In snooker, the position where the legal object ball cannot be hit directly is called a snooker.
A player is snookered when another ball blocks a direct path from the cue ball to the ball on. The obstructing ball can be any ball that prevents the required contact, and the referee determines whether the player is snookered from the cue ball’s position. The term also gave the game its name.
A snooker can be intentional: players often use safety play to leave an opponent behind a colour or another red. Escaping from a snooker requires careful control of angle, speed and cushion rebounds. If the player fails to hit the ball on, the referee may award a foul, with the penalty depending on the balls involved and the minimum foul value.
“Safety” is related but not identical. A safety shot is a tactical attempt to make scoring difficult; it does not necessarily leave the opponent snookered. A player can play a safety successfully without creating a true snooker.