For years, snooker was a male-dominated sport. It changed when the first-ever Women’s Professional Snooker Championship was held. Ruth Harrison and Thelma Carpenter were the female rising stars of this sport.
Apart from the player, female referees were appointed. Michaela Tabb was the first female referee to take part in a tournament during the 2002 Welsh Open in Newport.
Read the article to know the names of 10 snooker lady referees of all time who earned respect in snooker.
Key Points
- Michaela Tabb was the pioneer
- Desislava Bozhilova and Tatiana Woollaston now lead major finals
- Several referees started out as players or sports journalists
- Female officials regularly oversee televised matches and 147 breaks
- More women are now becoming part of professional snooker
1. Michaela Tabb
Michaela Tabb broke the stereotype and became the first referee in snooker.
In the beginning, Tabb was a pro pool referee. In 2007, she became the first woman ever to referee a ranking final at the Welsh Open. This moment was written in golden words.
Not only that, she judged the 2009 World Snooker Championship final at the Crucible.
She again officiated at the World Final in 2012. Even years later, snooker fans still remember her sharp dress code and calm demeanour.
2. Desislava Bozhilova
Desislava Bozhilova was born on 6 October 1992 in Silven, a small village in Bulgaria. The first time she saw snooker on television, she decided to pursue it as a career. At the age of 13, she started playing snooker.
She passed her refereeing exam in 2012 and became the second woman to officiate the final of professional Triple Crown events. She gave credit to Michaela Tabb for opening the path for women in snooker.
According to William Hill, Bozhilova handled both the Masters and UK Championship finals in 2022. She has also supervised several famous maximum breaks of 147.
3. Tatiana Woollaston
Tatiana Woollaston was born in Belarus. In her early days, she used to officiate at amateur tournaments in Belarus. Now, she is a high-profile snooker referee.
She made her debut in a European tour event in 2010 and also officiated a semi-final in the championship in Prague the same year.
In an interview, Ronnie Sullivan called her the best referee in the world. In her career, she has handled multiple finals. Her husband, Ben Woollaston, is also a professional player. She is not allowed to referee any of her husband’s matches.
In 2024, Woollaston was at the World Masters of Snooker invitational in Riyadh and the UK Championship final.
4. Proletina Velichkova
Proletina Velichkova was born on 25 April 1991 in Bulgaria. When she found out that the Bulgarian Snooker Referees Association needed a referee, she applied for it.
Totally Snookered confirmed that she made her professional debut at the Bulgarian Open in 2012. Her first TV match was that of Judd Trump, and she also refereed the match of Mark Selby at the British Open.
Outside of snooker, she knows Scandinavian languages and graphic design.
5. Maike Kesseler
Maike Kesseler is a professional snooker referee from Germany. From 2010, they have given Kesseler high-profile matches to judge.
She officiated ranking finals across Europe and China and has handled several maximum breaks along the way.
Kesseler made her Crucible debut in 2017 and has become one of the most respected referees in professional snooker. In an interview, she said that refereeing is a hobby for her.
6. Monika Sułkowska
Monika Sułkowska was born on 13 December 1988 in Warsaw, Poland. Before being a referee, she was a sports journalist.
Based on Winissimo, she used to cover snooker events as a sports writer, and she was very attracted to snooker. In just 2 years, she passed the referee exam.
One of her milestones is when Shaun Murphy made a 147 break during a match she officiated. Further, she hosted the German Masters and Gibraltar Open.
7. Luise Kraatz
Luise Kraatz is a referee from Germany. During only her third professional match as a referee, a player made a 147 break.
The German official has become a regular at ranking tournaments. One of her biggest career moments came when she refereed the final of the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic.
On her X account, she has mentioned that she has a master’s degree in international business studies and is fond of gardening.
8. Hilde Moens
Hilde Moens has been associated with professional snooker for many years.
The Belgian referee started working with World Snooker in 2010 and has officiated at ranking tournaments, qualifiers, and major events across the calendar.
She is one of the most experienced female officials currently in the game.
9. Peggy Li
Peggy Li is a leading referee in China and has refereed several prestigious tournaments on her home soil. She first played snooker when she was studying in Australia.
Over time, she worked hard for the ranking finals and Crucible events. Li was also in charge when Ronnie O’Sullivan made a 147 break at the 2018 China Open.
10. Eva Poskočilová
Eva Poskočilová was born on 23 May 1966 in the Czech Republic. At first, she was a commentator on Eurosport. From there, she got addicted to the sport.
She teaches English and Czech at Prague University. She became a referee by helping a local club.
After some time, World Snooker noticed her. As reported by Champion Peoples, she made her debut at a competition held by PTC in 2010. Also, Eva officiated amateur competitions around Europe and appeared at tour matches in Sofia in 2012.
Sources and References:
- William Hill – Famous Female Snooker Referees
- Totally Snookered – Leading women’s snooker referees on the professional snooker tour
- Winissimo – A close look at the best female snooker referees of all time
- Champion Peoples – Hottest Female Snooker Referees In The World
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