Average describes the points already scored per inning. It is not a success percentage, a promise for the next five turns or a universal skill grade. Keep the underlying points and innings so the number remains auditable.
Count points and your own innings
Under the cited UMB carom rules, a valid three-cushion carom is one point: the cue ball contacts both object balls, with at least three cushion contacts before the second object ball. They need not all occur before the first object ball. A scoring player continues; an ordinary miss ends that visit. Fouls and match-ending conditions still apply.
Record one row per visit, including a zero when the first attempt misses. For a match, use that player's actual innings from the score sheet, not an assumption that both players had equal turns. An equalizing inning exists only when the format provides it.
A five-inning example you can check
The table is an invented practice record, not a 3Ball measurement. Runs of 0, 2, 0, 1 and 3 total six points in five innings: 6 ÷ 5 = 1.200. The high run is three. Three of the five innings produced a point, so the proportion of scoring innings is 60%; that is a different statistic from average.
Leaving out the two zeros would produce 6 ÷ 3 = 2.000, an inflated result. High run describes the longest run observed here, not a fixed ceiling on the player's ability.
| Inning | Points in this inning | Running points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | 1 | 3 |
| 5 | 3 | 6 |
Combine matches by their totals
Suppose one match has 20 points in 25 innings and another has 10 in 20. Their individual averages are 0.800 and 0.500. The combined average is (20 + 10) ÷ (25 + 20) = 30 ÷ 45 = 0.666…; averaging the two displayed averages gives 0.650 and is wrong here because the inning counts differ.
Keep integer totals and divide once. Do not sum rounded match averages. State which matches or event stage the total covers; a personal practice total is not automatically an official annual classification.
Rounding and truncation are different
FFB Article 3.2.01, effective 12 October 2026, specifies truncation after three decimals for three-cushion; further precision may be used to separate tied players. Thus 30 ÷ 45 displays as 0.666 under that provision. Rounding to the nearest three decimals instead gives 0.667.
The 3Ball practice calculator rounds its displayed result and explains that distinction. Use the event's rule for an official sheet. If innings are zero, average is undefined; do not turn missing play into a zero-performance record.
Make the number useful for training
Alongside date, points, innings and high run, note table size, format and whether positions continued naturally or were reset for a drill. Keep physical matches, repeated-position exercises and simulations separate. An improvement after changing the exercise is not automatically an improvement under match conditions.
Review ordinary misses and interrupted runs to select a practice need. A single 1.500 does not certify professional level, and an average alone does not measure shot difficulty or defensive quality. Use the calculator below to check arithmetic; use your full score sheet and current federation rules for competition decisions.