To make billiard balls, the tusks of female elephants were more often used; the tusks of males were used to make second-class balls. Elephant tusks have channels that house capillaries and nerves; in female elephants, these channels run down the center of the tusk, while in male elephants they wind toward the end of the bone. Therefore, a billiard ball made from a male tusk is less balanced than a billiard ball made from a female tusk, and the main advantage of a billiard ball is its perfect rotation.

Considering the fact that only 4-5 balls were created from one elephant tusk. And at the same time, manufacturers of billiard balls especially valued the tusks of Indian elephants, since they have much larger dimensions than African tusks. We conclude that to create a whole set, the tusks of two adult Indian elephants were needed! And by the way, some crowned heads sported an ivory cue. As interest in billiards grew, the number of elephants decreased.

To avoid a deep decline in the elephant population, it was necessary to find other material. For these purposes, although without success, they used the teeth of hippopotamuses, sperm whales and wild boars. A rather difficult task arose - to find a material that would replace ivory as much as possible - in other words, an ivory surrogate - a synthetic substitute.

In 1863, Philan and Callender offered $10,000 to anyone who could come up with a material that could fully replace elephant tusks in the production of billiard balls. For thirty years the award waited in vain for the hero and remained unpresented. But artificial balls were still invented.

Hearing about the award, inventor Isaiah Hiatts began searching the required material. One day, the inventor spilled a bottle of collodion (cellulose nitrate) in his laboratory, which froze on the floor in the form of an elastic film. But the balls of frozen collodion split at the first blow. Hyatts later decided high temperatures and adding camphor to the collodion under pressure - this is how celluloid was formed. This material was easy to paint, which means it could be made to look like ivory. Hyatts offered many composite materials for the manufacture of balls with a celluloid shell, but they did not meet the requirements of Philland and Collender. Some of the balloons Hyatts developed sold quite well until a rumor spread that they could explode. In fact, it was just the upper shell of the ball bursting from strong blow, but billiard players believed the rumors and stopped buying these balls. This fact gave rise to the famous episode with the explosion in the billiard room from the film “New Adventures of the Elusive Ones.” And Mr. Hiatts began making dentures and other inventions.

Those who have played with ivory balls will no doubt say that mammoth ivory is the best material for making balls, while others, even if they were cheaper and stronger, will not provide those perfect forms, sound, elasticity and playing feel.

In the 19th century, artificial balls for a long time were not accepted by the players. The fact was that billiards at that time was considered the sport of rich people and cheap billiard balls embarrassed the rich. In the USA, a set of balls made of elephant tusks could cost very much - about 160 dollars (320 gold royal rubles), while a composite set was tens of times cheaper. At that time, there were already billiard tables in many public and inexpensive places, and poor people paid not so much for the game, but for the opportunity to feel like a serious and wealthy person. For this reason, billiard room owners were in no hurry to supply cheap equipment and lose customers. But the number of billiard players grew much faster than the number of elephants, and gradually composite balls still gained popularity. Moreover, the material for the balls was gradually improved.

And so, in 1907, Leo Bakeland invented Bakelite. This material had advantages compared to celluloid: it was lightweight, did not burn, and was cheap. By the way, the company A.E. Schmidt and Co. Chicago still continued to produce ivory billiard balls until 1975.

By the middle of the 20th century, phenol-formaldehyde resin began to be used in the production of balls, which was poured into a glass mold and hardened. Considering that previously plastic was poured into metal molds and compressed under enormous pressure, the new technological process was much simpler, which made the balls even cheaper.

In order to stop the killing of elephants, at a conference in Switzerland in October 1989, participating countries signed an agreement to ban the trade in ivory in these countries and backed it with monetary investment to protect elephants. It was assumed that such a ban would lead to an increase in ivory prices and the level of poaching in this area. But it turned out the other way around - prices fell, the ivory market died, poaching decreased significantly, and the number of elephants increased. This was a significant victory in the area of ​​security environment. But such joy was not shared by everyone, and especially by countries whose economies were damaged by the ivory trade ban and in June 1997, 138 countries voted to ease the seven-year ban, which allowed three southern African countries: Namibia, Zimbabwe and Botswana to sell ivory, but only Japan.

