The 14th ball of each rack; called the key ball because it is so critical in obtaining position for the all
important first (or break) shot of each reracking of the balls.
Kick Shot (General)
A shot in which the cue ball banks off a cushion(s) prior to making contact with an object ball or scoring.
Kill Shot (Pocket games)
See dead ball shot.
Kiss (General)
Contact between balls. (See kiss shot.)
Kiss Shot (Pocket games)
A shot in which more than one contact with object balls is made by the cue ball; for example, the cue ball might kiss from one object
ball into another to score the latter ball. Shots in which object balls carom off one or more other
object balls to be pocketed. (Also see carom shots.)
Kiss-Out (General)
Accidental contact between balls that causes a shot to fail.
Kitchen (Pocket games)
A slang term used to describe the area of the table between the head string and the cushion on the head end of the
table. (Also called the area above the head string.)
Lag (Carom games)
A shot in which the cue ball is shot three or more cushions before contacting the object balls.
Lag for Break (General)
Procedure used to determine starting player of game. Each player shoots a ball from behind the head
string to the foot cushion, attempting to return the ball as closely as possible to the head cushion.
(See General Rules of Pocket Billiards, Carom Billiards.)
Leave (Pocket games)
The position of the balls after a player's shot.
Long (General)
Usually refers to a ball which, due to english and speed, travels a path with wider angles than those that
are standard for such a ball if struck with natural english and moderate speed.
Long String (Pocket games)
A line drawn from the center of the foot cushion to the foot spot (and beyond if necessary) on which balls are spotted.
Losing Hazard (Snooker)
Occurs when the cue ball is pocketed after contact with an object ball.
Lot (General)
Procedure used, not involving billiard skills, to determine starting player or order of play. Common methods used are flipping
coins, drawing straws, drawing cards, or drawing peas or pills.
Masse Shot (General)
A shot in which extreme spin is applied to the cue ball by elevating the cue butt at an angle with the bed of the table of
anywhere between 30 and 90 degrees. The cue ball usually takes a curved path, with more curve resulting from increasing
cue stick elevation.
Match (General)
The course of play that starts when the players are ready to lag and ends when the deciding game ends.
Mechanical Bridge (General)
A grooved device mounted on a handle providing support for the shaft of the cue during shots difficult to rerach with
normal bridge hand. Also called a crutch or rake.
Miscue (General)
A stroke which results in the cue tip contact with cue ball being faulty. Usually the cue tip slides off the cue ball
without full transmission of the desired stroke. The stroke usually results in a sharp sound and discoloration
of the tip and/or the cue ball at the point of contact.
Miss (General)
Failure to execute a completed shot.
Miss (Snooker)
The call the referee makes in snooker if it is judged the player has not endeavored to the best
of his ability to hit the ball on.
Natural (Carom games)
A shot with only natural angle and stroke required for successful execution; a simple or
easily visualized, and accomplished, scoring opportunity.
Natural English(General)
Moderate sidespin applied to the cue ball that favors the direction of the cue ball path, giving the cue ball a natural
roll and a bit more speed than a center hit.
Natural Roll (General)
Movement of the cue ball with no english applied.
Nip Draw (General)
A short, sharp stroke, employed when a normal draw stroke would result in a foul due to drawing
the cue ball back into the cue tip.
Nurses (Carom games)
Techniques whereby the balls are kept close to the cushions and each other, creating a succession of
relatively easy scoring opportunities.
Object Balls (General)
The balls other than the cue ball on a shot.
Object Ball, The (Pocket games)
The particular object ball being played on a shot.
On Ball (Snooker)
See ball on.
Open Break (Pocket games)
The requirement in certain games that a player must drive a minimum of four object balls out of the rack to the cushions
in order for the shot to be legal.
Opening Break Shot (General)
The first shot of a game.
Peas (Pocket games)
Small plastic or wooden balls numbered 1 through 15 or 16, use defined in specific game rules. (Called pills.) See pills.
Plant (Snooker)
A position of two or more red balls that allows a ball to be driven into a pocket with a combination shot.
Position (General)
The placement of the cue ball on each shot relative to the next planned shot. Also called "shape."
Pot (Snooker)
The pocketing of an object ball.
Powder (General)
Talc or other fine, powdery substance used to facilitate free, easy movement of the cue shaft through the bridge.
Power Draw Shot (General)
Extreme draw applied to the cue ball. (See force draw.
Push Shot (General)
A shot in which the cue tip maintains contact with the cue ball beyond the split second allowed for a normal and legally stroked shot.
Pyramid (Pocket games)
Positioning of the object balls in a triangular grouping (with the front apex ball on the foot spot), used to begin
many pocket billiard games.
Pyramid Shot (Snooker)
The same as the pink spot. The spot is marked midway between the center spot and the face of the top cushion.
Race (General)
Pre-determined number of games necessary to win a match or set of games. For example, a match that
is the best 11 out of 21 games is called a race to 11, and ends when one player has won 11 games.
