Shaun Murphy has accused fellow snooker players of using “gamesmanship” through excessive toilet breaks, which he claims is becoming an “epidemic” that’s plaguing the sport. The recent Masters winner believes some of his colleagues are intentionally slowing matches down to disrupt their opponent’s flow by taking prolonged and strategic bathroom breaks.
Murphy argues that these players are exploiting their breaks to stifle momentum when their opponents are on a roll, seeking an underhanded edge, especially if they’re behind in a match. “Toilet breaks. We have to talk about the epidemic of toilet breaks that are spoiling snooker action,” Murphy said on his OneFourSeven podcast.
“It is now getting ridiculous, guys. It is getting totally out of hand. It is ridiculous how many times players are leaving the arena to go to the loo. And here’s where it gets spicy, because most of these exits from the arena have got nothing to do with players needing to go for a wee, it’s good old-fashioned gamesmanship.”
READ MORE: Shaun Murphy names ‘wonderful player’ he deems best not to win a Triple Crown title
READ MORE: Barry Hawkins told ‘it can’t just be bad luck’ as snooker veteran loses a final for the 13th time
He added: “My opponent last week went to the toilet after the first frame of the match, then after the fifth frame after the interval. You’ve had 20-odd minutes to be ready to play. What’s going on? It’s getting ridiculous. It’s a joke.”
Murphy’s frustration is echoed by other professionals in the sport. In 2019, several players lodged formal complaints to World Snooker regarding the misuse of toilet breaks as a tactic to throw competitors off their game.
Neil Robertson took to X to address Murphy’s grievances about toilet breaks in snooker, advocating for a trial of a new regulation to reduce these interruptions. “In the 2012 Masters, we the players were told before the event started to limit toilet or ‘I’m bottling it and need to leave the arena’ breaks to two per match,” he posted.
“Which leaves you whatever you do before the match, two breaks during and another during the interval after four frames. Players adhered to this and there were no problems with players needing to go mid-frame or anything. 90 per cent of players I see are standing there like a constipated person trying to squeeze out a drop; put a rule in place and trial it.”
Matchroom Sport founder Barry Hearn has acknowledged the possibility of implementing new rules regarding toilet breaks in matches. In 2013 season, he established a limit of two breaks per session due to sessions sometimes spanning several hours.
Both finalists in the 2023 World Championship, Mark Selby and Luca Brecel, agreed with Murphy that revisions were necessary. “Yes, it can get too much,” Selby said in 2021. “I think they should bring a rule in that, if you desperately need to go, they should cap it at a certain amount of time.
“There should be a limit on the number of times you can go, unless you are desperate. That is the thing, it comes down to the person and you have got to trust. It is tough, I suppose.”
Brecel added: “Yes, because even today, I was like, ‘How many times will I need to go to the toilet?’ If you need to go, you need to go.”
Ronnie O’Sullivan, on the other hand, supports unlimited breaks as long as they don’t disrupt the game: “I think the player should be allowed to go for as many toilet breaks as they can after the game as long as once the balls are set up you’re back,” he said.
“The problem is if you go to the toilet and once the balls are set up and [your opponent] has to wait two-three minutes, then I see that as not very good. If you want to get out and get back quickly before the balls are set up I don’t see what the issue is, you’re not interrupting the play on it or anything.”