A non-ranking tournament may take the form of an invitational event whereby player participation is conditional on criteria set by the organiser or sponsor or by personal invite. 

Players are often invited to compete in the events according to their ranking position or past achievements. Prize money is available, however no ranking points are awarded.

There are many prestigious invitational tournaments on the snooker calendar, which include The Masters (dating back to 1975) and the popular road-show event – the Premier League.