The Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) Q Tour will come into effect for the 2020-2021 season and replaces the Challenge Tour.

The WPBSA says up two eight events will be held in Europe each season.

Two players will graduate from the Q Tour to the WST each campaign, with the player who has the best ranking at the end of the season automatically earning a two-year tour card.

A 16-player tournament at the end of the campaign will decide who wins the other WST place on offer.

The WPBSA Players Commission was consulted about the plans, as were amateur and professional players.

There will be a total prize fund of £100,000 ($126,000/€110,000).

"The launch of the new WPBSA Q Tour represents a significant step forward for amateur snooker and players everywhere who have ambition to join the prestigious WST," declared WPBSA chairman Jason Ferguson.

"WPBSA Q Tour is set to be the most competitive amateur tour around. 

"It will be made up of those players with a track record, and on the edge of professional status, fighting it out against the most talented juniors in the world who are hungry for success.

"We have seen just how competitive junior snooker has become in events like the WSF Open events, where young players like Sean Maddocks, Iulian Boiko and Gao Yang all earned tour cards along with opportunities to play in the 2020 Betfred World Snooker Championship. 

"These players represent our next generation of who we will one day see competing at the very highest level and it is crucial that we are able to provide them and others following in their footsteps with the opportunity to fulfil their potential.

"On behalf of the WPBSA Board, I would like to thank all those who have contributed to the new WPBSA Q Tour structure, particularly our tour players, player directors, the Players Commission and the many amateurs who took time to express their opinions through the proper channels."

Each Q Tour tournament will feature a 64-player field, with the 32 highest-ranked players from the 2020 q School Ranking List who have not secured WST cards given priority entry.

A WPBSA panel will select 16 elite junior players to join them, with open-entry qualifying rounds held on the Friday before a weekend tournament being used to fill the remaining places.