Equipment Specifications

These are the equipment measurements recognized for regulation play. They are reproduced here as a reference for table owners and are not specific to any one service area.

Table sizes and bed height

• Regulation play areas are twice as long as they are wide, within an eighth of an inch, measured cushion nose to cushion nose.
• Common sizes are 3 1/2 by 7 feet, 4 by 8 feet, and 4 1/2 by 9 feet.
• A 4 1/2 by 9 foot table with a 50 by 100 inch play area is the recognized professional tournament size.
• Bed height measures between 29 1/4 and 31 inches from the bottom of the leg to the playing surface.

Pocket openings

Pocket openings are measured across the mouth, from tip to tip of the opposing cushion noses where the direction changes into the pocket.

• Corner pocket mouth: 4 7/8 to 5 1/8 inches.
• Side pocket mouth: 5 3/8 to 5 5/8 inches.
• Corner pocket entrance angle: 142 degrees, plus or minus 1 degree.
• Side pocket entrance angle: 103 degrees, plus or minus 2 degrees.
• Vertical pocket angle: 12 to 15 degrees.

Shelf and slate radius

The shelf is the distance from the middle of the mouth — the line between the two points where the cushion noses turn into the pocket — to the middle of the vertical cut in the slate. The drop point radius is the rounding between that vertical cut and the playing surface.

• Corner pocket shelf: 1 5/8 to 1 7/8 inches.
• Side pocket shelf: 0 to 3/8 inches.
• Drop point slate radius: 1/8 to 1/4 inch.

Playing bed

• The surface holds an overall flatness within .020 inch lengthwise and .010 inch across the width.
• Deflection under a concentrated 200 pound static load at the center does not exceed .030 inch.
• After leveling and shimming, all slate joints sit in the same plane within .005 inch.
• Tournament tables use three-piece slate at least 1 inch thick, with a wooden frame of at least 3/4 inch attached to the slate.
• Home and coin-operated tables with a one-piece slate can still qualify for sanctioned play as long as the play area meets the sizes above.
• The playing surface is fastened solidly to the base frame with screws or bolts.
• The bed is covered with a billiard cloth of largely wool content, tensioned to avoid unwanted roll-off.

Cushions

Cushions should return a ball along the three angles used by the diamond system, to within one ball width. A simple speed check: place a ball on the head spot and shoot it through the foot spot with center-ball, a level cue and a firm stroke. It should travel at least four to four and a half table lengths without leaving the bed.

Balls and cues

• Pocket billiard balls weigh 5 1/2 to 6 ounces and measure 2 1/4 inches in diameter, within .005 inch.
• A player may bring a maximum of three cues to a match.
• Cue tip width: no minimum, 14 millimeters maximum.
• Cue weight: no minimum, 25 ounces maximum.
• Cue length: 40 inches minimum, no maximum.
• The tip is leather or another pliable material that cannot scratch or damage the cue ball. It continues the line of the shaft and is the only part of the cue that touches the cue ball.
• A metal ferrule may be no more than 1 inch long.

These measurements follow the equipment standards published by the Billiard Congress of America.