1987–88 snooker world rankings

Steve Davis (pictured in 2012) was ranked in first place for the fifth consecutive year.Template:Sfn

Jimmy White (pictured in 2011) moved up to second place in the rankings.Template:Sfn

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 The list for the 1986–87 snooker season was the first to only take account of results over two seasons, and the rankings for 1987–88 were also based on results from the preceding two seasons.Template:Sfn<ref name="SCENE87"/> The snooker journalist Janice Hale wrote positively about the rankings being calculated across two seasons rather than three. She argued that, at a time when snooker was the most viewed televised sport in the UK, "New faces are now beginning to appear on television".Template:Sfn

Steve Davis retained the top ranking for the fifth consecutive year, with Jimmy White second and Neal Foulds third.Template:SfnTemplate:Sfn White, who won two ranking titles in the 1986–87 season, had been in fifth place the previous year, and Foulds, who won one ranking title in the latter season, moved up from 13th.Template:Sfn

Discussing the rankings for 1987–88, the snooker journalist Terry Smith asserted that "Every player in the lower ranks has one immediate aimTemplate:Snda place in the top 16Template:Nbsp... that elite top group."Template:Sfn Players in the top 16 were seeded into the last-32 round of the 1988 World Snooker Championship and received invitations to the 1988 Masters.<ref name="SCENE87"/> John Parrott, Mike Hallett and Dean Reynolds moved into the top 16 for the first time, while Kirk Stevens, Tony Meo and Ray Reardon fell out of it.<ref name="SMITT">Template:Cite news</ref> Six-time world champion Reardon dropped down to 38th from 15th.Template:Sfn Teenager Stephen Hendry rose to 23rd from 51st.<ref name="SMITT"/> Ken Owers was the highest-ranked of the players who had joined the circuit in the 1986–87 season.<ref name="SMITT"/>

In the original list for the season, Perrie Mans was listed at 50th and George Ganim at 126th.<ref name="SCENE87"/><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> There were 130 professionals listed, of which those ranked 121 or lower became "non-tournament" (NT) players, meaning that they were permitted to enter the world championship but no other tournaments.Template:Sfn<ref name="SCENE87"/> Mans resigned his membership of the WPBSA that year.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The list as published in the Benson and Hedges Snooker Yearbook in 1987 omits Mans and Ganim, and has David Greaves above François Ellis;Template:Sfn these differences are reflected in the table used below.

Points tariff and basis of ranking

Points tariff contributing to the Snooker world rankings 1987–88<ref name="SNSRANK2">Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Sfn

Placing	1986 and 1987 world championships	Other ranking tournaments 1985–86 and 1986–87
Champion	10	6
Runner-up	8	5
Losing semi-finalist	6	4
Losing Quarter-finalist	4	3
Last 16 Loser	2	2
Last 32 Loser	1 ranking point or 2 merit pointsTemplate:Efn	1
Final qualifying round loser	2 merit points	1 merit point
Penultimate qualifying round loser	1 merit point	1 A point
Antepenultimate qualifying round loser	1 A point	Frames won counted
Preliminary round loser	Frames won counted	–

Ranking was determined as follows:Template:Sfn

• By number of ranking points.
• If players had an equal number of ranking points, precedence was given to the player with the better performances in the later season.
• If players were still equal, merit points were considered. If they were still tied, precedence was given to the player with the better performances in the later season.
• If players were still equal, A points were considered. If they were still tied, precedence was given to the player with the better in the later season.
• If players were still equal, frames won were considered. If they were still tied, precedence was given the player with the better in the later season.

Rankings

"(NT)" denotes a "non-tournament" player, i.e. a player who was permitted to enter the world championship but no other tournaments in 1987–88.Template:Sfn "(New)" denotes a player that was a new professional for 1986–87.Template:Sfn

Snooker world rankings 1987–88<ref name="SCENE87">Template:Cite magazine</ref>Template:Sfn

