Type of Game: International or “English” snooker is the most widely played form of snooker around the world. It is generally played on 6′x12′ English billiard tables, with cushions that are more narrow than on pocket billiard tables and which curve smoothly into the pocket openings. 5 x 10 and snooker tables of even smaller playing dimensions may be used for the game. On a 6 x 12 snooker (English billiard) table the playing area within the cushion faces shall measure 11′ 8.5″ x 5′ 10″ with a tolerance on both dimensions of +/-0.5″. The height of the table is measured from the floor to the top of the cushion rail, and the height shall measure 34″ with an allowable variance of +/-0.5″.

Players: 2

Balls Used: Set of Snooker balls: fifteen object balls that are not numbered and are solid red (called reds), six object balls of other colors that are not numbered (called colors) and a cue ball (called the white ball). Point values for object balls: red-1, yellow-2, green-3, brown-4, blue-5, pink-6, black-7. In International Snooker the balls used are 2-1/16″ diameter.

The Rack: Play begins with the balls placed as in the diagram above. The pink is spotted on the Pyramid Spot. The apex ball of the triangle of reds is racked as close as possible to the pink without touching it.

Baulk-line and Baulk: A straight line drawn 29″ from the face of the bottom cushion and parallel to it is called the Baulk-line and the intervening space termed the Baulk.

The Half Circle: The Half Circle is a semi-circle described in Baulk with its center at the middle of the Baulk-line and with a radius of 11.5″. When the striker has cue ball in hand within the Half Circle he may place the base of the cue ball anywhere on the line or within the Half Circle, and may use his hand or any part of his cue (including the tip) to position the cue ball–as long as it is judged he is not attempting to play a stroke.

Object of the Game: To score a greater number of points than opponent.

Scoring: Points are scored in two ways: players are awarded points for fouls by the opponent (see Penalties For Fouls below), and by legally potting reds or colors. Each legally potted red ball has a point value of one; each legally potted color ball has a point value as indicated (Balls Used above). A frame ends when all balls have been potted, following the Rules of Play; if, however, only the black (7) ball is left on the table, the frame ends with the first score or foul. If the players’ scores are equal after that scoring, the black is spotted on its original position and the layers lag or draw lots for the choice of playing at, or assigning opponent to play at, the black ball with the cue ball in hand within the Half Circle, first score or foul then ends the frame.

Opening Break: Players lag or draw lots for choice of break in the opening frame. In a match format the players alternate the break in subsequent frames. Starting player has cue ball in hand within the Half Circle. He must cause the cue ball to contact a red ball. It is not necessary to send a ball to a rail or into a pocket. Failure to meet this requirement is a foul (see Penalties For Fouls) A foul is scored and–with all fouls–the incoming player has a choice of (1) accepting the table and becoming the striker, or (2) requiring the offender to break again.

Rules of Play

1. A legally potted ball entitles the striker to continue at the table until he fails to legally pot a ball.

2. On all shots, the striker must comply with the appropriate requirements of Rules of Play 5 and 6. It is not necessary to cause the cue ball or an object ball to contact a cushion or drop in a pocket after the cue ball has contacted a legal object ball (ball on). Failure to contact a legal object ball first is a foul.

3. As long as reds are on the table, the incoming striker (player taking his first stroke of an inning) always has a red as his legal object ball (ball on).

4. Any red balls potted on a legal shot are legally potted balls; the striker need not call any particular red ball(s), pocket(s) or details of how the pot will be played.

5. When the striker has a red ball as his “ball on” (legal object ball), he must cause the cue ball’s first contact to be with a red ball. Failure to do so is a foul (See Penalties For Fouls)

6. After the striker has scored a red ball initially, his next legal object is a color, and as long as reds remain on the table he must alternate his play between reds and colors (though within each group he may play a ball of his choice). When reds remain on the table and a color is his object, the striker must (a) designate prior to stroking which color ball is his object (that specific color is then his “ball on”), and (b) cause the cue ball’s first contact with a ball to be with that colored ball. If the striker fails to meet these requirements, it is a foul (See Penalties For Fouls).

