What is the free ball rule in English pool?

A free ball is a ball, other than the ball on, which the striker nominates as the ball on when snookered after a foul (see Section 3 Rule 12). A ball is forced off the table if it comes to rest other than on the playing area or in a pocket. Penalty points are awarded to the non-offender after any infringement.

What is a free ball in English pool?

Following a foul the table is declared 'open' and the oncoming player takes a 'free' shot. In doing so it is permissible to play onto any object ball. Any ball may be potted, including the black if it is 'on'.

What are the English rules of pool?

Objective. The game is played on a rectangular six pocket table with 15 balls (seven yellows, seven reds and one black 8-ball.) To win, a player or team must pocket all their group of object balls in any order, and then legally pocket the 8 ball.

How does English work on pool ball?

English or “side” refers to sidespin applied to the cue ball (CB) by hitting left or right of the cue-ball vertical centerline. Proper usage suggests the term “english” is preferable to “English” for describing sidespin, but “English” is also commonly used.

What is the best cue tip for English?

If you are looking for the best pool cue tip for english or draw, the Predator Victory billiard tip is the right cue tip for your pool stick.

The Rules of 8 Ball Pool (Eight Ball Pool) - EXPLAINED!

What is the difference between English pool and American pool rules?

The simplest answer is that the American pool tables are generally larger than English pool tables with the standard American pool table being an 7ft, 8ft or 9ft and the standard English pool table being a 6ft, 7ft or 8ft. The official tournament or professional sizes being 9ft for American, and 7ft for English.

Do you get 2 shots on the black in English pool?

If a player is on the black, they only get one shot, however this is free. b. A free shot: A player must hit a ball. Failing to do this results in the loss of the subsequent shot and the opponent having two shots.

Is pool different in England?

One of the most noticeable differences between British and American tables is their sizes. While British tables are almost exclusively either 6ft or 7ft in length, American pool tables are either 8ft or 9ft (the official size used in professional games and tournaments).

Is English pool harder than American?

With the larger pockets and balls, American pool is an easier game to pick up and learn, especially good if you have children you're looking to get into the game. The game is also a good deal faster with the smoother cloth.

What is a free ball?

noun. : a ball other than a legal forward pass that is not dead and not in the possession of any player in a football game and that may be recovered by either side.

Do you have to call a pocket in English pool?

In Call Shot, obvious balls and pockets do not have to be indicated. It is the opponent's right to ask which ball and pocket if he is unsure of the shot. Bank shots and combination shots are not considered obvious, and care should be taken in calling both the object ball and the intended pocket.

What is a pool table called in England?

A table designed for the games snooker and English billiards is usually called a snooker table or a plane.

Why are English pool tables smaller?

This is because they fit into buildings easier and require less room. This being said, the smaller American pool sized tables are still perfectly able to play an excellent game of American Pool. English Pool is played using smaller balls and smaller pockets, hence competition tables are only 6ft.

Why are swimming pools closing in the UK?

Across the country, 85 pools have been closed and not replaced since 2019. The number closing due to financial reasons – either because of insolvency or the facilities being unprofitable – has doubled compared with in the three years before the pandemic.

Is English or American pool better?

The short answer is that American tables are larger than British tables. The long answer is that British tables are almost exclusively made in 6ft or 7ft lengths. This makes them the best choice for home games rooms, where space and cueing room can be limited.

Are jump shots allowed in English pool?

3.27 JUMP SHOTS

Unless otherwise stated in rules for a specific game it is legal to cause the cue ball to rise off the bed of the table by elevating the cue stick on the shot, and forcing the cue ball to rebound from the bed of the table. Any miscue when executing a jump shot is a foul.

Can you use an American cue for English pool?

Using an American Cue for English Pool

For general play, a player would struggle using an American pool cue due to the difficulty in precise ball control. The cue tip is so large compared to the English cue ball that striking a specific point on it accurately is very difficult.

Why is cue ball smaller?

Generally, with older balls, the cue ball (CB) will be slightly smaller and lighter than the object balls (OBs) because it takes more abuse.

Why do they say English in pool?

When a cue ball is struck on either side of its vertical axis, giving it “sidespin," that's called "English" in billiards. It may also occur when a ball collides with another or with a rail. The term comes from the British players who first became famous with sidespin techniques.

What is the difference between English pool and snooker?

Snooker is played with 15 pink numberless balls, 6 numbered object balls, and 1 cue ball, while Pool is played on a table with 6 pockets, with 9 to 15 object balls, and in addition, a cue ball.

What happens if you foul in English pool?

A foul is anything (including the infractions below) that makes a shot illegal. It results in CB in hand to your opponent, where they can place the CB anywhere they want on the entire table (unless on break, in which case it is ball in had in the behind the head string).

Can you move the white ball after a foul in English pool?

Moving the White Ball

If a player pots the opponent's ball, it is foul, and the player loses their turn to the opponent. The opponent gets the cue ball in hand and can place the ball on the table as per convenience (behind the headstring) to take a shot.

When should you use English in pool?

English is mainly used for shots where you use rails to get better position. When the ball has left or right spin on the cue ball it will change the direction the cue ball goes off the rail.

What is a Russian pool table?

Russian pyramid, also known as Russian billiards (Russian: ру́сский билья́рд, russky bilyard), is a form of billiards played on a large billiard table with narrow pockets. It is popular across Eastern Europe as well as countries of the former Soviet Union/Eastern Bloc.