Billiard Basics Explained and Defined
Jack R. Landry has played professional billiards for the last 19 years and written hundreds of articles about pool tables. He recommends (http://www.PoolTables.com) for pool tables.
Throughout the years, billiards has become a family game that is played on a rectangular shape table with a cue stick. This stick is used to strike a set of balls while strategically moving them around the table and pocketing them in various pockets.
Originally, this was a game that was played outdoors, but has gradually over time evolved into a game where it is solely played in a closed environment. Typically the word “pool” refers to this game these days.
There are a few variations of this game such as 8-ball, 9-ball, and straight pool. The most commonly played game of billiard played in the United States is 8-ball.
The International Pool Tour is a professional series where pool players make their living. The most prestigious pool tournament in the world is known as the World Open.
This is an annual tournament that is played and hosted by the International Pool Tour. Typically, the set of International Standardized Rules are the regulations that pool players play the games under.
In the game 8-ball a player determines a suit (either stripes or solids), then they are to pocket their entire suit, and afterward legally pocket the 8-ball. The first to do this wins the game out right.
9-ball is a game of billiards where the only balls that are on the table are the one through nine balls. The cue ball is also used when playing this game.
The player is required to make a legal shot on the ball that has the smallest number on it. If this does not happen each and every time that a player does it, a foul is called.
The way that this game is won is by legally pocketing the nine ball, either by pocketing it out right as the last ball left on the table or by using the lowest number ball to strike the nine ball into a pocket, but only after the first ball hit is the lowest number ball. While there are numerous local and regional leagues for 9-ball, there is no governing body for this game like 8-ball.
The largest professional tournament for both men and women in this game is the World 9-Ball Championship. Snooker is another version of billiards that is very popular through the world.
While not that immensely popular within the United States, snooker is a game that was originated in England and is still popular there today. The strategy of this game is make your opponent leave themselves exploited and open for the other player to make their play.
It is important to understand that the snooker form of billiards is played with no pockets. Snooker is played at a highly competitive level in the United Kingdom.
There are some interesting views about a rule of billiards. The controversy is that some think that both feet must remain on the floor in pocket billiards.
Here are the rules from The Billiard Congress of America:
FOOT ON FLOOR
The Player must have at least one foot in contact with the floor at the moment the cue tip contacts the cue ball, or the shot is a foul. Foot attire must be normal in regard to size, shape and manner in which it is worn.
I then took my research to the World Pool-Billiard Association in which I found that the rule is the same, as follows:
NO FOOT ON FLOOR
If the shooter does not have at least one foot touching the floor at the instant the tip contacts the cue ball, the shot is a foul.
There is no deviation from this rule for 8-Ball, 9-Ball, 14.1 Continuous, One Pocket or Blackball as the general rules apply unless there is a deviation from the general rules within the rules of the specific game, which there are not.
I hope that this helps to end the controversy about whether both feet must remain on the floor in pocket billiards.
Most of the services reviewed by this website are available or may be accessed from Australia (see 