7. If the striker’s ball on is a red, and he pots a color, it is a foul.

8. If the striker’s ball on is a color, and he pots any other ball, it is a foul.

9. Jump shots are illegal in International Snooker. It is a foul if the striker intentionally causes the cue ball to jump (rise from the bed of the table) by any means, if the jump is an effort to clear an obstructing ball.

10. While reds remain on the table, each potted color is spotted prior to the next stroke (see Spotting Balls below for spotting rules). After a color has been spotted, if the striker plays while that ball is incorrectly spotted (and opponent or referee calls it before two such plays have been taken), the shot taken is a foul. If the striker plays two strokes after such error without its being announced by opponent or referee, he is free of penalty and continues playing and scoring normally as though the spotting error simply had not occurred. The striker is responsible for ensuring that all balls are correctly spotted before striking. If the striker plays while a ball(s) that should be on the table is not a foul may be awarded whenever the foul is discovered during the striker’s inning. Any scoring prior to the discovery of the foul will count.

11. When no reds remain on the table, striker’s balls on become the colors, in ascending numerical order (2,3,4,5,6,7). These legally potted colors are not spotted after each is potted; they remain off the table. (The black (7) ball is an exception in the case of a tie score; see Scoring.)

Illegally Potted Ball: Reds illegally potted are not spotted; they remain off the table. Colors illegally potted are spotted. (See Spotting Balls.)

Object Balls Jumped off the Table: Reds jumped off the table are not spotted and the striker has committed a foul. Colors jumped off the table are spotted and the striker has committed a foul. (See Penalties For Fouls)

Spotting Balls: Reds are never spotted. Colors to be spotted are placed as at the start of the game. If a color’s spot is occupied (to mean that to spot it would make it touch a ball), it is placed on the spot of the highest value color that is unoccupied. If all spots are occupied, the color is spotted as close as possible to its original spot on a straight line between its spot and the nearest point on the top (foot) cushion.

Cue Ball after Jumping off the Table: Incoming player has cue ball in hand within the Half Circle. When cue ball is in hand within the Half Circle (except the opening break), there is no restriction (based on position of reds or colors) as to what balls may be played; striker may play at any ball on regardless of where it is on the table.

Touching a Ball: While balls are in play it is a foul if the striker touches any object ball or if the striker touches the cue ball with anything other than the tip during a legal stroke.

Snookered: The cue ball is snookered when a direct stroke in a straight line to any part of every ball on is obstructed by a ball or balls not on. If there is any one ball that is not so obstructed, the cue ball is not snookered. If in-hand within the Half Circle, the cue ball is snookered only if obstructed from all positions on or within the Half Circle. If the cue ball is obstructed by more than one ball, the one nearest to the cue ball is the effective snookering ball.

Angled: The cue ball is angled when a direct stroke in a straight line to any part of every ball on is obstructed by a corner of the cushion. If there is any one ball on that is not so obstructed, the cue ball is not angled. If angled after a foul the referee or player will state “Angled Ball”, and the striker has the choice to either (1) play from that position or (2) play from in hand within the Half Circle.

Occupied: A spot is said to be occupied if a ball cannot be placed on it without its touching another ball.

Touching Ball: If the cue ball is touching another ball which is, or can be, on, the referee or player shall state “Touching Ball.” Thereafter the striker must play away from it or it is a push stroke (foul). No penalty is incurred for thus playing away if (1) the ball is not on; the ball is on and the striker nominates such ball; or (3) the ball is on and the striker nominates, and first hits, another ball. [If the referee considers that a touching ball has moved through an agency other than the player, it is not a foul.]

Push Stroke: A push stroke is a foul and is made when the tip of the cue remains in contact with the cue ball (1) when the cue ball makes contact with the object ball, or (2) after the cue ball has commenced its forward motion. Provided that where the cue ball and an object ball are almost touching, it shall be deemed a legal stroke if the cue ball hits the finest possible edge of the object ball.

