Billiards rules, for watching
Start with how a match works. Then the rules you see every few minutes, then the ones that change results.
Checked 14 October 2026
Settling an argument? Search all 14 rules
- How do you play English billiards?
- How big is a billiards table, and where are the spots?
- Who plays first in English billiards?
- How many points is each shot worth in English billiards?
- How is a game of English billiards won?
- What does "in-hand" mean in billiards?
- What is a miss in English billiards?
- Is there a limit on repeating the same shot in billiards?
- What is the baulk-line crossing rule in billiards?
- Where does the red go when it is potted in billiards?
- What is a foul in English billiards?
- What happens after a foul in English billiards?
- What happens if a billiards player behaves badly or plays too slowly?
- What do the referee and marker do in English billiards?
Where these rules come from
| Tag | Document |
|---|---|
| WPBSA Billiards with section and rule, for example WPBSA Billiards 3.4(a) (Section 3 Rule 4(a)) | World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Official Rules of the Games of Snooker and English Billiards (May 2022 update), English Billiards part. Read in full |
| WPBSA Snooker with section and rule | The snooker part of the same book. Used for the comparison rows |
| R | "Why the rule exists", or a point reasoned from the rule, not stated in it |
| C | Common usage or general knowledge, not a rule |
| Not saved | A document that exists and is not in research/ |
Checked on 14 October 2026.
Not covered: the International Billiards and Snooker Federation's English billiards rules (the amateur world body), the Indian federation's rule document (not looked for), WPBSA tournament regulations and carom billiards. None is saved.