Today, billiard balls are made from special type plastic, which is extremely hard and can withstand a load of several tons. The service life of a billiard ball is measured by the number of hits and is about 500 thousand. In addition, the ball must have a strictly defined roughness, weight and density, because a certain movement of the billiard ball on the table surface depends on each of these parameters.

Now phenol-formaldehyde resin is the most popular material for balloons. This special composite material is used by the Belgian company Saluc, which produces about 80% of billiard balls in the world under the Aramith brand.Since 1923, this company has been engaged in chemistry in the leather industry, and when this market began to die, in the middle of the last century the company retrained to produce billiard equipment and bowling balls. Through countless tests, it has been proven that billiard balls made from the Belgian brand Aramith are suitable for play after 400,000 hits, and their perfect shape and balance may be the envy of balls from other brands.

If you are planning, then you need to choose according to the size of the pockets of your billiard table.

Well, first of all, you need to buy billiard balls taking into account the requirements for the parameters of the game you plan to play.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR BILLIARD BALLS:

Billiard balls for the Russian pyramid (Russian billiards)

Weight: 280-290 g

Diameter: 68 mm

Game set: 16 balls

Billiard balls for pool

Weight: 156-170 g

Diameter: 57.6mm

Game set: 16 balls

Weight: 198 - 213 g

Diameter: 62.0mm 60.8mm 62.4mm

Game set: 3 balls

What should billiard balls be like?

There are also general criteria, which billiard balls must be used for any type of game:

Ideal sphericity and smooth surface;

Strength of the structure (withstands loads up to 5 tons)

Calibrated by diameter and weight to achieve optimal level rebound

Bright, durable and clear colors;

High resistance to burns (250o C)

The center of gravity in the center of the ball should ensure perfect rolling of the ball on the playing surface of the table

If you have not yet made your choice, but are just about to purchase a billiards table, think about what you prefer to play. There are several types of this game. The most popular here are: Russian billiards (aka Russian pyramid), American pool and English snooker. There is still carom, but widespread in Russia he did not receive it. Each game has its own rules. Therefore, the tables for each of them have certain standards and differ in height and size.

What size should I choose for a billiards table?

Traditionally, tables are measured in feet. 1 foot is approximately equal to 0.30 m. The width of the field is equal to half the length.

Each game has its own nuances. The size of a traditional table for Russian pyramid and snooker is 12 feet, for pool - 9 feet. Unfortunately, not all of us have a room suitable for installing a full-size table, so there are commercial models of smaller sizes. The smallest size playing field- 6 feet. Children's pool tables are available from 4 feet.

By the way, in this section of the site you can visit our online store.

Selecting a room

If you have already decided on your gaming preferences, you should pay attention to the size of the room in which the billiard room will be equipped. Often the desire to buy a larger pool table is initially limited by the size of our room. After all, billiards is a game that requires a lot open space. Putting it in a cramped room means initially depriving yourself of a full-fledged game.

When calculating the length and width of the room, the parameters of the playing field of the billiard table itself, the length of the cue used to play the game, and the distance required for the swing are taken into account. Also add here the space needed for the furniture that will be in the billiard room: tables, ottomans or sofas for guests.

Calculation table for room sizes for installing billiard tables:

Table size (ft)	Playing field size (m)	Table size (m)	Room size (m)
			For Russian billiards	For the pool	For snooker
6	1.80×0.90	2.1×1.2	4.7×3.8	4.7×3.8	-
7	1.99×0.99	2.3×1.3	4.9×3.9	4.9×3.9	-
8	2.24×1.12	2.54×1.42	5.1×4.0	5.1×4.0	-
9	2.54×1.27	2.84×1.57	5.8×4.5	5.4×4.1	-
10	2.95×1.47	3.25×1.75	6.2×4.7	-	5.8×4.3
12	3.50×1.75	3.85×2.05	6.8×5.0	-	6.4×4.6

In addition to the difference in size, billiard tables differ in weight. The weight of the table depends mainly on what material the playing field is made of. If you plan to use the table in country house or in the country, then you need to pay attention to ensuring that the weight of the billiard table does not exceed the permissible load for the floor on which you plan to install it.