Miss: The striker shall to the best of his ability endeavor to hit the ball on. If the referee considers the rule infringed he shall call foul and a “miss.” The incoming player (1) may play the ball(s) as they lie, or (2) may request that the ball(s) be returned to the original position and have the offending player play the stroke again. Note: if the ball on cannot possibly be hit, the striker is judged to be attempting to hit the ball on.

Free Ball: After a foul, if the cue ball is snookered, the referee or player shall state “Free Ball.” If the non-offending layer takes the next stroke he may nominate any ball as on. For this stroke, such ball shall be regarded as, and acquire the value of, the ball on. It is a foul should the cue ball fail to first hit, or – except when only the pink and black remain on the table – be snookered by, the free ball. If the “free ball” is potted, is is spotted, and the value of the ball on is scored. if the ball on is potted it is scored. If both the “free ball” and the ball on are potted, only the value of the ball on is scored.

Fouls

If a foul is committed:

1. the player who committed the foul incurs the penalty prescribed (which is added to the opponent’s score), and has to play again if requested by the next player. Once such a request has been made it cannot be withdrawn. 2. should more than one foul be committed in the same stroke the highest value penalty shall be incurred. 3. any ball improperly spotted shall remain where positioned, except that if off the table it shall be correctly spotted.

Penalties for Fouls

The following are fouls and incur a penalty of four points or the higher one prescribed:

1. value of the ball on -

by striking:

a) when the balls are still moving from the previous shot. b) the cue ball more than once (double hit). c) without at least one foot on the floor. d) out of turn. e) improperly from in hand within the Half Circle.

by causing:

f) the cue ball to miss all object balls. g) the cue ball to enter a pocket. h) a snooker with free ball. i) a jump shot.

2. value of the ball on or ball concerned -

by causing:

a) a ball not on to enter a pocket. b) the cue ball to first hit a ball not on. c) a push stroke. d) by striking with a ball not correctly spotted. e) by touching a ball with other than the tip of the cue. f) by forcing a ball off the table.

3. value of the ball on or higher value of the two balls by causing the cue ball to hit simultaneously two balls other than two reds or a “free ball” and the ball on.

4. penalty of seven points is incurred if -

the striker

a) after potting a red commits a foul before nominating a color.

b) uses a ball off the table for any purpose.

c) plays at reds in successive strokes.

d) uses as the cue ball any ball other than the white one.

2. In all cuesports when you leave the table to try and ensure that you leave the table with the problems of your opponent. If you get a chance and you have a lead, it is useful to put a color value safely.

3. Pace yourself. Most matches are played on a number of images, and you’ll get your chance if you bide your time. Do not force the game on the balls. As in football, people say let them do the work, you can bullets do the work dictate the shots to play the ball. If this amazing shot is on but there is a perfect security remember that victory is the result of more important.

4. PRACTICE. Professional Practice for up to eight hours a day, why not? Well, time to start but if you’re serious about your game even a few hours a week to keep you sharp and in your eyes, and you improve your knowledge of the game by playing lots of pictures.

5. Vary your games. There are loads and loads of different games you can play on a variety of different tables, for example 8 and 9 Ball Pool and Snooker. All offer different challenges, but the key is to enjoy yourself, but do not work on your weaknesses!

6. Never leave your opponent a chance to think it will mess up leaving you with an easy victory. Occupy your own fate.

7. Using the Internet for reference. For every ten people have ten different opinions so read around to give you the best luck in this difficult situation.

8. Watch the pros. They are pros because they play the game as it was designed to be played. Have you ever wondered why it seems so easy? Because they put the power of law and the rotation and designed to perfection. This comes from practice. Watch how the right is the action reference. The benchmark is provided by the white right makes it almost impossible to miss on screen for a player wishing to pot a ball. Try and predict what move they are intending to play the next selection, shot is an important factor in improving your game

9. Enjoy yourself. That is the question of the game only the few lucky ones can earn money and be a professional to work hard on getting better but remember to eat cos if it goes so does the fun win. Accept losing as a learning experience and always play for the love of the game

