Michaela Tabb established significant milestones for female officials in professional cue sports, beginning in pool, where she officiated at top tournaments such as the WPA World Nine-ball Championship and the Mosconi Cup.
15 Facts About Michaela Tabb
2.
Michaela Tabb became the first woman to officiate at a professional ranking snooker tournament at the 2002 Welsh Open, and the first woman to referee a ranking tournament final at the 2007 Welsh Open.
3.
Michaela Tabb has continued to referee at pool events and on the World Seniors Tour.
4.
Michaela Tabb studied chemistry, biology, and psychology at the University of Glasgow, although she dropped out before receiving her degree.
5.
Michaela Tabb was a sales representative for the Ann Summers lingerie retailer.
6.
Michaela Tabb started playing competitive blackball in 1991, at the age of 23.
7.
Michaela Tabb began refereeing in the mid-1990s when she and her husband, Ross McInnes, began running amateur eight-ball and nine-ball pool tournaments.
8.
Michaela Tabb made her professional refereeing debut at the St Andrew's Cup nine-ball pool tournament in September 1997, while pregnant with her first son.
9.
Michaela Tabb refereed on television for the first time the following year, when the 1998 St Andrew's Cup, sponsored by Matchroom Sport, was broadcast on Sky Sports.
10.
Michaela Tabb went on to become one of pool's top officials, refereeing at the WPA World Nine-ball Championship and the Mosconi Cup.
11.
In 2017 Michaela Tabb became the head referee on the World Pool Series.
12.
Michaela Tabb conceded that this fast-tracking generated resentment among her fellow officials and referees.
13.
On 23 January 2002, Michaela Tabb became the first woman to referee at a professional ranking snooker tournament when she took charge of a first-round match between Ken Doherty and James Wattana at the 2002 Welsh Open in Newport.
14.
On 19 March 2015, World Snooker Ltd announced that Michaela Tabb had left the professional refereeing circuit.
15.
Since leaving the main professional circuit, Michaela Tabb has continued to referee World Seniors Tour events, including the World Seniors Championship finals in 2019,2020,2022 and 2023.