The weight of a pool table depends on the slab from which the playing field is made. The slab can be made of laminated chipboard, synthetic granite or slate stone. Each of these plates has its own advantages and disadvantages. The slabs differ in thickness (minimum 16 mm and maximum 45 mm). A difference of a few millimeters can add an extra 100 or more kilograms to the table. The thicker the slab, the more securely your table is installed. However, the choice depends on existing restrictions(weight, size, price).

Billiard table weight table:

Weight is approximate and varies depending on different manufacturers. Below are more detailed recommendations for each type of table.

Dimensions of tables for Russian billiards

Traditionally, pool table sizes are shown in feet. The smallest table for the Russian pyramid is 6 feet, the largest is 12 feet. The ratio of the length and width of the pool table should be 1:2. Height - 800-820 mm. Only billiard tables measuring 12 feet (3.85 x 2.05 m) are certified by the Billiard Sports Federation for official competitions.

Date of publication: 07/23/2017 08:32

Each billiard game requires balls of specific sizes. The standard sizes of billiard balls are the same for all countries and all companies, so you won’t have any problems purchasing the right balls.

The diameter of the ball depends not only on the type of game, but also on the table, since it is too big ball on a small table it will not fit into the pockets and will jump out of the table when struck, but a ball that is too small on a large table will not bounce off the sides quite correctly - and will enter the pockets too easily. For interesting game The sizes of the table and billiard balls should fit well.

Russian pyramid. The classic size of a billiard ball for Russian billiards is 68 (67) mm, ball weight is 284 (256) g. To play you need 15 white numbered balls and one cue ball. Balls with a diameter of 68 (67) mm are usually played on tables of 9-12 feet; for small tables it is better to take smaller balls.

For example, for tables of 7 and 8 feet you can buy balls from Aramith or other manufacturers with a diameter of 60.3 mm, for mini billiards (tables from 1.5 to 6 feet) - 57.2 mm or even 32 mm.

Pool. For American pool on 7-9 foot tables, you need pool balls of a standard diameter - 57.2 mm. For mini-tables, you will find balls of smaller diameter - 38 and 32 mm. There are other options for smaller balls, for example, 44.5 and 41.3 mm. Fans of English pool will need balls with a diameter of 52.4 or 50.8 mm.

Cannon. For this game you will only need 3 or 4 carom balls with a diameter of 61.5mm (slight variations allowed).

We have all the billiard ball sizes you need. We have both classic manufacturers (for example, the famous Belgian Aramith balls) and cheaper options. In addition, we have cue balls in a variety of sizes and practice balls in standard diameters.

Russian billiards is a unique game, and there are many reasons for this. The rules of Russian billiards are quite simple, and the game is so exciting and interesting that women and men of any age play it. social status and religion. The game is quite versatile, it must have a steady hand for accuracy, calculation of several moves ahead and slowness, thus billiards is called chess in motion. It is worth noting the great history of this game.

History of origin

Thanks to Peter I, who “cut a window to Europe,” Russia was able to obtain not only unknown products, fabrics, etc., but at the same time people learned about a game like billiards. The game became popular quite quickly, in all social circles. The only thing that caused some discomfort was the inability to purchase a table for Russian billiards, but over time, this problem was also solved. Not only the boyars, but Peter himself loved this game. It is necessary to take into account that billiards was most popular among the military; at that time it was impossible to find a headquarters where there was not a table for Russian billiards. Rumor that a a new game, thanks to which it was possible to develop accuracy and accuracy, quickly scattered, because of this, neither soldiers nor officers could live without billiards. Since the 19th century, billiards has become even more popular; it can be found in any public place. Now in any hotel or tavern everyone was interested in the presence of a billiard table.

Varieties of Russian billiards

There are several varieties of this game, and the rules of Russian billiards are basically all the same, but there are slight differences based on the specific type:

1. American.
2. Moscow pyramid.
3. Neva Pyramid.
4. Classic pyramid, or 71 points.

The differences in the games lie not only in the rules, but also in the purpose of the game.

