Quick answers to the most common questions about 3ball.app and three-cushion carom billiards.
Equipment, rules & history
What size is a three-cushion billiard table?
An international match table has a 2.84 m × 1.42 m playing area (a 2:1 ratio, the 10-foot carom table), with a heated slate bed and fast worsted cloth. Smaller club tables are about 2.30 m × 1.15 m.
What cue is best for three-cushion?
A carom cue is shorter (around 140 cm), lighter (around 480-520 g) and has a smaller, harder tip (about 11-12 mm) than a pool cue, for precise spin control. Choose by tip hardness, shaft stiffness and balance rather than by brand.
What is a good average in three-cushion?
Average = points divided by innings. What counts as good depends on the event format, table conditions and the player group being compared. Grand average is total points divided by total innings across a whole event.
What is a kiss in billiards?
A kiss is an unwanted second contact — usually the cue ball and an object ball colliding again — that spoils an otherwise good shot. Reading both balls' paths after the first contact helps you predict and avoid kisses.
What is the difference between three-cushion and free carom?
In three-cushion the cue ball must touch at least three cushions before completing the carom on both object balls. Free carom (straight rail) has no cushion requirement — you simply hit both balls. Three-cushion is far harder and is the flagship discipline.
How old is three-cushion billiards?
Carom billiards grew from European games centuries ago; the three-cushion discipline emerged in the United States in the late 19th century, and international competition has been organised under the UMB (Union Mondiale de Billard) since the mid-20th century.
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?
All 10: English, Turkish, Spanish, German, Korean, Vietnamese, Dutch, French, Japanese and Italian — every page, simulator string, guide and glossary is fully localized.
Does 3ball need an internet connection?
Yes — 3ball is ad-supported, and an active internet connection is required at all times. If your connection drops, the app shows a "Connection lost" overlay and resumes automatically when you're back online.
Does 3ball collect personal data?
No account or identity data is required. Simulator preferences and practice data stay in your browser. Analytics is used only with your explicit consent; a feedback report is processed only when you choose to submit it. Full details are 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 and the first object-ball contact can occur in any order, as long as the cue ball completes at least 3 cushion contacts before touching the second object ball. Repeated contacts with the same cushion count.
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?
There is no reliable universal timetable. Progress depends on practice quality, table time, feedback and prior cue-sport experience; track your own repeatable decisions instead of comparing against an unsupported deadline.
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 shot solver work?
The solver simulates candidate routes with event-timed collision physics (Coulomb sliding→rolling, frictional ball-ball contact, a Mathavan cushion model), tests each suggestion against small human errors, and presents the top routes ranked by their real tolerance, overlaid on the table.
What is Photo-to-Position?
Snap a photo of a real billiards table; the computer-vision assistant detects the table and balls, and you fine-tune the suggested positions before loading 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.
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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