Players competing at next year’s Coral Snooker Shoot Out in England will wear microphones while at the table for the first time ©Coral Snooker Shoot Out

Players competing at next year’s Coral Snooker Shoot Out in England will wear microphones while at the table for the first time.

The one-frame knock-out event, scheduled to take place at the Watford Colosseum from February 23 to 26, will see 128 of the world’s top players battle it out for the title.

All will wear microphones on their waistcoat lapels in a move aimed at giving extra insight to television viewers.

The innovation is also used in other sports such as golf and cricket.

Action from the Shoot Out, sponsored by British betting shop Coral, will be televised live on ITV4.

Finland's Robin Hull won this year's Coral Shoot Out ©World Snooker
Finland's Robin Hull won this year's Coral Shoot Out ©World Snooker

The event will be a world ranking competition for the first time ever, meaning that all money earned will count towards the players’ tally.

It has subsequently been extended from 64 players to 128 and will last four days instead of three.

Each match features a shot clock of 15 seconds for the first five minutes and 10 seconds for the next five, with matches lasting a maximum of 10 minutes.

Finland’s Robin Hull won this year’s event at the Hexagon in Reading, beating Belgium’s Luca Brecel in the final.

The Shoot Out was first staged in 2011, when Nigel Bond overcame Robert Milkins in an all-English showdown at the Circus Arena in Blackpool.