New and BIGGER snooker balls?

[lk8]

When I started playing snooker years ago, I remember reading the rules, that a standard tournament set of snooker balls are meant to be 2 1/16" (52.3875mm) but while browsing the web today, I've stubbled upon the wiki page (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiard_ball) and while reading it, saw that the standard size are supposed to be 52.5mm... I thought to myself, that was strange as the game of snooker was standardize in UK, where they have always used Imperial Measurements, so first thing I've done, was go to the World Snooker website (http://www.worldsnooker.com/rules_of_snooker.htm), and to my surprise, the rules actually states 52.5mm +/- 0.05mm..

now, when did the ball dimensions change from Imperial to Metric measurements??

secondly, all the older sets of balls were manufactured to 2 1/16", even the Aramith/Belgium Tournament Champions are still being marketed as 2 1/16", now based on the ruling, 52.5mm +/- 0.05mm leaves a range of 52.45-52.55mm (which in fact is closer to 2 1/15") clearly a set of 2 1/16" balls are 0.0625mm below the minimum allowed diameter of 52.45mm, does it mean all these 2 1/16" balls are now obsolete?

also by assumption that the materials for the snooker balls remains the same, then the newer sets of balls will become not just bigger, but heavier than the old sets?!

Have anybody ever noticed the change in dimension of the snooker balls?

[Lisbon67]

Good point, well put and i dont have a clue, but i would like to hear the answer.

[100-uper]

now, when did the ball dimensions change from Imperial to Metric measurements??

It was 1980. The same time the B&SCC removed the monopoly given to Super Crystalate.

[visionaire]

are you seriously arguing over less than a milimeter?

[hegeland]

Have anybody ever noticed the change in dimension of the snooker balls?

I doubt it's humanly possible to detect a difference of ~0.12 mm.

Interesting question, none the less. As always, whenever 100-upper has responded, there is nothing to add.

[lk8]

are you seriously arguing over less than a milimeter?

no, not really arguing over the 0.12mm, just interested to know why the snooker association didn't just avoid the trouble, and at the time when they convert to metric, why didn't they make life simple and convert it to 52.4mm instead?

And if the 0.12mm isn't at all critical to the ball's weight and reaction, then why is the tolerance of the balls set so tight at +/-0.05mm?

I hope you're not one of those that when someone starts a discussion, your best reply is telling us a topic isn't worth discussing...