Differences between types of Russian billiards

IN classic pyramid The winner is the player who scores 71 or more points in total, which are summed up based on the number of balls pocketed. Before performing a strike, the player must order the ball and pocket where the attack will be carried out. If the rules were violated, 5 points are deducted in favor of the opponent.

The Moscow pyramid is played exclusively on the cue ball. Victory is considered when the first eight balls are pocketed, and those balls that were received during a violation of the rules by the opponent are also taken into account.

For freehold For any type of game you need to know the rules of Russian billiards. Free pyramid (American) is played until one of the opponents pockets 8 balls first, and any ball can be taken as the cue ball, just like an object ball. For a violation, the opponent withdraws one ball as a penalty in his favor.

The Neva Pyramid has several similarities with the Moscow Pyramid. The entire game is played exclusively by striking the cue ball, but if the opponent breaks the rules, the second player has the right to choose: he can remove the ball from the table in his favor or refuse to do so and place the cue ball anywhere on the table.

In any case, before you start playing one form or another, you must first consider the rules of Russian billiards in more detail.

If you want to play one of the types of Russian billiards, you will need to become more familiar with the rules of each of them. To begin with, the main thing is to study and remember the provisions common to all.

Russian billiards-American

I would like to pay special attention to this particular type of game, since in modern world If you do not take into account tournaments, this type of billiards is the most common and popular. I would like to say that amateurs who are going to have a good time in the billiard hall give preference to the American one. The game is more dynamic compared to its counterparts. Many professional players also started with this game, as it develops a lot of skills that will be relevant in the future. Russian billiards “American” allows you to develop “putting”, in other words, the ability to put balls into pockets, “one’s own” and “someone else’s”, that is, from the ball and aiming, respectively. Thanks to this, the player improves the effect (giving the ball rotation). Therefore, as the first game to get acquainted with, it will be the best.

Etiquette rules during the game

Since billiards is an intelligent game, it is necessary to familiarize yourself not only with the rules of the game, but also with some rules of etiquette. At any time, the player must remain polite at all times, and must not interfere with his opponent at the moment when it is his turn to make his approach to the table. You also cannot stand in front of the pocket your opponent is aiming at; firstly, it is indecent, and secondly, it can be dangerous, as the balls sometimes fly off the table. When a player evaluates the location of the balls on the table and walks around it from all sides, and at the same time the opponent is aiming or preparing to make a shot, it is best to wait until he finishes his shot and proceed with his own. Billiards does not like to rush, so rather than making any sudden movements, it is best to act slowly and measuredly.

Rectangular table and round ball

Naturally, this game is impossible without a table. The size of the table for Russian billiards can be of four types: 12, 10, 9 and 8 feet. As for official competitions, they use the maximum big sizes a special cloth with markings is stretched; again, in the case of tournaments, only green cloth is used, but now in the billiard room you can find red, blue and even white covering.

In fact, the size of a table for Russian billiards is not that big. important information for the player, so it's worth going directly to the pockets and balls. The balls used for the game are only a few millimeters smaller in diameter than the width of the pocket. They are difficult to score, which makes the game really interesting.

The game consists of a set of 16 balls, 1 of which is a cue ball, differs from the rest in its color, each is numbered, except for the cue ball. The game begins with the fact that, using a triangle, it is necessary to install the pyramid so that its base becomes parallel to the short side, while its top must be at a specially marked point. The cue ball is placed in the “house”, this is a special area marked with a transverse line.

Raffle

The rules of Russian billiards state that the right to strike first is assigned to the player who wins the game. The essence is this: both opponents stand near the short side, thus the table is conditionally divided into two longitudinal halves. After which the players must take a shot from home, and the opponent whose ball, after being reflected from the backboard, is closest to the sky, wins. There are several nuances. If the ball did not touch the board or touched, but it was a side board, rolled onto the opponent’s half, fell into a pocket or behind the Russian billiards table, then such a draw is considered lost.

If both opponents violated the conditions, then it is played again, the same is done in the case of the same removal of the ball after touching the board. When the winner is determined, he has the right to choose whether he will break the pyramid first or give this opportunity to his opponent, then the first blow takes place alternately. As for the drawing, the rules of the Russian pyramid in billiards and all other types of games indicate the absolute identity of all conditions.

