• Billiards is played by two persons or sides
• 3 balls are used here, a red, white and yellow. Each player has their own cue ball (one white one yellow).
• Scoring strokes in a player's turn are made by pots, in-offs and cannons singly or in combination.
• Points awarded for scoring strokes are added to the score of the striker.
• Penalty points from fouls and misses are added to the opponent''s score.

Mode of Play

• The players play alternately unless a score is made.
• When the striker fails to score, his turn ends and the next player plays from the position then left.
• After a foul the next player has the additional option of playing from in-hand with both object balls spotted as provided.

EQUIPMENTS
A Standard Table

• The playing area within the cushion faces shall measure 11ft 8½in x 5 ft 10in (3569mm x 1778mm) with a tolerance on both dimensions of +/_ ½in (+/_ 13mm).

Balls

• The balls shall be of an approved composition and shall each have a diameter of 52.5mm with a tolerance of +/_ 0.05mm.

Cue

• A cue shall be not less that 3ft (914mm) in length and shall show no substantial departure from the traditional and generally accepted shape and form.

Height

• The height of the table from the floor to the top of the cushion rail shall be from 2ft 9½in to 2ft 10½in (851mm to 876mm).

Pockets

• There shall be pockets at the corners (two at the Spot end known as the top pockets and two at the Baulk end known as the bottom pockets) and one each at the middle of the longer sides (known as the centre pockets).

Baulk-line and Baulk

• A straight line drawn 29in (737mm) from the face of the bottom cushion and parallel to it is called the Baulk-line, and that line and the intervening space is termed the Baulk.

The "D"

• The "D" is a semi-circle described in Baulk with its centre at the middle of the Baulk-line and with a radius of 11½in (292mm).

Spots

• The Spot, 12¾in (324mm) from a point perpendicularly below the face of the top cushion.
• The Centre Spot, located midway between the faces of the top and bottom cushions.
• The Pyramid Spot, located midway between the Centre Spot and the face of the top cushion.

Scoring

• A cannon, pot white and in-off white shall each score two.
• A pot red and an in-off red shall each score three.
• If more than one hazard or a combination of hazard/s and cannon are made in the same stroke, all are scored.
• When an in-off is combined with a cannon, the in-off shall score (additionally to the cannon)

i.   three points if the red was struck first by the cue-ball,
ii.  two points if the object white was struck first, or
iii. two points if both object balls were struck simultaneously.

•  All fouls are 2 points.

Fouls:

•  Striking a ball other than the cue-ball,
•  Striking the cue-ball more than once,
•  Striking when both feet are off the floor,
•  Playing out of turn
•  Playing improperly from in-hand, including at the opening stroke,
•  Striking when any ball is not at rest,
•  Playing a jump shot,
•  Making a push stroke,
•  Making more than fifteen consecutive hazards,
•  Touching a ball or ball marker in play, other than in the lawful execution of a stroke,
•  Striking before the referee has completed the spotting of a ball.

Winner

•  Who has scored most points in the agreed or stipulated time,
•  Who first reaches the agreed or stipulated number of points,
•  The winner of a match is the player or side winning most games or, where aggregate points are relevant, with the greatest total.

OFFICIALS

•  The Referee
•  The Marker
•  The Recorder
•  Assistance by Officials

Major Tournaments

• World Open
• World Series of Pool
• World Open
• World Pocket Billiard Championship
• US Master''s
• World Youth Games
• Asian Games
• Commonwealth Games
• All-Africa Games

Regulatory Bodies

• World Confederation of Billirds Sports
• International Billird and Snooker Federation
• World Pool-Billird Association
• World Mondiale de Billirds