Table Care
K-55 and K-66 cushion profiles are not interchangeable pool-table parts
Identify a pool table’s rail and cushion profile before ordering rubber. K-55 and K-66 describe fit, not a simple quality ranking.
AT THE TABLE
Journal
Rules & Etiquette
Three-cushion billiards counts rail contacts before the second object ball
Learn the scoring sequence in three-cushion carom billiards, including why three contacts do not have to involve three different cushions.
Tournament Play
A pool shot clock has rules for starting, stopping and requesting time
Before playing pool on a shot clock, confirm the start point, warning, extension and foul rule. The event’s timing procedure matters as much as the display.
Snooker Rules
When a snooker colour’s spot is occupied, there is an order to the alternatives
A potted snooker colour does not always return to its usual spot. Learn the order used when a spot is occupied and what to watch in a referee’s decision.
Pool Rules
A jump shot and scooping under the cue ball are different strokes
A legal pool jump is not a scoop beneath the cue ball. Understand the contact distinction, current WPA wording and the room rules before practising.
Pool Rules
In eight-ball, a combination still has to begin with a legal first contact
In WPA eight-ball, potting your called ball does not excuse contacting the wrong group first. Follow the cue ball before judging a combination.
Pool Fundamentals
A pool template rack should not become an unnoticed obstacle
A pool racking template can remain beneath balls after the break. Check who may remove it, when to wait and where to put it once it leaves the cloth.
Pool Rules
The warning that matters before a third consecutive foul in nine-ball
Understand consecutive fouls in WPA nine-ball, why the two-foul warning matters and how a legal shot resets the sequence.
Pool Rules
When a hanging ball drops late, the timing can change the ruling
A ball hovering at a pocket is not always a completed pot. Learn why the WPA’s settling rule makes the timing and referee’s decision important.