1985–86 snooker world rankings

A man playing snooker

Steve Davis (pictured in 2008) retained his place at the top of the rankings.

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 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.Template:Sfn

After the 1982 World Snooker Championship, two other tournaments which were open to all members of the WPBSA – the International Open and the Professional Players Tournament – carried ranking points. Points for world championship finishes from 1983 became worth double the previous tariff, with ten points for the winner, eight for the runner up, and so on.Template:Sfn In the 1983/1984 snooker season, the Lada Classic was added as a ranking tournament.Template:Sfn The UK Championship and Dulux British Open were added to the ranking list from the 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.Template:Sfn The tournaments that counted towards the 1985/1986 rankings were those which were open to all professional players over the preceding three seasons.Template:Sfn

Merit points were awarded to players who were required to compete in qualifying rounds of ranking tournaments and reached the last 32, with a full merit point awarded if this was achieved in the world championship, and half a merit point otherwise.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn No points were awarded to a player who did not win any matches in a given tournament (for example, a top 16 player seeded into the last 32 of the world championship would not win any merit points if they lost their first match).<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref name="SNSRANK">Template:Cite magazine</ref>

The journalist Janice Hale commented in March 1985 that as the ranking list was updated only annually, players such as John Spencer who had won only one match in the year since the 1984 World Championship, and Bill Werbeniuk, who had not won any, were at an advantage over other players who had performed better in that time, as the top 16 received direct entry to the last-32 round of the 1985 World Snooker Championship, meaning that their minimum guaranteed prize money was higher.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Steve Davis retained the number one position that he had held in the previous two ranking lists, while Cliff Thorburn moved up from second to third, exchanging places with Tony Knowles.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn The 1985 World champion Dennis Taylor moved up from 11th to fourth.Template:Sfn Of the top 16 players from the previous year, the largest drops were by Eddie Charlton, from sixth to 12th, and by Spencer, who went from 13th to 20th.Template:Sfn

Points tariff

In addition to standard ranking points, 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 seeded into the last 32 of the world championship would not win any merit points if they lost their first match).Template:Sfn Merit points were only used to determine placings between players that had an equal opportunity to earn them; players in the top 16 could not earn merit points from tournaments where they were exempted into the last-32 round. 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"/>Template:Sfn

Points tariff contributing to the Snooker world rankings 1985/1986

Placing	World Championships	Other Ranking Tournaments
Champion	10	5
Runner-up	8	4
Losing semi-finalist	6	3
Losing Quarter-finalist	4	2
Last 16 Loser	2	1
Last 32 Loser	1 merit point	0.5 merit point

Rankings

A man wearing large glasses

Dennis Taylor (pictured in 2008) rose seven places in the rankings, to fourth, after winning the 1985 World Snooker Championship

The rankings for the 1985/1986 season are shown in the tables below.Template:Sfn<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Snooker world rankings 1985/1986 for players with ranking points or merit points

