Billiards Explained for Beginners: Everything on the Sport with Balls and Stick

A sport of billiards is becoming more and more popular every year. There are a lot of people throughout the whole world who play this game both professionally and occasionally as a hobby. As soon as it can be a professional kind of sport, it is clear that there must be precise rules that govern the competitions, and it refers to any sport in general. When it comes to billiards, however, a situation is a bit more complex because there are a few billiards variations, each of which has its own peculiarities and significant moments. Thus, the given article is going to explain three popular betting variations – Russian pyramid, eight-ball pool, and snooker.

Russian Pyramid

This billiard variation is accompanied by the following technical characteristics:

• tables – 3.6 meters long and 1.8 meters wide;
• balls’ diameter – 68-70 mm;
• corner pockets – 72-73 mm;
• center (side) pockets – 80-81 mm.

Prior to the beginning of every match, all 15 object balls are placed so tight that they must create a triangle. A special piece of equipment also known as rack or pyramid is used for this. The center of the front ball should be on the foot spot. Thus, the pyramid basis is parallel to the foot rail.

A cue ball shot is made with the pool cue tip; the movement should be longitudinal. While performing the shot, a billiard player should have at least on his foot on the ground. All the balls should be immobile, which is possible only if a table is perfectly horizontally balanced on the floor.

A shot is said to be over when all the balls end their movements. There are some cases when players make certain mistakes while performing a shot. The most common mistakes are as follows:

1. Double shot – a player makes his stick touch the ball twice.
2. Push shot – a player uses his stick to touch an object and cue balls at the same time.
3. Missed (air) shot – the cue ball fails to touch at least one object ball.

In any of the cases above, a corresponding penalty is awarded. Penalties also arise in the following cases:

• a player fails to shot the ball with the tip of his cue;
• a player makes a shot before the previous one is over;
• the cue ball leaves the play field after a shot;
• a player stops a moving ball with his stick, hands, clothes, and so on.

Right to Make an Opening Shot

The players stay behind the head rail on the both sides of the longitudinal string. Their actual positions are determined either with the help of a coin toss or by arrangement. Then, the players place the balls within the house and make simultaneous shots directing the balls to the foot rail. The right is given to the player, whose ball touches the foot rail and stops at the closest distance from the head rail. A player cannot win in the given competition if his ball:

• fails to reach the foot rail;
• touches a side rail;
• crosses the longitudinal string;
• leaves the play field or reaches a pocket.

Playing Rules

The main peculiarity of Russian pyramid is represented by the fact that player should name a particular pocket he is going to reach with a particular ball (i.e. calling the ball). Only when the given ball reaches the given pocket, it is said to be successful. In this case, the player gets the rights to perform the following shot.

Sometimes, however, it happens that a ball reaches a pocket and dies on its edge, after which it falls down. Thus, if it falls before a shot is over, the ball is considered successful. On the other hand, when this ball falls down after a shot is over, it is not counted, and a referee places it back on its initial position.

In addition, there can be jumped balls i.e. a situation when a ball leaves the play field without reaching a pocket. If an object ball jumps, it is placed back on the foot spot; the player is not given any penalty; all the successful balls are counted. When the cue ball leaves the play field, a player gets penalized; all the successful balls are not counted; this ball is placed on the play field on a corresponding spot. It can also happen that a ball jumps and touches either a player or his cue stick; in this case, this player will be appropriately penalized. However, if the ball reaches one of the barriers above and returns to the play field, it is said to be in play; if it finally leaves the table, the ball is said to be jumped. In addition, it is not a violation of the rules if the ball reaches lighting objects, pocket liner or top rail members and is back on the table.

When a player manages to score a ball that was not called or he violates the rules to score the called ball, the jumped objects balls are placed by the referee on the foot spot. If this spot is already occupied by another ball, the previously jumped balls are placed close but not skin-to-skin to the obscuring ball on the longitudinal string close to the foot rail. If this area is also occupied, the ball is placed on the center spot.

The other player starts playing when his opponent either violated the rules or failed to score the called ball. If a player has been penalized, his opponent can ask him to perform the following shot out of turn by saying “Keep playing”. This situation occurs when a player believes it is better for him to skip one shot.

In order to win a game, a player should either score 8 called balls or score 71 point.

Snooker

Snooker matches take place on the tables of 3569 mm long and 1778 mm wide. The balls are of a 52.4-mm diameter. These matches can be placed only between two opponents.

For every match, it is necessary to have 22 balls (15 red, 6 colored, and one white cue ball). As for the colored balls, each of them is worth a different number of points:

• red balls – 1 point each;
• the yellow – 2 points;
• the green – 3 points;
• the brown – 4 points;
• the blue – 5 points;
• the pink – 6 points;
• the black – 7 points.

