Earl Shilton Social Institute

Billiards....Definitions

1 Game

A game is the period of play from the opening stroke until it is completed by
(a) reaching the end of a specified period of time,
(b) either side reaching the number of points specified, or
(c) being awarded by the referee under Section 4 Rule 2.

2 Match

A match is an agreed or stipulated number of games.

3 Balls

(a) The cue-ball is the ball of the striker
(b) The other white ball and the red are object balls.

4 Stringing

Stringing is when both players (or one from each side) play together from the Baulk-line on either side of the "D" to the top cushion, with the object of leaving the ball played closer to the bottom cushion than the ball played by the opponent.

5 Striker

The person about to play or in play is the striker and remains so until the referee has decided he has left the table at the end of his turn.

6 Stroke

(a) A stroke is made when the striker strikes the cue-ball with the tip of the cue.
(b) A stroke is fair when no infringement of Rule is made.
(c) A stroke is not completed until all balls have come to rest.
(d) A stroke may be made directly or indirectly, thus:
(i) a stroke is direct when the cue-ball strikes an object ball without first striking a cushion
(ii) a stroke is indirect when the cue-ball strikes one or more cushions before striking the first, or second object ball.

7 Pot

A pot is when an object ball, after contact with another ball and without any infringement of these Rules, enters a pocket. Causing a ball to be potted is known as potting. A pot is also known as a winning hazard.

8 In-off

An in-off is when the cue-ball, after contacting an object ball and without any infringement of these Rules, enters a pocket. If both object balls are contacted by the cue-ball, it is held to have gone in-off the first object ball contacted. An in-off is also known as a losing hazard.

9 Hazard

A hazard is any scoring stroke that does not include a cannon, being any of
(a) a pot,
(b) an in-off,
(c) two pots,
(d) a pot and an in-off, or
(e) two pots and an in-off.

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0 Cannon

A cannon is when, without any infringement of these Rules, the cue-ball makes contact with both object balls during a stroke.

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1 Break

A break is a number of scoring strokes in succession made in any one turn by the striker.

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2 In-hand

(a) A player's ball is in-hand
(i) before the start of each game,
(ii) when it has entered a pocket, or
(iii) when it has been forced off the table.
(b) It remains in-hand until
(i) it is played fairly from in-hand,
(ii) a foul is committed whilst the ball is on the table, or
(iii) it is spotted under Section 3 Rules 10(c)or 15(c)(ii).
(c) The striker is said to be in-hand when the cue-ball is in-hand as above.

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3 Ball in Play

(a) A player's ball is in play when it is not in-hand.
(b) The red is in play when spotted and remains so until pocketed or forced off the table.

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4 Ball in Baulk

A ball is in Baulk when it rests on the Baulk-line or between that line and the bottom cushion.

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5 Forced off the table

A ball is forced off the table if it comes to rest other than on the bed of the table or in a pocket, or if it is picked up by the striker whilst it is in play.

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6 Miss

A miss is when the cue-ball fails to contact either object ball.

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7 Foul

A foul is any infringement of these Rules.

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8 Spot Occupied

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

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9 Push Stroke

A push stroke is made when the tip of the cue remains in contact with the cue-ball
(a) after the cue-ball has commenced its forward motion, or
(b) as the cue-ball makes contact with an object ball except, where the cue-ball and an object ball are almost touching, it shall not be deemed a push stroke if the cue-ball hits a very fine edge of the object ball.

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0 Jump shot

A jump shot is made when the cue-ball passes over any part of an object ball, whether touching it in the process or not, except:
(a) when the cue-ball first strikes one object ball and then jumps over the other ball.
(b) when the cue-ball jumps and strikes an object ball, but does not land on the far side of that ball.
(c) When, after striking a ball lawfully, the cue-ball jumps over that ball after hitting a cushion or another ball.

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