They might be the opposite sides of the same coin but they still remain as different as chalk and cheese. Billiards and Snooker are two games that are played on almost the same kind of table but still have mighty variations in their playing order. These aspects make these two games differ tremendously though their approach might be the same. The pub pool table or Standard Pool Tables usually have both these games being played on them and hence, differentiating becomes quite a tedious task. To start off with, Billiards is basically played with three ball types, White, Yellow and Red. The White Balls and the Yellow Balls are played by the opponents with the objective of scoring points and the players doing the same first is the one who wins. Snooker has 15 Red balls, A cue ball and Six Coloured Balls. The player goes on potting a red ball and then has to pot a coloured ball out of the six. The coloured ball is taken out and placed at its original position post which a red ball is potted once again. It goes on till all the red balls get potted and only the coloured ones are left, which too have a sequence to be followed. These forms are followed well on the Standard Pool Tables and the Pub Pool Table that gets used up well in pubs and other public places. Tables put through pool table recover process also have these processes followed.

In Snooker, every red ball carried one point with 2 on Yellow, 3 on Green, 4 on Brown, 5 on Blue, 6 on Pink and 7 on Black. They have to be potted in ascending order and the player scoring the most number of points is the one who ends up getting declared as victorious. Billiards is won through a different approach as you have to be the first one to pot all of your designated balls before your opponent pots all of his. The Billiards tables have huge pockets in comparison to their Snooker counterparts. The balls played with in the game are also huge. Though the tables might look very similar in design and crafting, they are quite different when it comes to suiting the style of the game. The snooker balls are smaller in size and easy to hit. Standards Pool Tables on which these games are played along with the Pub Pool Table can be used to convert the game of Billiards into a game of Snooker. The Billiards Balls are numbered where as the Snooker ones are not.

One can also convert the Billiards table into a Snooker Table as the holes can be made smaller. The rules given beneath are quite simple and hep people in differentiating between both the games and the ways in which they are played. Both of them have their own sets of rules and both are prolific in their own ways. The enjoyment that both provide are quite different and player also revel very differently while playing these two forms of table games.

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1. Learn about splicing.

The butt timber is spliced (joined) onto the ash shaft, this is done in one of two ways, by machine or by hand. The two methods produce snooker cues of very different appearance.

Machine splicing is less expensive than hand splicing but is a very effective way of adding the butt timber to the shaft. The butt timber (usually ebony) is cut to provide four points, which are glued into four slots machined into the shaft timber. The finished cue has a distinctive four point pattern where the butt meets the shaft.

Hand splicing is the traditional method developed by Peradon for splicing the butt timber to the shaft. The shaft has two flats planed on opposite sides of the butt end. The hardwood butt timber is glued to these flats. The cue is then rotated through 90 degrees and two further flats are planed and two more pieces of butt timber glued into place. The cue is then shaped to produce the distinctive four rounded point pattern where the butt meets the shaft.

The appearance of both machine and hand spliced cues can be enhanced with additional exotic wood splices or coloured veneers.

(This section has been adapted from the Peradon sales brochure)

2. Look for Matching grain.

You can always tell the quality of a snooker cue based on whether the grain of the wood matches across the joint.

Having a cue with matching grain affords the user a more consistent and fluid feel to every stroke. A cue that is constructed in this manner will also have a more even balance and the weight will be distributed more evenly.

3. Looks don’t equal feel.

This is such an obvious statement but it is very true. The most expensive cue in a range is generally expensive because of the materials that have been used. Another factor is the actual man hours that it takes to produce each individual cue. By purchasing the top of the range snooker cue you are not getting a higher performance model but just a cue that is more aesthetically pleasing. You can get the same performance out of a cheaper more plain looking cue.

It is important that you only take this as advice, you might personally find the top of the range cue suits you best. You can always come in to Billiards Boutique and handle a few cues before you purchase.

For newcomers in the exciting world of snooker games, getting put off by the initial difficulties that you might face while trying to learn the basic ropes of the sport is very common.

Provided here are some useful information and insider’s guidelines on how to improve your game if you seem to be struggling with the skills required to play snooker.

Just follow the simple instructions and you will find yourself being able to play better snooker very soon. The instructions are really easy to implement and before you know it, you will noticeably improve at snooker and start playing to win the game.

