Ronnie O'Sullivan does a jump shot - in a snooker match.

[George the Greek]

Does anyone know why jumping is not allowed in Snooker? Was it always that way? Or did people start jumping 50 years ago, and the rules committed hated it, and decided to ban it?

I started playing snooker in 1969 and never saw any jump shots and they're probably illegal from day one. I jumped a red over another red and my opponent got pissy and I told him to get over it. After that I started jumping the CB off the black onto the pack to break them open.

 

[Bob Jewett]

The rules of snooker originally allowed jump shots and Joe Davis explained how to shoot them in one of his books. He said to slide the stick along the cloth, which is referred to in pool as a scoop shot now.

In the 1965-1966 official rule book for Billiards and Snooker there is no mention of jump shots.

In the 1967 rule book, the jump shot is defined in the general rules section as making the cue-ball jump over an intervening ball (page 23). Then in the rules of snooker, it is stated to be a foul (Rule 13Q). In the next edition, the definition was clarified: "whether by accident or design."

Here is my collection of official snooker rule books, starting in 1898.