Quick answers to the most common questions about 3ball.app and three-cushion carom billiards.
About 3ball
Is 3ball free to use?
Yes — completely. No login, no payment, no paywall, no premium tier. Built and hosted by Setviva Teknoloji Limited Şirketi as a community resource.
Do I need to install anything?
No. 3ball runs in any modern browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge) on desktop or mobile. You can optionally install it as a Progressive Web App via your browser's "Add to Home Screen" / "Install app" prompt.
What languages are supported?
Currently 5: English, Turkish, Spanish, German, Korean. Vietnamese, Dutch, French and Japanese are planned for Phase 2 expansion.
Does 3ball work offline?
Once loaded, the simulator works offline thanks to the Service Worker cache. Some features (AI solver fresh updates) may require a connection, but core gameplay is fully offline-capable.
Does 3ball collect personal data?
No personal data is required. We only store an anonymous nickname in your browser's localStorage. With your explicit consent, anonymous Google Analytics is collected. Full details on the Legal page.
Three-cushion gameplay
What is three-cushion billiards?
A carom billiards discipline where the cue ball must touch at least three cushions before completing contact with the two object balls. Played on a pocketless 2.84m × 1.42m table with three balls (white, yellow, red).
How do I score?
A valid carom = 1 point. Cushion contacts can interleave with object-ball contacts in any order, as long as 3 distinct cushions are touched before both object balls are contacted.
What's the difference between 3-cushion and 3-ball Free carom?
3-cushion requires the cue ball to touch ≥ 3 cushions before both object balls. 3-ball Free (libre) has no cushion requirement — you simply need to hit both object balls.
How long does it take to learn?
Fundamentals: 1–2 months. Reaching a 0.5 average (1 carom per 2 attempts): 6–12 months of regular play. Pro level (1.5+ average): years of disciplined practice.
Is three-cushion an Olympic sport?
No. Billiards appeared as a demonstration sport at the 1900 and 1904 Games. The IOC's 2022 recognition of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) opens the door for a future bid.
Diamond System & technique
What is the Diamond System?
A method that uses the diamond markings on a billiard table's rails to numerically calculate three-cushion routes. The simplest formula: starting diamond + target diamond = first-cushion contact diamond.
Plus 2, Korean, half-ball — which to learn first?
Original Diamond System first (foundation). Then Plus 2 for slow strokes, then Korean (5-and-half) for precision. Half-ball reference is a calibration tool used alongside.
How long is a regulation carom table?
2.84 m × 1.42 m, cushion-to-cushion (UMB international standard).
What size are carom balls?
61.5 mm diameter, 210 g each. Aramith Super Pro Carom is the industry standard.
3ball features
How does the AI Solver work?
The solver explores candidate routes using realistic Hertz-contact physics, ranks them by feasibility, spin requirement and route length, and presents the top suggestions overlaid on the table.
What is Photo-to-Position?
Snap a photo of a real billiards table; computer vision detects the ball positions and loads them into the simulator for instant practice.
Can I save positions?
Yes — saved positions live in your browser's localStorage. They are private to your device.
Can I embed 3ball on my website?
An embed widget is planned. Once available, you'll be able to embed an interactive board via an iframe.
Will 3ball ever charge?
No paywall planned. Optional minimal ads (AdSense) for sustaining infrastructure costs, gated by user consent. The core simulator stays free forever.
Try it now
If your question isn't here, drop us a line via the contact page. Or jump straight in and start practising.
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