Before we start off with the tips, it is necessary to bear in mind that the success of your improvement depends largely on your confidence in yourself. Thinking pessimistically about your playing abilities will only hamper your learning process.

So start learning to enjoy the game and you will find it very easy to improve at snooker. Don’t be bothered about not getting the right shots or not being able to perform well. Just go with the flow and you will be able to play better snooker with time.

Important Guidelines:

1. Learn To Calm Down – First and foremost thing to do, if you wish to play better snooker, is to loosen up and let the feel of the game take over. A relaxed mind and body will be able to attend to difficult shots better. A tense out mind will only hasten to hamper your failure to deal with a tough game.

2. Try And Concentrate – Many people might find this an unnecessary advice. But the truth is people do tend to let their concentration run wild in the middle of a game. Dedicate yourself to the game fully and make the game turn out in your favor. Absolute concentration to the task at hand is the best way to improve at snooker.

3. Find A Tough Partner – If you wish to win your snooker game, you have to feel the adrenaline rush of a challenge and the only way to get that is to play with someone who can actually give you a tough time on the table. Every time you make yourself cross your limits, you will find yourself being able to play better snooker. Remember, initially, it is more about learning than winning.

4. Never Lose Sight Of The Cue Ball – Most amateurs tend to make the common error of letting their concentration wander away from the cue ball. Once you decide on the aiming angle, you should learn to fix your eye on the cue ball before making your shot.

Those starting out with the game newly can try striking above the center to make their shots. It’s a good way to improve at snooker and getting a hang of your striking abilities.

Some other common guidelines you can adopt to play better snooker would be to chalk up the cue tip before every shot, trying to avoid errors you have made once, learning from other people’s mistakes, making plans about your next shot in advance etc.

Remember, to improve at snooker, you have to set your own pace. Don’t exert yourself or rush into the game thinking that you can learn every move at one go. Learn to enjoy yourself at snooker and you will find yourself getting better at every shot, one game at a time.

While you learn your game of snooker one thing that you have to keep in mind is the correct stance for snooker. To become a better player even for those who have been practicing long knowing the snooker stance well is very important. The correct body position while playing snooker is what we call snooker stance. The correct stance for snooker will help you taking a perfect shot and best cue action. With your stance you can align your body with your shot and the cue.

If you are playing snooker for long and not getting your shots right it is time that you changed your snooker stance. A little change on your part will make a world of difference to your game. To achieve a perfect cue action it is necessary to have a correct stance for snooker. Your complete game of snooker is based on your snooker stance.

You must aim to have a correct body position and that is what your snooker stance is all about. Your body has to be stable and you should have a comfortable position before you take the shot. Your body has to hold your position till you finish the shot. If the body moves during your cue action your shot is likely to go wide.

To make your body rest on a wide base is a correct stance for snooker. For this your leg position has to be right. Otherwise your body will swing while you take a shot and this will lead to incorrect aiming. It is very important in snooker that your body weight should not be concentrated at one place and has to be distributed so that the whole body can stay still while you take your shot and remain comfortable. You have to pull apart your legs so that your body can have a solid base.

This weight distribution is done for preventing an over balance while you take your shot. If your legs do not take the body weight you are likely to pitch forward while taking your shot. The distance between the two feet touching the ground has to be exact which should neither be too close or too apart. To have a correct stance for snooker your legs should have enough distance equal to the breadth of your shoulders.

The next important thing in the snooker stance is the hip position. This will be possible only when you position your legs correctly. Leg position varies from left handed players and right handed players. Actually the leg positions of left and right handed players are exactly opposite. If you want a correct stance for snooker the right leg has to be held straight. The left leg is put in front of the right while maintaining the breadth. The left leg has to be bent at the knees. This will allow the head to be aligned with the cue ball. This position is meant for people who play with the right hand.

The placement of the head is another important part of the snooker stance. The aim and the head have to be aligned in a straight line. You should hold the cue stick from the center of the head. The head and the table have to make a 90 degree angle and this makes a correct stance for snooker.

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