Michaela Tabb became the first woman to referee a professional ranking snooker tournament in 2002. More than two decades later, women are established among the officials working across the World Snooker Tour.
The woman who opened the door
For years, snooker refereeing was overwhelmingly associated with men in black trousers and white gloves. Michaela Tabb changed that image.
Tabb, a Scottish referee who had previously competed in and officiated pool, was fast-tracked into professional snooker. Confirmed records show that she refereed her first ranking event at the 2002 Welsh Open.
That was not simply another tournament assignment. Tabb became the first woman to referee at a professional ranking snooker tournament. The achievement placed her at the centre of a gradual change in the sport.
She reached another milestone in 2007 when she became the first woman to referee a ranking-event final. Two years later, the biggest breakthrough followed.
Michaela Tabb and the Crucible final
In 2009, Tabb became the first woman to referee a World Snooker Championship final at Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. She officiated the final between John Higgins and Shaun Murphy.
The record is confirmed by contemporary reporting from the BBC and The Guardian. Tabb returned to the same stage in 2012, refereeing the final between Ronnie O’Sullivan and Ali Carter.
Her career was not without controversy.
Tabb left the professional circuit in 2015. Later that year, she brought claims against World Snooker involving sex discrimination, unfair dismissal and breach of contract. World Snooker denied the allegations, and the dispute ended with a confidential out-of-court settlement. No finding that established Tabb’s allegations as proven was made public.
That distinction matters. Claims made during an employment dispute should not be presented as established facts.
Desislava Bozhilova’s rise
The next major chapter belongs to Desislava Bozhilova.
The Bulgarian referee entered the international scene after becoming aware of the Bulgarian Snooker Referees Association. Public career records state that she passed her international referee examination in 2012 and officiated her first professional tournament at the Bulgarian Open that same year.
Her progress was gradual. She worked ranking events, reached ranking finals and eventually became a regular presence at major tournaments.
Bozhilova’s breakthrough at the Crucible came in 2025.
The World Snooker Tour confirmed that she would referee the World Championship final that year. That made her only the second woman, after Tabb, to take charge of a World Championship final.
There was another significant detail. Bozhilova had already refereed finals at the Masters and UK Championship. Her 2025 appointment meant she became the first woman to referee finals at all three events that make up snooker’s traditional Triple Crown.
Tatiana Woollaston followed a different route
Tatiana Woollaston represents another path into professional refereeing.
Born in Belarus, Woollaston began refereeing amateur snooker events in 2008. She qualified as a Class 3 referee in 2009 and progressed through the European circuit.
In 2010, she made her ranking-tournament debut at the Paul Hunter Classic in Germany. Later that year, she became the first referee from Eastern Europe to officiate a world-ranking snooker semi-final, according to published biographical records.
Her career also has a direct connection with professional snooker. Woollaston married professional player Ben Woollaston in 2011 and subsequently moved to the United Kingdom.
The current professional landscape confirms that she remains part of the refereeing community. The World Snooker Tour’s official referee list includes Woollaston alongside Bozhilova and Maike Kesseler.
Who are the female snooker referees today?
The answer is broader than one famous name.
The World Snooker Tour currently lists Desislava Bozhilova, Tatiana Woollaston and Maike Kesseler among its referees. The English Partnership for Snooker and Billiards also lists Woollaston and Zoe Rodkoff among officials working within its tournaments.
This is important because the story is no longer only about breaking a single barrier. Women now appear within the regular officiating structure of the sport.
That does not mean every historical claim about female referees is equally documented. Names and career details found on unofficial websites should be treated carefully unless they can be matched with tournament records, governing-body information or reputable reporting.
The mystery is finally easier to solve
The phrase “female snooker referees” can sound like a search for one person. The history shows something different.
Michaela Tabb created the first major breakthrough. Desislava Bozhilova later reached the World Championship final and completed a unique Triple Crown milestone. Tatiana Woollaston built a long international career through the European and professional circuits, while other women now appear on official referee lists.
The evidence points to a clear timeline rather than a single overnight change.
Women did not suddenly arrive in professional snooker refereeing. They entered, qualified, progressed and eventually reached the sport’s biggest stages.
Author Bio
James Carter is a sports and human-interest journalist covering the people behind major sporting events. His work focuses on career histories, overlooked milestones and fact-checking public claims.
