English Billiards

Except when clearly contradicted by these additional rules, the General Rules of Carom Billiards apply.

TYPE OF GAME Is a game which tests player's ability to carom (canon), and sink balls (play a winner). The game stresses cue ball and object ball control, over all three balls, in order to achieve large breaks.

PLAYERS Two individuals, or two teams.

EQUIPMENT Two cue balls, marked differently so as to be distinguishable from one another, and a red ball. The table is a snooker table (no smaller than 5' by 10').

OBJECT OF THE GAME To reach a predetermined point count before your opponent.

SCORING Points can be scored in the following manners.

1. By scoring a winner. A winner is scored when the red ball is potted (sunk).
2. By scoring a loser. A loser is scored when a player cleanly takes his cue ball of the red ball and into a pocket.
3. By scoring a canon. A canon is scored when the shooter's cue ball touched the red ball and his opponent's cue ball on the same stroke.

Each of the above is worth one point. It is possible to get two points on a stroke by combining a canon and a winner. If a loser is combined with either a canon or a winner the player's turn is over (no penalty is imposed though) -- the stroke does not result in a legal count.

OPENING BREAK Player's lag to determine who starts the game. The game is started out of the "D" by the breaker, with only his cue and the red ball on the table (the second player removes his cue from the table for the breaker's first inning). The red-ball starts on the 7-spot.

RULES OF PLAY A legal counting stroke entitles the shooter to continue at the table until he fails to legally count.

The second player starts the game by accepting the balls in the position they came to rest at when the first player's inning ended. The second player must start from the "D".

Subsequent innings start with the player's accepting the balls in the positions they came to rest at when the previous player ended his inning.

ILLEGALLY POTTED BALL The red ball is spotted on the 7-spot. The opponent's cue ball will be put in play, by the opponent, from the "D". (Note: potting the opponent's cue ball ends the shooter's inning.)

JUMPED OBJECT BALL If it is the red ball it is spotted on the 7-spot. If it is the opponent's cue ball it is spotted on the 4-spot. A foul is assessed for the ball having left the bed of the table.

CUE BALL AFTER JUMP OR SCRATCH The ball is spotted on the 5-spot, and a penalty is assessed for the ball having left the bed of the table.

PENALTIES FOR FOULS One point will be deducted from the offender's score for each foul, and his inning is over.

These rules are used by Billy Aardd's Club, NMIMT, Socorro, NM.