[1][2][3] For the 1978–79 season, players' performances in the previous three World Snooker Championships (1976, 1977, and 1978) contributed to their points total.
[3][4] If players were level on points, then those gained in the most recent event determined positioning.
[1] Ray Reardon retained top place in the rankings from the 1977/1978 listing, with 12 points.
Perrie Mans, the 1978 World Championship runner-up, was second, eight places higher than in the previous season's list, on 8 points.
[5] Eddie Charlton, who retained third place from the previous year's rankings, and John Spencer, who dropped from second to fourth, also had 8 points.