What are the head string and the foot spot on a pool table?
Officials' detail · The general rules · 1 of 1The table has a head end, where the cue ball starts, and a foot end, where the object balls are racked. Four imaginary lines, called strings, divide it. The head string marks the quarter nearest the head rail; the foot spot, where the rack's front ball sits, lies on the foot string.
How it works
- Head and foot: the head end is where the cue ball usually begins; the foot end is where the object balls begin.
- Long string: down the centre of the table.
- Head string: bounds the quarter nearest the head rail; "above the head string" is the area between it and the head rail, not including the line.
- Foot string: bounds the quarter nearest the foot rail.
- Centre string: between the two side pockets.
- Spots: the foot spot where the foot and long strings meet; the head spot and centre spot in the same way.
- Diamonds: marks on the rails at quarters of the width and eighths of the length.
- Rails: the cushions, rail tops, pockets and pocket liners all count as part of the rails.
- Position of a ball: the point straight below its centre.
The glossary has the rack, the break shot, the discipline, the eight-ball, the nine-ball and the ball in hand.
Tricky cases
Is a ball sitting exactly on the head string "above" it?
No. Above the head string excludes the line itself, and a ball on the line is playable from there.
Are the strings drawn on the cloth?
Only the spots and lines that the game uses, such as the head string and the triangle outline.
Does the pocket count as part of the rail?
Yes. The pockets and their liners are parts of the rails.
Where is the cue ball when it is "on" a spot?
Its centre is directly over that spot.
Why the rule exists
Naming the lines and spots lets the rules say exactly where balls are racked and spotted and where the cue ball may go. The diamonds help players aim shots off the cushions.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Table parts | Strings, spots and diamonds | WPA 2.1 |
| Table sizes | Set in the WPA equipment specifications, not in these rules | Not saved |
| Blackball | A baulk line one fifth of the length from the head cushion | WPA 8.1 |
| Snooker | A baulk-line and the D | WPBSA Snooker 1.1 |
From the rule book
World Pool-Billiard Association, Rules of Play (effective 15 September 2025), Definitions 2.1 and 2.13. Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the WPA Rules of Play, revised from time to time.