Billiards, in its traditional English form, is a cue sport played on the same size of table as snooker, but with only three balls in play. Rather than potting a sequence of reds and colours, players build a score through a mix of cannons and pots.
Objective
The aim is to score more points than the opponent, usually within an agreed time limit or up to a set target score, by controlling the cue ball to strike the other two balls in scoring combinations.
Rules and regulations
- The WPBSA, the World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, is recognised internationally as the governing body for both snooker and English billiards, while World Billiards Limited runs the professional tour and world championship specifically for billiards.
- Above both sits the World Confederation of Billiard Sports, which represents all cue sports, including carom billiards and pool, in dealings with the International Olympic Committee.
- A player stays at the table for as long as they keep scoring, switching to the opponent once they fail to score from a shot or commit a foul.
- The three balls used are the player’s own cue ball, the opponent’s cue ball, and a single red object ball, and different combinations of cannons, pots and in-off shots each carry a different point value, with skilled players able to build breaks running into the hundreds.
Equipment and playing area
- Billiards is played on a full-size table, the same one used for snooker, with a slate bed covered in cloth and six pockets around the edge.
- Only three balls are needed, compared with the twenty-two used in snooker: a white cue ball, a spot or coloured cue ball for the opponent, and one red ball.
- Players use the same type of cue as in snooker, and the same chalk, rest and other accessories.
Scoring
- Points come from three types of shot: the cannon, where the cue ball strikes both other balls in one shot, the pot, where an object ball is sent into a pocket, and the in-off, where the cue ball is potted after first hitting another ball.
- India has a strong record in the sport, with the Billiards and Snooker Federation of India as the national body, and players including Pankaj Advani and Geet Sethi having won multiple world titles in English billiards.
