lessons.
He’s often spoken about how today’s game can feel over-regulated and overly sanitized compared to the gritty club culture that shaped him in the 1980s and ’90s.
This latest rant — half criticism, half comedy — perfectly captures The Rocket’s ongoing love-hate relationship with modern snooker.
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