Ranking	Name	1982–83 season			1983–84 season				1984–85 season						Total	Merit points
		IO	PPT	WC	IO	PPT	Cl	WC	IO	GP	UK	Cl	BO	WC
1	Template:Flagathlete	2	–	10	5	(0.5)	5	10	5	3+(0.5)	5	3	3+(0.5)	8	59	(1.5)
2	Template:Flagathlete	1	1+(0.5)	8	4	2+(0.5)	0	4	0	4+(0.5)	3	4	1+(0.5)	4	36	(2)
3	Template:Flagathlete	5	(0.5)	6	1	5+(0.5)	2	0	4	2+(0.5)	2	0	1+(0.5)	6	34	(2)
4	Template:Flagathlete	2	1+(0.5)	2	1	0	0	6	2	5+(0.5)	1	0	2+(0.5)	10	32	(1.5)
5	Template:Flagathlete	3	(0.5)	4	–	2+(0.5)	2	6	0	2+(0.5)	3	1	4+(0.5)	2	29	(2)
6	Template:Flagathlete	1	5+(0.5)	2	1	1+(0.5)	0	4	1	1+(0.5)	2	2	(0.5)	6	26	(2)
7	Template:Flagathlete	1	4+(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)	1	8	2	(0.5)	2	1	(0.5)	4	23	(2)
8	Template:Flagathlete	2	2+(0.5)	2	3	1+(0.5)	2	4	1	0	0	2	(0.5)	4	23	(1.5)
9	Template:Flagathlete	1	(0.5)	6	0	0	1	0	2	(0.5)	4	1	3+(0.5)	2	20	(1.5)
10	Template:Flagathlete	0	1+(0.5)	4+(1)	0	3+(0.5)	4	0	1	1+(0.5)	1	0	2+(0.5)	2	19	(3)
11	Template:Flagathlete	0	(0.5)	2	2+(0.5)	3+(0.5)	0	2+(1)	2	1+(0.5)	2	5	(0.5)	0	19	(3.5)
12	Template:Flagathlete	0	3+(0.5)	4	3	1+(0.5)	2	2	0	1+(0.5)	1	0	0	2	19	(1.5)
13	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	(1)	2+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	2+(1)	3+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	(0.5)	5+(0.5)	(1)	15Template:Efn	(7)
14	Template:Flagathlete	4	(0.5)	2	0	(0.5)	0	2	1	1+(0.5)	1	0	0	2	13	(1.5)
15	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	2	2	0	0	4	0	2+(0.5)	1	0	0	2	13	(0.5)
16	Template:Flagathlete	0	2+(0.5)	0	(0.5)	4+(0.5)	(0.5)	(1)	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	3+(0.5)	0	(1)	11	(6)
17	Template:Flagathlete	1	2+(0.5)	4	0	(0.5)	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	11	(1)
18	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	(0.5)	3+(0.5)	2+(1)	0	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	(0.5)	4+(1)	9	(4.5)
19	Template:Flagathlete	3+(0.5)	3+(0.5)	(1)	0	(0.5)	0	0	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	0	2+(0.5)	(0.5)	(1)	9	(5.5)
20	Template:Flagathlete	1	1+(0.5)	2	2	(0.5)	1	2	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	9	(1.5)
21	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	0	(1)	(0.5)	2+(0.5)	(0.5)	0	3+(0.5)	0	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	2+(0.5)	(1)	8	(6)
22	Template:Flagathlete	2+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	(1)	0	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	0	0	6	(4.5)
23	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	0	0	2+(1)	(0.5)	3+(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)	(1)	5	(3.5)
24	Template:Flagathlete	1+(0.5)	2+(0.5)	(1)	(0.5)	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	(0.5)	2+(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)	(1)	5	(6)
25	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	(1)	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	3+(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)	0	5	(4.5)
26	Template:Flagathlete	0	1+(0.5)	0	(0.5)	0	1+(0.5)	0	(0.5)	(0.5)	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	(1)	4	(5)
27	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	(0.5)	(1)	0	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	(1)	(0.5)	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	0	(1)	3	(7)
28	Template:Flagathlete	0	(0.5)	(1)	0	1+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	(1)	0	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	(0.5)	(0.5)	(1)	3	(6.5)
29	Template:Flagathlete	0	(0.5)	(1)	1+(0.5)	1+(0.5)	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	3	(3.5)
30	Template:Flagathlete	1	(0.5)	2	0	–	–	0	0	0	0	–	–	–	3	(0.5)
31	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	(1)	0	2+(0.5)	(0.5)	0	(0.5)	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	0	(1)	2	(4.5)
32	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	(0.5)	0	0	0	2+(0.5)	(1)	2	(2)
33	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	–	0	(0.5)	0	2+(1)	2	(2)
34	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	1+(0.5)	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	2	(1)
35	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	0	0	0	0	(1)	0	0	(0.5)	2+(0.5)	0	0	2	(2)
36	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	(1)	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	(1)	0	(0.5)	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	1	(4)
37	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	0	1	(1)
38	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	1+(0.5)	0	(0.5)	0	(0.5)	(1)	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	1	(3.5)
39	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	0	0	(1)	1+(0.5)	0	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	0	1	(2.5)
40	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	1	(0.5)
41	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	–	–	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	1	(2)
42	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	1+(0.5)	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	(2)
43	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	0	(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	(1.5)
44	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	1	(0.5)
45	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	(1)
46	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	(0.5)
47	Template:Flagathlete	0	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	1+(0.5)	0	0	0	0	1	(0.5)
48	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	(0.5)	(1)	–	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(3)
49	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	(0.5)	0	0	0	(0.5)	(1)	0	(2)
50	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	(0.5)	0	0	(1)	0	(2)
51	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1)	0	(2)
52	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	(0.5)	–	–	–	–	(1)	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	(2)
53	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	–	(1)	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)
54	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	–	(1)	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(2)
55	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	(0.5)	0	(0.5)	0	(0.5)	0	0	(1.5)
56	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1)
57	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	(1)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(1)
58	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	(1)
59	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
60	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	(0.5)
61	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	(0.5)
62	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	(0.5)
63	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
64	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	–	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	–	–	0	0	(0.5)
65	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)
66	Template:Flagathlete	0	–	0	0	0	0	0	–	–	0	–	(0.5)	0	0	(0.5)
67	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
68	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
69	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	–	0	(0.5)
70	Template:Flagathlete	–	–	–	–	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
71	Template:Flagathlete	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
72	Template:Flagathlete	0	(0.5)	0	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
73	Template:Flagathlete	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
74	Template:Flagathlete	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	(0.5)
75	Template:Flagathlete	–	0	0	(0.5)	0	0	0	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	(0.5)
76	Template:Flagathlete	–	(0.5)	–	0	–	0	–	0	–	–	0	–	–	0	(0.5)

Snooker world rankings 1985/1986 for players without ranking points or merit pointsTemplate:Sfn

Ranking	Name	1985 WC result
77	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 8–10 at last 48 stage
78	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 6–10 at last 48 stage
79	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 1–10 at last 48 stage
80	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 9–10 at last 48 stage
81	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 8–10 at last 48 stage
82	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 9–10 at last-80 stage
83	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 7–10 at last-80 stage
84	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 5–10 at last-80 stage
85	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 3–10 at last-80 stage
86	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 3–10 at last-80 stage
87	Template:Flagathlete	Withdrew at last-80 stage
88	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 9–10 at last-96 stage
89	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 8–10 at last-96 stage
90	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 8–10 at last-96 stage
91	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 6–10 at last-96 stage
92	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 4–10 at last-96 stage
93	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 4–10 at last-96 stage
94	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 4–10 at last-96 stage
95	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 4–10 at last-96 stage
96	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 3–10 at last-96 stage
97	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 2–10 at last-96 stage
98	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 1–10 at last-96 stage
99	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 9–10 in round 1
100	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 7–10 in round 1
101	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 1–10 in round 1
102	Template:Flagathlete	Lost 0–10 in round 1

References

Books

• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book
• Template:Cite book

{{#invoke:Navbox|navbox}} Template:1985–86 snooker season