Rack
The triangular equipment ;used for gathering the balls into the formation required by the game being played.
Rails (General)
The top surface of the table, not covered by cloth, from which the cushions protrude toward the
playing surface. The head and foot rails are the short rails on those ends ot the table; the right and
left rails are the long rails, dictated by standing at the head end of the table and facing the foot end.
Red Ball (Carom games)
The red-colored object ball. (Also the name of a particular 3-cushion billiard game.)
Rest (Snooker)
The mechanical bridge.
Reverse English (General)
Sidespin applied to the cue ball, that favors the opposite direction of the natural cue ball path-i.e. inside english.
Round Robin (General)
A tournament format in which each contestant plays each of the other players once.
Running English (General)
Sidespin applied to the cue ball which causes it to rebound from a cushion at a narrower angle and at a faster speed
than it would if struck at the same speed and direction without english.
Run (General)
The total of consecutive scores, points or counts made by a player in one inning. The term is also used to indicate the total
number of full short-rack games won without a missed shot in a match or tournament.
Safety (General)
Defensive positioning of the balls so as to minimize the opponent's chances to score. (The nature and rules concerning
safety play are decidedly different in specific games; see individual game rules regarding safety play.) A player's
inning usually ends after a safety play.
Scratch (Carom games)
To score a point largely by accident, due to an unanticipated kiss, unplanned time-shot, etc.
Scratch (Pocket games)
The cue ball is going into a pocket on a stroke.
Seeding (General)
Pre-determined initial pairings or advanced positioning of players in a field of tournament competition.
Set (General)
A subdivision of a match, usually consisting of a number of games. For example, a match might
be best 3 of 5 sets with each set a race to 7 games.
Shaft (General)
The thinner part of a cue, on which the cue tip is attached. On a two-piece cue, the shaft extends from the cue tip to the joint.
Shake Bottle (Pocket games)
See bottle.
Shot
An action that begins at the instant the cue tip contacts the cue ball, and ends when all balls in play stop rolling and spinning.
Shot Clock (General)
Any timing device used to gauge the time limit in which a player is allowed to play a shot. The timing device must have at
least the functions of a stop watch: reset to zero, start, and stop. A simple wrist watch without
timing functions is not sufficient.
Short (General)
Usually refers to a ball which, due to english and stroke, travels a path
closer to perpendicular to the rail than those for a ball struck without english.
Short-Rack (Pocket games)
Games which utilize fewer than 15 countable object balls.
Single Elimination (General)
A tournament format in which a single loss eliminates a player from the competition.
Snake (Carom games)
A shot in which the use of english causes the cue ball to make three or more
cushion contacts, though utilizing only two different cushions. Also called a double-the-rail shot.
Snookered (Snooker)
The condition of imcoming player's cue ball position when he cannot shoot in a straight line and
contact all portions of an on ball directly facing the cue ball (because of balls not "on"
that block the path).
Split Double Elimination (General)
A modification of the double elimination tournament format, in which the field is divided into sections,
with one player emerging from each of the sections to compete for the championship, in a single
showdown match for the championship.
Split Hit
A shot in which it cannot be determined which object ball(s) the cue ball contacted first, due to the
close proximity of the object balls.
Spot (General)
The thin, circular piece of cloth or paper glued onto the cloth to indicate the spot locality (i.e.,
head spot, center spot, foot spot); also an expression to describe a handicap.
Spot Ball (Carom games)
The white ball differentiated from the clear by one or more markings; usually spots, dots or circles.
Spot Shot (Pocket games)
Player shoots a ball on the foot spot with the cue ball in hand behind the the head string.
Spotting Balls (General)
Replacing balls to the table in positions as dictated by specific game rules.
Stance (General)
The position of the body during shooting.
Stop Shot (Pocket games)
A shot in which the cue ball stops immediately upon striking the object ball.
Striker (Snooker)
The player who is about to shoot and has yet to complete his inning.
Stroke (General)
The movement of the cue as a shot is executed.
Successive Fouls (Pocket games)
Fouls made on consecutive strokes by the same player, also called consecutive fouls.
Table in Position (General)
Term used to indicate that the object balls remain unmoved following a shot.
Throw Shot (Pocket games)
1. A shot in which english alters the path of the object ball.
2. A combination shot of
frozen or near frozen balls in which the rubbing of the first ball across the second ball
pulls the shot away from the line joining the centers of the two balls.
Time Shot (General)
A shot in which the cue ball (most often) moves another ball into a different position
and then continues on to meet one of the moved balls for a score.
Top Cushion (Snooker)
The cushion located at the foot of a snooker table-closest to the black spot.
Triangle (Pocket games)
The triangular device used to place the balls in position for the start of most games.
Yellow Ball (Carom games)
In international competition the spot ball has been replaced by a yellow ball without any markings.
