Why is there a line across a snooker table?

The table is divided by lines drawn on the surface, called balklines , into marked regions called balk spaces . Balk spaces define areas of the table surface in which a player may only score up to a threshold number of points while the opponent's cue ball and the object ball are within that region.

Why is there a line on a snooker table?

Originally in Billiards there was no Baulk line, but practitioners became too good at making billiards and so a Baulk line was added. The rules were changed so that after a specified number of direct cannons, the cue ball had to travel into and out of baulk for the break to continue. Who is the best snooker player?

What are the markings on a snooker table?

The markings for snooker can be worked out quite easily. The Brown, Blue, Pink and Black spots are all on the central line of the table between the centres of the top and bottom cushions. The baulk-line should be drawn at a distance of 1/5 of the playing length (ie: inside the cushions) away from the baulk cushion.

What is the bulk line in snooker?

The baulk line is the white line you can see on the table when you look at overhead shots on TV, and is situated 31 inches from the top of a 6ft by 12ft table (the distance differs on tables of different sizes). The baulk line is also home to the D.

What does the line on a pool table mean?

Sights are inset at equal distances along the rails of a pool table's long and short sides. The diamond on one side of the table will correspond directly with the diamond on the opposite side. The invisible line divides the table into a grid that is made up of equal sections.

How to Mark the Spots and Baulk Line on a Snooker Table

What does it mean when a pool table is slated?

A slate bed is a piece of rock slate, up to an inch thick, originally extracted from the earth in a slate mine. The rock is then machined and cut into shape before being mechanically honed to create a perfectly flat surface. It is then fixed into the cabinet of the table and covered with a cloth.

What is an illegal snooker?

The right hand red ball is stopping (arrowed) from making the finest cut possible on the right hand side of the yellow ball. This situation IS a "foul snooker" to the player on yellows. You cannot be snookered on an object ball if the cue ball is touching that object ball.

What is a kiss in snooker?

A kiss shot is a type of billiards shot in which the shooting player strikes the cue ball with the intent of hitting an object ball so that it will ricochet off a rail or another ball (this contact is the “kiss”) before going into the pocket.

What is the tangent line in snooker?

The tangent line is the line between the balls when they touch. Any shot you shoot with an angle, the cue ball always starts moving down the tangent line after it collides with the object ball.

What is the green stuff on a snooker table called?

Baize is often used on billiard tables to cover the slate and cushions , and is often used on other kinds of gaming tables (usually gambling) such as those for blackjack, baccarat, craps and other casino games.

What are the two ends of a snooker table called?

The table usually has a slate base, covered in green baize. A baulk line is drawn across the width of the table, 29 inches (74 cm) from the cushion at one end; these two latter items are respectively designated as the baulk cushion and baulk end.

What are snooker table balls called?

The game arose, presumably in India, as a game for soldiers in the 1870s. The game is played with 22 balls, made up of one white ball (the cue ball); 15 red balls, valued at 1 point each; one yellow, 2 points; one green, 3; one brown, 4; one blue, 5; one pink, 6; and one black, 7.

Why is snooker not pool?

Pool involves a table with six pockets. You need 15 balls, but some people play with just nine. Don't forget the cue ball. Snooker uses a table that has six pockets, but the table is generally larger than pool tables.

Why do snooker players tap their finger on the table?

Why do snooker players tap their middle finger? Many snooker players tap their middle finger as it helps firm the bridge hand avoiding a shaky delivery of the cue.

Why do snooker players wipe the table?

They believe that this allows clean contact on the shot as less chalk plumes are produced when the shot is played. With the traditional chalk, marks are left on the table, causing the balls to be pick them up on travel.

What is killer in snooker?

Killer or killers is a multi-player folk variant of straight pool in which each player is assigned a set number of "lives" and takes one shot per inning to attempt to pocket ( pot ) a ball, or else lose a life.

Why do snooker players use their chin?

Resting the chin on or just above the cue helps a snooker player achieve proper visual alignment for their shot. Top players practice their shot alignment obsessively, dialing it in so that their heads and eyes are perfectly positioned to visualize the line of the shot.

What shot is illegal in snooker?

Jump shots are illegal in International Snooker. It is a foul if the striker intentionally causes the cue ball to jump (rise from the bed of the table) by any means, if the jump is an effort to clear an obstructing ball.

Why do Americans not play snooker?

Why don't Americans play snooker? Just never been much of a tradition of it in the U.S. By the time snooker was developed in British-ruled India and spread from there, straight pool had already become established as the cue sport of choice in America.

Is snooker a mental game?

What snooker players don't realise is that snooker's four mental skills are as important and as difficult as snooker's four physical skills of technique, cue action, aiming, and positional play.

What is the snooker controversy?

Triple Crown winners Yan Bingtao and Zhao Xintong are the highest-profile names caught up in the sport's biggest corruption scandal. Following a three-month investigation by integrity chiefs, the 2021 Masters champion Bingtao, 22, has been charged with “fixing matches on the World Snooker Tour and betting on snooker”.

What is the D for in pool?

A semi-circle or “D” is drawn on the head side of the baulk line. Six black spots are placed on the playing surface to mark the coloured snooker balls positions.

What is the top of a pool table called?

Top Rails – The top surface of the table, no covered by cloth, from which the cushions protrude toward the playing surface. The head and foot rails are the short rails on those ends of the table; the right and the left rails are the long rails, dictated by standing at the head of the table and facing the foot end.

Can I play snooker on a 7ft pool table?

Although, on smaller tables, snooker can be played with fewer red balls to make the table less crowded with balls. We would not recommend a table smaller than 7ft to do this.