How big is a snooker table, and where do the balls go?
Officials' detail · The game · 1 of 1The playing area is 11 ft 8½ in by 5 ft 10 in (3569 mm by 1778 mm), with six pockets. A line across the near end marks baulk, with the D on it. The six colours start on their own spots, and the fifteen reds sit in a tight triangle behind the pink.
How it works
- Playing area: 3569 mm by 1778 mm inside the cushions, give or take 13 mm.
- Height: 2 ft 10 in (864 mm) to the top of the cushion rail.
- Baulk-line: 29 in (737 mm) from the bottom cushion; the line and the space behind it are baulk.
- The D: a half-circle of radius 11½ in (292 mm) centred on the middle of the baulk-line.
- Spots: yellow at the right corner of the D and green at the left, seen from the baulk end; brown in the middle of the baulk-line; blue at the centre of the table; pink midway between the blue and the top cushion; black 12¾ in (324 mm) from the top cushion.
- Reds: a tightly packed triangle with its apex as close to the pink as possible without touching the pink's spot, base parallel to the top cushion.
- Balls: 52.5 mm across, with no more than 3 g between the heaviest and lightest in a set.
- Cue: at least 3 ft (914 mm), of the traditional tapered shape.
- Rests and extensions: allowed, though devices to aid cueing or sighting need the governing body's approval.
The glossary has the table, the baulk, the D, the spots, the cue and the pocket.
Tricky cases
Is a smaller pub or club table still snooker?
The rules define the standard table. Smaller tables are common for practice and leisure, but official events use the full size.
Which side of the D does the yellow go?
On the right, seen from the baulk end, with the green on the left and the brown between them.
The table is set up wrongly and play starts. What happens?
The rules for balls not correctly spotted apply: once a stroke is played, the balls count as correctly spotted for later strokes.
Can a player bring their own extension to the table?
Yes, but the striker is responsible for any foul made with equipment they bring, and aids to cueing must be approved.
Why the rule exists
Fixed sizes and spots make every table play alike, so a break or a safety shot learnt on one table works on another. The triangle and the spots also give every frame the same start.
Where it differs
| Where | What changes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Table | Same playing area in snooker and English billiards | WPBSA Snooker 1.1; WPBSA Billiards 1.1 |
| English billiards | Three balls and four spots | WPBSA Billiards 1.1 to 1.2 |
| Pool | Smaller table with different pockets | C |
From the rule book
World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association, Official Rules of the Games of Snooker and English Billiards (May 2022 update), snooker part, Section 1 Rules 1 to 4 and Section 3 Rules 2(a), 2(b) and 7(c). Checked 14 October 2026. Official document: the association's rule book, which covers snooker and English billiards together.