24 Random Essential Billiards Terms
The World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, founded in 1968 and based in Bristol, England, United Kingdom is the governing body of professional snooker and English billiards. It sets the sports' rules, organises tournaments and the pro-am and pro tours, and engages in various promotional activities.
Similar to run out, but more specific to making all required shots from the start of a rack. Also known as also break and run or break and dish.
An imaginary line drawn from the desired path an object ball is to be sent (usually the center of a pocket) and the center of the object ball.
1 - This is a shot in snooker where the cue ball follows a struck object into the pocket.
2- This is the male end of the joint located at the base of the shaft. This threaded piece, usually made of metal, connects the shaft with the forearm. The length, width, pitch and depth of threading of the pins vary from joint to joint, but most offer you a flat-faced wood-to-wood connection with the collar. This type of connection will deliver a softer hit. For a harder hit, some pins have a protruding tip without threads that directs the shaft concentrically with a pin that is buried in the collar at the joint. If you want to keep the pin of your shaft safe when your cue is dismantled, it is easy and important to use a joint protector that simply screws over your pin.
Same as gapper
This is an object sometimes placed underneath the cue tip.
This refers to the cluster of balls remaining in a similar position to where they were within the break.
Any mechanical aid that serves to extend the length of the player's cue, normally added to the end of the butt either by clipping around the end or screwing into the base. Though extensions are used for pool, it is more common in snooker because of the significantly larger table size.
In a tournament where players get limited time to make their shots (common in televised matches), an extension is extra time granted before making a shot; players have a limited number of extensions in each frame.
In a tournament where players get limited time to make their shots (common in televised matches), an extension is extra time granted before making a shot; players have a limited number of extensions in each frame.
This describes a shot where you bank the object ball off of a rail and then sink it in a corner pocket.
This is a fine powdery substance used to assist the sliding of the cue over the hand bridge.
To apply chalk to the tip of your cue before a shot.
When an opponent either purposely successfully executes a defensive shot or misses their shot resulting in a bad leave for the next player.
Example: "I was left bad every time he missed his shot".
Example: "I was left bad every time he missed his shot".
This is a kind of cue made of four pieces of wood, the butt sleeve, the points, the handle, and the forearm, with each piece pinned, doweled, and glued together.
This is a shot that attempts to move a number of balls onto your side of the table in a kind of herding attempt.
This is a term used to refer to all the different aspects involved in setting up a shot, i.e. the stance, grip, bridge, and stoke.
Pronounced "No-Rango". A norengo refers to what should be an easy straight in shot where the object ball is usually very close to the pocket. But the shooter strikes the ball harder than they should and the result is the object ball rattling out of the pocket and a missed shot.
Also see Lorengo.
Also see Lorengo.
Either of the two shorter rails on a standard pool, billiards or snooker table. Contrast side rail/long rail.
Jargon for a tournament chart, showing which players are playing against whom and what the results are. Often shortened to card.
To "give someone weight" is to give them a handicap so the game is more even in skill level. If one player is significantly better than the other in a game, then you can add some weight, more or less balls for someone, to even the difficulty load between each player.
A British term for a pot that requires very fine contact between cue ball and object ball. See also feather.
Chiefly American: The cushion on the head rail. Compare bottom cushion; contrast foot cushion.
Same as cheating the pocket. Principally used in snooker.
Skilled playing in which knowledge of ball speed, angles, post-impact trajectory, and other factors are used to gain position (i.e. a good leave) after the target ball is struck. The goals of position play are generally to ensure that the next shot is easy or at least makeable, and/or to play a safety in the advent of a miss (intentional or otherwise).
When a player is playing flawlessly, just "cannot miss" and the game seems effortless.