Ranking	Name	1985–86 season						1986–87 season						Ranking points	Merit	A points	Frames
		MT	GP	UK	Cl	BO	WC	IO	GP	UK	Cl	BO	WC
1	Template:Flagathlete	3	6	6	3	6	8	3	3	6	6	1	10	61	0	0	0
2	Template:Flagathlete	5	2	4	6	0	4	0	6	2	5	6	6	46	2	0	0
3	Template:Flagathlete	4	1	2	3	1	1	6	4	5	0	5	6	38	1	0	0
4	Template:Flagathlete	6	4	2	5	2	6	5	0	3	1	4	0	38	3	0	0
5	Template:Flagathlete	3	2	1	3	1	10	1	0	1	1	2	8	33	1	0	0
6	Template:Flagathlete	2	3	3	0	3	4	2	2	2	3	2	4	30	1	0	0
7	Template:Flagathlete	1	4	3	2	1	6	2	3	3	0	4	0	29	3	0	0
8	Template:Flagathlete	4	5	4	2	0	0	2	2	1	0	3	2	25	4	0	0
9	Template:Flagathlete	2	2	2	3	4	2	1	2	4	1	0	2	25	1	0	0
10	Template:Flagathlete	0	3	2	0	1	2	3	4	1	3	1	2	22	2	0	0
11	Template:Flagathlete	2	0	5	0	5	4	0	2	2	0	2	0	22	6	0	0
12	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	2	4	2	1	2	5	0	1	2	0	20	4	0	0
13	Template:Flagathlete	3	0	1	0	2	2	0	1	4	3	0	2	18	4	0	0
14	Template:Flagathlete	1	1	1	4	0	2	1	2	1	0	2	2	17	2	0	0
15	Template:Flagathlete	2	0	1	1	0	1	3	0	2	4	1	1	16	3	0	0
16	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	1	1	1	2	0	2	2	1	1	4	16	2	0	0
17	Template:Flagathlete	2	3	0	0	1	1	3	1	0	3	2	0	16	5	0	0
18	Template:Flagathlete	0	2	1	2	2	0	4	1	1	2	1	0	16	4	1	0
19	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	1	1	4	1	1	1	1	1	3	1	16	1	0	0
20	Template:Flagathlete	1	2	2	2	3	0	0	3	1	2	0	0	16	6	0	0
21	Template:Flagathlete	0	3	3	0	2	4	0	0	1	1	2	0	16	6	0	0
22	Template:Flagathlete	2	2	1	2	2	2	0	1	0	2	0	1	15	3	0	0
23	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1	0	1	1	3	0	4	0	4	14	1	3	6
24	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	0	2	0	2	4	0	2	0	1	1	13	5	0	0
25	Template:Flagathlete	2	1	2	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	3	1	12	6	0	0
26	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	0	0	2	2	1	0	1	2	1	0	10	6	0	0
27	Template:Flagathlete	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	0	10	3	0	0
28	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	3	0	9	7	0	0
29	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	3	1	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	1	9	6	0	4
30	Template:Flagathlete	2	0	2	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	9	8	0	0
31	Template:Flagathlete	0	2	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	1	0	2	8	7	1	0
32	Template:Flagathlete	0	2	1	0	0	0	1	1	3	0	0	0	8	2	3	6
33	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	0	2	3	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	8	8	0	0
34	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	2	0	0	7	6	2	0
35	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	4	7	6	3	0
36	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	3	0	1	1	1	0	0	1	7	7	1	0
37	Template:Flagathlete	3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	1	0	7	5	3	0
38	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	1	2	6	8	0	0
39	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	1	1	5	6	2	0
40	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	2	0	0	5	7	2	0
41	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	4	7	2	0
42	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	2	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	4	5	6	0
43	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	4	2	7	0
44	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	3	9	3	0
45	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	3	9	3	0
46	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	3	9	1	0
47	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	3	8	2	0
48	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	3	6	2	5
49	Template:Flagathlete	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	3	6	3	0
50	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	2	7	3	0
51	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	2	6	5	0
52	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	1	2
53	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	1	0	1	2	2	1	2
54	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	1	0	0	0	1	2	2	0	12
55	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	2	7	2	8
56	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	7	4	0
57	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	2	6	9
58	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	4	0
59	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	6	0
60	Template:Flagathlete	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	5	0
61	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	7	0
62	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	5	1
63	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	1	2	13
64	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	3	25
65	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	0	8	15
66	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	3	7
67	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	9	4	0
68	Template:Flagathlete	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	8	3	0
69	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	4	0
70	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	4	0
71	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	6	0
72	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	6	0
73	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	6	0
74	Template:Flagathlete	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	7	0
75	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	7	0
76	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	4	0
77	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	6	0
78	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	5	3
79	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	7	0
80	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	8	0
81	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	2	8
82	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	5	17
83	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	0
84	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	9	4
85	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	8	5
86	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	4	4
87	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	7	8
88	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	5	8
89	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	3	13
90	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	3	1
91	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	8	6
92	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	8
93	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	5	8
94	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	4	18
95	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	7	12
96	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6	13
97	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	5	23
98	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	6
99	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	1
100	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	0
101	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1	2
102	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	9	11
103	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	20
104	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	20
105	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	17
106	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
107	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	3	29
108	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	8
109	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	6
110	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	11
111	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	6
112	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	7	7
113	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	26
114	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	29
115	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	12
116	Template:Flagathlete (New)	–	–	–	–	–	–	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	10
117	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	31
118	Template:Flagathlete	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7
119	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	6
120	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	28
121	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
122	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	27
123	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	20
124	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
125	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
126	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
127	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
128	Template:Flagathlete (NT)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0

References

Books

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