Thus, the main task of the given billiard variation is to score more points than the opponent did. Points are counted only if a player manages to correctly play a ball; the number of points earned depends on which ball was successfully played. A game is said to be over when all the balls are played. However, when it is the black ball that is left on the play field, a game is over either after it is played or after the rules are violated.

General Rules

A player keeps playing unless he violates the rules or fails to score a ball.

The cue ball must touch another ball (either a red or colored ones). Otherwise, the player will be penalized. With this, it is not necessary to make the balls touch a rail or direct them into a pocket.

If the cue ball touches a red ball, which sends another red ball into a pocket, this ball is counted.

Players should play red and colored balls interchangeably, with the necessity to call a particular red ball. The called ball will not be counted if the cue ball does not touch it first after a shot.

If a player scores a colored ball instead of a red one, a corresponding penalty is given.

When there are red balls on the play field, every scored colored ball is placed back on the table. As soon as all the red balls are scored, opponents should score the colored ball in order of their increasing value (the yellow is the first and the black is the last). In this case, the colored balls are not placed back. Exception arises only when the opponents have the same number of points. In this case, the black ball is placed on the play field to determine a winner.

The right to make an opening shot is determined either with a coin toss or with the help of a spot shot. In the latter case, the cue ball should reach a read ball; otherwise, the player will be penalized. Such penalty points are awarded to an opponent who is either to play or to ask the first player to keep playing in the given situation.

As it has already been mentioned, the colored balls are placed back on their spots, while the red ones are not. If a particular spot is occupied, the corresponding ball should be placed as close to it as possible (closer to the foot rail). If the pink or black balls cannot be placed in such a manner, they can be placed near their initial spots (close to the table center).

When a red ball is jumped, it is not placed back, while the jumped colored balls are placed back followed by a corresponding penalty. When the cue ball jumps, a player should perform a spot shot. With this, he may play any ball.

A ball is said to be scored when it is correctly sent into a pocket. When a ball reaches a pocket liner and goes back to the play field, it is said to be in play.

It can sometimes happen that the cue ball is masked i.e. it is placed so that it is impossible to directly reach any of the read balls. If it happens, they say the snooker is absent.

If there are two balls that touch each other, a player should perform a shot from a center line that unites the balls. On the other hand, if the cue ball touches the two balls simultaneously, a mistake will be recorded.

When a player sends the cue ball and it fails to reach another ball, the player will be penalized. His opponent then decides whether to start playing or to make the first player perform the following shot.

If the cue ball happens to be in a snooker position following a violation of the rules, a free ball situation occurs. If an opponent accepts this position and performs a shot, he may call any ball. In this case, the value of a newly called ball is equaled to the value of the ball that was required to be scored previously. A penalty is imposed if the cue ball fails to reach the called ball or the cue ball happens to be masked. If a free ball is sent into a pocket, it is placed back, and the player gets a corresponding number of points. If a regular ball is scored, the same number of points is given. If it happens that both the free and the regular balls are scored, the value of the regular ball is counted only.

When a player can, according to his abilities, reach an object ball or its directly but fails to do it, a referee announces the miss. When it happens, the cue ball is placed on its previous spot except for the cases when a guilty player can benefit from this. After the ball position is retrieved, the referee can ask the players on the situation but the final decision will be made by the official.

If a ball goes into a pocket not because of a shot, its value is not counted, while it is placed back on the play field. This rule is the same as that from the Russian pyramid billiards.

Mistakes

If a player makes a mistake, his opponent is given a corresponding number of points. When a player manages to make several mistakes over a single shot, his opponent is given points for the severest one among them. After a mistake, an opponent keeps playing from the spot, on which the cue ball stopped. When a miss situation is announced, a player makes a shot from the recovered position.

Penalties

The following fouls and mistakes should be punished with at least four points given to the opponent.

The number of penalty points is equal to the value of a regular ball:

• balls were moving when a player performed a shot;
• a player performs a series of consecutive shots on the cue ball;
• a player fails to have at least one of his feet in contact with the ground;
• a player makes a shot out of turn;
• a player makes a wrong spot shot;
• a player fails to make the cue ball reach an object ball;
• the cue ball was sent into a pocket;
• a player shoots the cue ball so that it jumps over a ball to reach another one.

The number of penalty points is equal to the value of an object ball or another ball that is connected with a mistake:

• a player make an irregular ball go into a pocket;
• the cue ball fails to reach an object ball;
• a player sends the cue ball so that it touches two balls simultaneously;
• a player touched the ball with anything except for the cue stick tip;
• a ball leaves the play field.

The number of penalty points is seven:

• a player makes a mistake after scoring a red ball but before calling a colored one;
• a player uses a ball for various purposes other than for play;
• a player plays a red ball when he should play a colored one;
• a player uses any other ball for the purposes of the cue ball.

