Billiards Vault

Definition of Forced shot

Same as cheating the pocket. Principally used in snooker.

24 Random Essential Billiards Terms

Either of the balls on the lateral extremities of a racked set of balls in position for a break shot; the two balls at the outside of a 15-ball rack in the back row, or the balls to the left and right of the 9 ball in nine-ball's diamond rack-shaped opening set up position. In nine-ball It is seen as a reliable sign of a good break (which is normally taken from close to either cushion in the kitchen) if the opposite wing ball is pocketed.
Short for right english (side), i.e. side spin imparted to the cue ball by stroking it to the right-hand side of its vertical axis. Contrast left.
The non-red colored ball meant to be pocketed in a game of snooker, or the next ball meant to be pocketed in a particular game.
To reach a certain position in a tournament. "I placed 17th." "She will probably place in the money this time."
To move a ball (usually deliberately) from a safe position, e.g. close to the middle of a cushion or in a cluster, so that it becomes pottable.
Competition between an individual player and an individual opponent, as opposed to team play such as scotch doubles and other multi-player variants.
A team play format in which an individual player from the home team plays a race against an individual player from the visiting team, and then is finished for that match. Several large leagues use this format, including APA/CPA and USAPL.
Often times a protective finish is applied to a cue stick after construction. A UV polyurethane is common, and this helps to protect the cue from fading and dings.
This is a fine powdery substance used to assist the sliding of the cue over the hand bridge.
A pocket; usually used in disgust when describing a scratch (e.g., "the cue ball's gone down the sewer").
A player who was playing very well but suddenly starts playing badly. e.g. "He was making everything on every shot, then lost his stroke and couldn't hit anything, costing him the match."
Same as center spot.
Also known as joint caps. Plugs that screw into/onto the threads of a joint when a two-piece cue is broken down to keep foreign objects and moisture from contacting the joint mechanism.
A pool table spread in which the balls are extremely easily positioned for a run out, and where little movement of the cue ball on each shot is necessary to obtain position on the next.
This is a blemish added to the table in order to help execute a shot; these marks are not allowed and result in a foul.
To intentionally miss a shot (that results in a foul) in order to create a position for the cue ball that makes it hard for the other player to execute their shot. Not to be confused with a "Safety", since a safety is a legal hit.
Used by itself often with "low" and "high": "that's a low-percentage shot for me", "I should really take the high-percentage one".
The number of balls pocketed in an inning in pool (e.g., a run of five balls), or points scored in a row in carom billiards (e.g., a run of five points). Compare British break (sense 2), which is applied to pool as well as snooker in British English.
This is to take all the money from a player or to have lost all of your own money.
This is to win a game by pocketing enough balls before you opponent.
Exact opposite of fast, all senses.
This is a tip tool for cleaning the edges of you tip after mushrooming occurs.
This is a bank in which the object ball hit will cross the path of the cue ball on the way to its destination.
A particular shot where the object ball hits or grazes another object ball on the way to its pocket or toward hitting yet another object ball.
Chiefly British: The half of the table from which the break shot is taken. This usage is conceptually opposite that in North America, where this end of the table is called the head.