There are six World Ranking Singles events in the season. Entry to these competitions is open to all bowlers:

• UK Open
• Irish Open
• Norwegian Open (replaced European Masters)
• British Open (replaced Swedish Masters)
• English Masters
• World Masters

Each event follows the same format. Players compete in groups of 6. Once the group stages have been completed players will qualify for one of three knockout competitions depending on their final position in their group:

• 1^st and 2^nd qualify for the Cup competition (formerly known as the ‘Main’)
• 3^rd and 4^th qualify for the Plate competition
• 5^th and 6^th qualify for the Shield competition (formerly known as the ‘Wooden Spoon’)

During the group stages ranking points are awarded as follows:

• 3 points for a win.
• 1 point for a drawn game.
• Any player who is unable to play any group game due to their opponent(s) e.g. absence or illness, will be awarded with the 12-0 shots win, and will be awarded ranking points for that game based on their average performance in the other group games they have played. The ranking points awarded in these circumstances are shown either in ‘Table 1’ (if the player was in a group of six players) or in ‘Table 2’ (if the player was in a group of five players).
• If a player has to forfeit two or more of their group games, that player will be withdrawn from the event. Any player who has played against the withdrawn player will receive ranking points based on that result. Any player who has not played the withdrawn player will be awarded ranking points for that game based on their average performance in the other group games they have played. The ranking points awarded in these circumstances are shown either in ‘Table 1’ (if the player was in a group of six players) or in ‘Table 2’ (if the player was in a group of five players).. The withdrawn player will be awarded any ranking points earned prior to their withdrawal.
• In the event that any group starts 5 players, all players in the group will be awarded ranking points to compensate them for the fewer games they have played, compared to those in other groups with 6 players. Ranking points awarded will be based on their average performance in the other group games they have played. The ranking points awarded in these circumstances are shown in ‘Table 2’ below.
• All ranking points accumulated in the group stages (up to a maximum of 15pts) will be added to those amassed in the knockout rounds. Tables 3, 4 and 5, as below, illustrate how more ranking points are available in the bigger tournaments to reflect the additional knockout rounds played. These tables also show how the players qualifying for the Cup get more points than those who qualify for the Plate, who in turn get more points than those who qualify for the Shield.

So what is the difference between the World Rankings and the Order of Merit?

The World Rankings are based on the ranking points earned by players over a rolling 12 event period. The World Rankings represent performances across a minimum of 1 event and a maximum of 12 events.

The Order of Merit consists of the 6 world ranking singles events in any season.

World Cup qualification is determined by the final standings in the Order of Merit. As such, the top four players for each country represented in the Order of Merit earn the right to participate in the World Cup. More details can be found on the dedicated World Cup section of our website: https://shortmatplayerstour.com/world-cup/qualification/

How have the World Rankings evolved?

The current system was first used for the 12 ranking events that made up the Order of Merit in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons. Following the completion of the first world ranking event in the 2016-17 season, the UK Open 2016, any ranking points earned at that event were added as before, however the points from the first ranking event in 2014- 15 (the UK Open 2014) were removed. This pattern continued so that after the second ranking event of 2016-17 season, any points from the second ranking event of the 2014-15 were removed. The ranking points that a player will lose after the completion of the next ranking event are shown on the World Rankings page.

Prior to the start of the 2017-18 season, all points earned from the following events (UK Open 2015, Irish Open 2015, European Masters 2015, Swedish Masters 2016, English Masters 2016 and World Masters 2016), which were more than one year old, were halved. The points awarded at the following more recent events, within the last year, retained their full value: UK Open 2016, Irish Open 2016, Norwegian Open 2016, Swedish Masters 2017, English Masters 2017 and World Masters 2017.

After the completion of the UK Open 2017 (the first ranking event in the 2017-18 season), the ranking points from the UK Open 2015 (12 events earlier) will be removed, before the new ranking points from the UK Open 2017 are added. The latest revision means that at the same time the ranking points from the UK Open 2016 (6 events earlier) will be halved. This process will be repeated after every ranking event thereafter.