For definitions of terms (like: Baulk, Break, Cannon, Hazard, In-off, Pot, Top, and Bottom) please refer to the WPBSA Official Rules for the game of ENGLISH BILLIARDS.
Except where clearly contradicted by the following, the General Rules of Carom Billiards apply.
Is a game which tests a player's ability to carom (canon), sink balls (play a winner), and play safeties. The game stresses cue ball and object ball control, over all three balls, in order to achieve large runs (breaks).
Two individuals, or two teams.
Two cue balls, marked differently so as to be distinguishable from one another (usually one white and a yellow, or another white with dots), and a red ball. The table is a snooker table (no smaller than 5' by 10').
To reach a predetermined point count before your opponent. A short game might be to 100 points. A full game is usually 300 points.
Note that the non-shooter's cue ball is an object ball for the shooter.
Points are be scored for all of the following:
Three-point scores are: potting the red, or a losing hazard off the red.
Players lag to determine who starts the game. The game is started out of the "D" by the breaker, with only his cue and the red ball on the table (the second player removes his cue from the table for the breaker's first inning). The red-ball starts on the black (7-ball) spot (nearest the top cushion).
A legal counting stroke entitles the shooter to continue at the table until he fails to legally count.
The second player starts the game by accepting the balls in the position they came to rest at when the first player's inning ended. The second player must start from the "D".
Subsequent innings start with the player accepting the balls in the positions they came to rest at when the previous player ended his inning.
The "D" is within the baulk area. The baulk area extends from the bottom cushion to the baulk line (which is drawn from one long cushion to the other), and includes the baulk line.
Contacting a ball or cushion out of baulk constitutes playing out of baulk. The cue ball may be played against a cushion in baulk before hitting a ball out of baulk.
A ball is not considered to be spotted unless it was placed there by hand. If a spotted ball is touched by another ball, even if not moved from the spot, it is no longer considered to be spotted.
If the red is potted twice in a row from either the black or pink spot it will be placed on the blue spot. If the blue spot is not available it will be placed on the pink spot. If both the blue and the pink are not available it will go to the black spot and won't be considered in counts from the black spot.
Cannon are limited to 75 consecutive counts. After 75 consecutive counts either a hazard or a safety must be played (scoring with another cannon is a foul).
Consecutive hazards (any combination of winning or losing) are limited to a count of 15. The shooter shall be notified when he counts 10 hazards. Failure to so notify the shooter will allow the shooter to take five more hazards AFTER HE IS NOTIFIED that he is at 10 hazards. Shooting more then 15 hazards is a foul.
If it is the red ball it is spotted on the 7-spot (when available, see RED BALL SPOTTING for more info).
If it is the opponent's cue ball it is spotted on the brown (4-ball, or baulk-center) spot. If that spot is not available it will go to the yellow (2-ball) spot at the right hand corner of the "D" (when looking from baulk towards the black spot, near the top cushion).
A foul is assessed for the ball having left the bed of the table.
The ball is spotted on the blue (5-ball, or table-center) spot, and a penalty is assessed for the ball having left the bed of the table.
A "miss" is when no object balls are out of baulk and the cue ball fails to contact an object ball.
If a miss has happened without running a coup the opponent will receive two points as penalty. The next shooter will play the balls from where they came to rest.
A miss is not a foul.
Is when the shooter plays his cue ball directly into a pocket (or takes it off the curved face of the pocket into that pocket) when no balls are out of baulk.
Running a coup is a foul.
The opponent is awarded two points for the violation.
The following is a partial listing of fouls:
The incoming player has the option of taking the table as-is, or playing out of the "D" (shooting out of baulk) with the red on the black spot and the opponent's cue ball on the blue spot (5-ball, or table-center) spot.