First hit

The first hit is carried out exclusively with the cue ball, while it can be moved around the “house”, but cannot be hit from the lowest point, since the rules of Russian billiards (American, Moscow, Neva pyramids) say that in this position the cue ball is considered “outside” areas of the house." The shot is considered completed when the cue stick touches the cue ball. Successful strike recognized in case

• the object ball hits the pocket;
• if three balls from the pyramid touched the sides;
• touching two balls on the side and one rolling in the middle of the table.

If these conditions are not met, the opponent has the right to continue the game or transfer the right of move to the opponent.

Cue for the game

It is customary to choose a cue for Russian billiards individually, based on personal preferences and physiological qualities. Amateurs and professionals of this game prefer to have their own cue in their arsenal. It is worth noting that this pleasure is not cheap, but a high-quality cue does not necessarily have to be made of expensive wood.

A good cue for Russian billiards should have optimal weight, length and balance. Also, depending on what type of wood the cue is made of, you should pay attention to its vibration after the strike. It is imperative to evaluate its straightness and absence of defects.

Fines

Fines are an integral part of any game, so you need to thoroughly study all the rules of the particular game you are going to play so as not to accidentally commit a violation. But there is a certain set of mandatory rules, for violation of which a fine is imposed.

A strike can only be made when all the balls on the table have stopped moving; rotation in place is also considered movement. The strike must be carried out very clearly, without additional shocks or accidental contact with other balls. In the case where the object ball is located at a distance less than ½ the radius of the ball, it must be struck at a 45-degree angle relative to the central axis of the cue ball. After hitting the object ball, the cue ball must either stop in place or roll back. A ball that falls into a pocket as a result of a targeted attack is considered pocketed if the rules were not violated when pocketing it, otherwise a violation is recorded and the turn goes to the opponent.

Popped up ball

Separately, I would like to talk about a ball that leaves the table during the game, for example, stopping the ball on the board or returning it to the table after being reflected from any foreign object. A ball can be considered in play if it touches the side and returns to the table. The placement of balls that have left the table depends on the specific type of game.

Whatever you say, one of the most popular games Russian billiards was and remains. The size and scope of some tournaments are simply off the charts. Modern parents prefer to send their children to this sport from childhood, so by the age of 16 they already have great experience behind him and a lot of victories at prestigious competitions. Billiards cannot be called the cheapest sport, but if you wish, it is now available a large number of schools and private teachers who can provide quality lessons for a reasonable fee and are capable of raising more than one champion. If there is a desire, there will always be an opportunity!

In Russian – 16.
In American pool there are from 4 to 16, depending on the type of game.
In English snooker it is 22.

Additionally

Billiards or Billiards- collective name for several board games With different rules, as well as a special table on which the game takes place. A characteristic feature of all billiard games is movement using a cue. Speaking about the origin of the billiard game, it is impossible to accurately determine the time of its appearance. It is only known that it, like chess, is very ancient origin, and the birthplace of billiards is Asia, according to some - India, according to others - China. Gaspard Gustav Coriolis first spoke about the mathematical basis of the billiard game in his book “Théorie mathématique du jeu de billard” in 1835. He used in his work elements of probability theory, limit theory and general analysis. BILLIARDS, m. - a type of table with edges and six purses hanging from the corners and in the middle of the long edges, for a well-known game, and the game itself, using a cue and bones. The billiards are made of two round quadrangles, installed and strengthened by level and covered with cloth, without a seam.

Russian billiards– a collective name for several varieties of the game. Russian billiards is a type of pocket billiards, with its own special requirements for playing equipment. Basic characteristics: relatively large balls, slightly smaller in size than the pocket; the width of the corner pocket is 72-73 mm, the middle pocket is 82-83 mm), all balls are the same color with numbers from 1 to 15, the cue ball is yellow. Billiard balls are made from phenolic resin. There are several officially recognized varieties of Russian billiards, of which the rules are the simplest free pyramid, or American women.

Tricks in billiards