The third season of Championship League snooker will start on January 4th from the Crondon Park Golf Club. This year 25 players will be looking to win the title and book their place in the 2010 Premier League.

Last years winner of the Championship League, and eventual semi-finalist in the Premier League, Judd Trump, opens his defence in a very tough group that features the reigning world champion in John Higgins and the reigning Premier League Champion in Shaun Murphy. The rest of group one, which starts on January 4th and concludes on January 5th will be: Stephen Maguire, Ali Carter, Ryan Day and Mark Selby.

This years tournament carries an overall prize fund of £200,000 with £10,000 going to the eventual winner. Due to the unique way in which the tournament is broadcast it is actually played behind closed doors. The only way to watch it is via live streaming on a number of bookmakers’ websites.

Another interesting thing about this years league is that World Number 1, Ronnie O’Sullivan will make his debut in group two. This group starts on January 6th and concludes on the 7th. O’Sullivan is joined by two other notable players in Marco Fu and Neil Robertson both of whom have match experience in this style of tournament.

Tournament Format (Courtesy Matchroom Sport)

Each group features seven players competing in a round-robin basis playing the other competitors once in a five-frame match.

The player finishing top of the league meets the man who came fourth, while second plays third with the two winners meeting in the final.

The winner of the final advances into the Winner’s Group, while the runner-up, two losing semi-finalists and player who came fifth in the league move into the next group where they are joined by three new players.

However, the players who come sixth and seventh in each of the league tables are eliminated from the competition.

Dead frames will not be played in either the league or knock-out stages. In each league any unplayed frame money, from the league section only, will be added to a ’High Break Pot’ which will be awarded to the highest break in that league.

Players also win £100 per frame won in each group match plus there will be additional prize money for the play-offs and the final league.

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