8-Ball Billiards

In this game, players should also call balls. For a match, the cue ball and a set of 15 numbered balls are used. One of the players should score all the balls with numbers from 1 to 7 (these balls are solid), the other deals with balls 9 to 15 (striped ones). A victory is given to a player who manages to score all his balls and correctly scores ball 8.

In this game, it is not necessary to call evident object balls and pockets. If an opponent is not sure which ball or pocket the other player is going to play, he is allowed to ask a corresponding question. Rail shots and combination shots (i.e. shots with a few balls being touched) are not considered to be evident. In these cases, a player must call an object ball and a pocket. When calling, however, it is not necessary to mention any other details except for the ball and pocket.

All the scored balls stay in the pockets despite the fact whether they are striped or solid and who scored them. In addition, it is not required to call a ball for an opening shot. If any of the balls reaches a pocket after a correct opening shot, the player who performed this shot gets the right to perform the following one.

At the very beginning, the balls are placed so that they create a triangular pyramid with ball 8 in the center. With this, the pyramid forward ball is placed on the foot mark, while striped and solid balls are each in the pyramid angles.

A player who won in an opening shot gets the right either to start a match by himself or to grant this right to his opponent. In this case, every following game begins with the other player performing an opening shot.

An opening shot is said to be correct when a player either scores an object ball or makes at least four object balls reach a trail. If a player fails to meet at least one of the requirements above, this situation is a foul. In this case, his opponent has the right either to accept the situation and perform his shot or to perform his own opening shot after the balls were placed back on their initial positions.

If an opening shot results in the fact that the cue ball goes into a pocket, all the ball are left in pockets (except for ball 8), a foul is announced, and the table is still open. The following players performs a spot shot.

When a player is going to perform a spot shot to reach an object ball that is within the kitchen, it is possible only if the cue ball firstly touches the foot rail. As for object balls that are outside the kitchen, it is allowed to send them into any pocket.

When an object ball leaves the play field after an opening shot, a foul is announced. In this case, the following player gets the right either to accept the situation and perform a regular shot or to perform a spot shot from the kitchen.

If an opening shot makes ball 8 go into a pocket, the player can either perform an opening shot once again or keep playing after ball 8 is placed back. When both ball 8 and the cue ball are in pockets, the following player gets the right either to perform his own opening shot or to place ball 8 back and keep playing.

However, when it comes to official international competitions, a game is won if ball 8 goes into a pocket after a correct opening shot. With this, a player loses if both ball 8 and the cue ball go into pockets after his opening shot.

A table is said to be open when neither of the players chose his groups of the balls (either striped or solid ones). To tell the truth, the table is always open immediately after an opening shot. When it is open, it is allowed to make solid balls move striped one and vice versa. It means that all the balls are legal on the open table. Nevertheless, if the cue ball touches firstly ball 8 on the open table, neither a striped nor a solid ball is counted to the benefits of a player. His shots are over, and all the scored balls are left in pockets. At the same time, the given table is still open for the next player. As for the open table, all the wrongly scored balls are left in pockets.

An opening shot is not connected with choosing a group of the balls to play further with even if both striped and solid balls happen to be in pockets. As it has already been mentioned, the table is always open after an opening shot. A player can choose a particular group only when he correctly sends a called ball into a pocket.

A shot is said to be correct when the cue ball is sent to touch firstly a ball of a required group (a legal ball) to send any object ball into a pocket or to make it or the cue ball itself touch a rail. It is allowed for the cue ball before reaching a legal ball to touch a rail but it should make either an object ball go into a pocket or the cue ball or any other object ball touch a rail. A player will be penalized if he fails to meet any of these requirements.

According to tactical purposes, a player can decide to score an evident object ball to end his table series with announcing safety prior to making the shot. A safety is considered to be a correct shot. If a player wants to initiate the safety with scoring an evident object ball, he must notify his opponent of his intention. If he fails to make this notification, this player should perform the following shot, too. All the balls that are scored over the safety are left in their pockets.

A player keeps performing shots while he is able to correctly and properly call and score balls of his group. When he manages to score the last of his legal balls, he may score ball 8.

If a player violates a rule, his opponent performs a spot shot. It means that he may place the cue ball in any spot on the table. This rule prevents players from making intentional fouls that can bring the opponents to a disadvantageous position. To perform a spot shot, a player may position the ball with his hand or cue stick including the tip. After the cue ball is placed, any movement of the cue stick that makes the ball move is considered the beginning of a shot.

If any of the object balls jumps off the table, a foul is announced, and the right to make a shot goes to the other player. If it is ball 8 that jumps off the table, a game is said to be lost.