How big is a billiards table, and where are the spots?
Officials' detail · The game · 1 of 1The playing area is 11 ft 8½ in by 5 ft 10 in, inside the cushions, often called a 12-foot table. A baulk-line crosses the table 29 inches from the bottom cushion, with a half-circle called the D on it. Four spots lie on the centre line, and the balls are 52.5 mm across.
How it works
- Playing area: 3569 mm by 1778 mm, within 13 mm.
- Height: 2 ft 10 in (864 mm) to the top of the cushion rail.
- Bottom and top cushions: the two short sides. The bottom one is also called the baulk cushion.
- Baulk-line: 29 in (737 mm) from the bottom cushion. The line and the space behind it are baulk.
- The D: a half-circle on the baulk-line, radius 11½ in (292 mm).
- The Spot: 12¾ in (324 mm) from the top cushion.
- The Centre Spot: halfway along the table.
- The Pyramid Spot: halfway between the Centre Spot and the top cushion.
- A fourth spot: in the middle of the baulk-line.
- Pockets: four at the corners and two at the middle of the long sides.
- Balls: a red, a white and a yellow, or a spot white in place of the yellow, each 52.5 mm.
- Cue: at least 3 ft (914 mm) long, of traditional tapered shape.
The glossary has the table, the baulk, the D, the spots, the top cushion and bottom cushion and the object ball.
Tricky cases
Is a billiards table really 12 feet long?
Close to it. The playing area inside the cushions is 11 ft 8½ in, and the table with its cushions measures about 12 feet.
Is a ball on the baulk-line in baulk?
Yes, if it rests centrally on the line. The referee will say so if asked.
Can a player use a spot white instead of the yellow?
Yes. A set may be a red, a white and a yellow, or a red, a white and a spot white with two or more spots.
Must the balls weigh exactly the same?
As near as possible. The heaviest and lightest in a set may differ by no more than 0.5 g.
Why the rule exists
The baulk area and the D define where a player starts and where the safety tactics of the game are played. The spots give the referee fixed places to put balls back, which matters in a game in which the red returns to the table again and again.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Billiards | Four spots on the centre line | WPBSA Billiards 1.1(f) |
| Snooker | Six coloured-ball spots | WPBSA Snooker 1.1 |
| Billiards balls | Three, 52.5 mm | WPBSA Billiards 1.2 |
| Snooker balls | Twenty-two, 52.5 mm | WPBSA Snooker 1.2 |
From the rule book
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Official Rules of the Games of Snooker and English Billiards (May 2022 update), English Billiards part, English Billiards Section 1 and Section 2 Rule 15 and Section 3 Rule 7. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the association's rule book, which covers snooker and English billiards together.