sport news Gold ball details confirmed for new £400,000 prize at this week's Riyadh ... trends now This week's Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker features the new gold ball It is worth 20 points, and will only stay on the table while a 147 break is possible Ronnie O'Sullivan previously claimed he was 'on strike' from maximum breaks By Samuel Draper Published: 19:04 GMT, 3 March 2024 | Updated: 19:52 GMT, 3 March 2024 Viewcomments The new Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker event in Saudi Arabia will feature a golden ball, which could earn stars like Ronnie O'Sullivan £400,000 if they pot it after securing a 147 break. The event starts on Monday and runs to Wednesday, featuring twelve of the sport's biggest names for an £800,000 prize pot. The golden ball - which is worth 20 points - was announced back in January, but further details have only emerged in the days immediately leading up to the event. World Snooker Tour revealed each frame will start with the gold ball on the baulk cushion, level with the brown spot. The ball will remain in play as long as a 147 maximum break is possible, but when that evaporates, the referee will remove the gold ball from the table. Ronnie O'Sullivan and other leading snooker players could earn £400,000 for one ball Organisers have confirmed where the golden ball will be placed for the duration of the frame Because the rule book does not acknowledge the new ball, it will not be officially viewed as a 23rd ball. However, it is a huge financial opportunity for the 12 players taking part in Saudi Arabia this week, with reigning Crucible champion Luca Brecel and 2019 winner Judd Trump also in the field. According to the Daily Star, Ali Carter, one of the players involved, said: 'The gold ball? It's just, whatever. 'I mean if someone makes a 167, it would be a miracle, wouldn't it? But if anyone can do it, then Ronnie O'Sullivan can. We will wait and see.' Last month, O'Sullivan claimed that he is going 'on strike' from 147 breaks until snooker chiefs increase the prize money. According to The Sun, O'Sullivan was asked about adding to his record of smashing 147s in the sport, to which he said: 'I reckon another five or six, but I went on strike a long time ago' - and suggested snooker chiefs should 'start bumping up the prize money'. Last year at the World Snooker Championship, the prize money for a maximum break was £40,000. Ali Carter said that if anyone could achieve the unforeseen 167 break, it would be O'Sullivan O'Sullivan said he was 'on strike' from 147 breaks because of the small prize money awarded Adding extra balls to a game of snooker is not a new concept. In 1959, the Snooker Plus Tournament, sponsored by the News of the World and held at Burroughes Hall in London, added an orange ball worth eight points and a purple ball worth 10. The additional balls - the orange was positioned between the pink and blue, and the purple between blue and brown, from the outset of the frame - allowed a maximum break of 210. Saudi ArabiaRonnie O'Sullivan Share or comment on this article: Gold ball details confirmed for new £400,000 prize at this week's Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, with stars like Ronnie O'Sullivan potentially winning big if they pot the new ball after completing a 147 break All rights reserved for this news site (dailymail) and under his responsibility