A reference of terms used in three-cushion, libre and carom billiards generally. Bookmark this page for quick lookup.
A
- Around-the-table
- Cue ball travels long-short-long around the perimeter to reach the second object ball via 3 cushions.
- Average
- Total points / total innings. Pro 3-cushion average: 1.5+.
- Apron
- Wood frame around the slate of a billiards table.
B
- Backspin
- Below-center strike causing reverse rotation; synonym of draw.
- Balkline
- Carom variant where balls within a "balkline" zone must be played to a corner.
- Bank shot
- Cue ball or object ball driven into a cushion to redirect.
- Billiard cloth
- Synonym for cloth/felt; the playing surface fabric.
- Bottom english
- Below-center strike — cue ball draws (reverses).
- Break shot
- The opening stroke of a game.
- Bricole
- Cue ball hits a cushion before any object ball.
- Bridge
- Hand position supporting the cue stick.
C
- Carom (carambole)
- Cue ball strikes both object balls in one shot.
- Center ball
- Stroke at exact center of cue ball — no english applied.
- Chalk
- Powder applied to cue tip to prevent miscue.
- Cloth
- Surface fabric of table (Simonis 300/760/860 standard).
- Cluster
- Group of two or more balls close together.
- Combination
- Cue ball strikes one object ball that drives another.
- Cue ball
- The ball you strike with the cue.
- Cue stick
- The wood/composite stick used to strike the cue ball.
- Cushion
- Rubber rail edge that balls bounce from.
D
- Diamond
- Marker on the rail used for system shots.
- Diamond System
- Numerical method for calculating 3-cushion routes via diamond markers.
- Draw
- Below-center strike causing cue ball to reverse after object-ball contact.
- Double rail
- Cue ball hits same long rail twice.
E
- English (side spin)
- Side strike on cue ball causing rotation.
- Edge shot
- Object ball very close to cushion.
- Effe
- European/French term for side spin / english.
F
- Felt
- Synonym for cloth.
- Five and Half
- Synonym for Korean diamond system; calculation refines half-table reads.
- Foul
- Illegal stroke — wrong ball, no contact, jumped ball, etc.
- Follow
- Above-center strike causing cue ball to follow object ball after contact.
- Free carom (libre)
- Variant without cushion requirement.
- Frozen
- Two balls touching (or ball touching cushion).
G
- Gather (gather shot)
- Position play that brings all 3 balls back together for an easy next shot.
- Game
- A complete match to a target point total (typically 40, 50 in pro 3-cushion).
H
- Half-ball
- Reference contact point for system shots; centerline of cue ball aligns with edge of object ball.
- Hertz contact
- Physics model for ball-ball elastic contact.
I
- Inning
- A player's turn at the table.
- Inside english
- Side spin on the side of the cue ball facing the object ball.
J
- Jaw
- Cue ball returning toward where it came from after multi-cushion path.
K
- Kiss
- Mid-flight ball-ball contact, often unintended.
- Korean system (5-and-half)
- Diamond System variant from Korean pros.
L
- Libre
- French/Spanish for "free carom" — no cushion requirement.
- Long rail
- The longer cushions of the table.
M
- Massé
- Vertical-cue stroke producing curved cue-ball path.
- Miscue
- Cue tip slips off cue ball, often due to extreme english.
N
- Natural angle
- Cushion bounce angle without english applied.
O
- Object ball
- Ball you aim to make contact with (in carom: 2 object balls).
- Open bridge
- Cue rests on a V formed by thumb and index finger.
- Outside english
- Side spin on the side of the cue ball facing away from the object ball.
P
- Pivot
- System shot where cue ball "pivots" around a virtual point.
- Plus 2 system
- Diamond System variant adding +2 for slow strokes.
- Position play
- Planning the next shot's setup while taking the current shot.
R
- Rail
- Side of the table (long or short).
- Reverse english
- Side spin opposite to natural cushion deflection.
- Run
- Consecutive successful shots in a single inning.
S
- Scratch
- Foul shot — typically failing to make required contact.
- Shaft
- Long, tapered front section of the cue stick.
- Short rail
- The shorter cushions of the table.
- Side spin
- Synonym for english — left/right rotation of the cue ball.
- Simonis
- Premium table cloth brand (300, 760, 860 series).
- Slate
- Stone bed beneath the cloth.
- Spot
- Marked positions on table for ball setup.
- Squirt
- Cue ball deviation from aim line caused by english at impact.
- Stroke
- The act of striking the cue ball.
- Stun
- Stop shot — cue ball stops dead at point of contact.
- System shot
- Shot calculated using a numerical system (Diamond, Plus 2, Korean).
T
- Three-cushion
- Carom discipline requiring ≥3 cushion contacts before second object ball.
- Throw
- Frictional sideways force on object ball during contact.
- Ticky
- Position with cue ball + object ball frozen on cushion; short-long-short carom.
- Tip
- Leather striking surface at cue's end.
- Top english
- Above-center strike (= follow).
- Tournament average
- Player's points-per-inning average across a tournament; 1.5+ is elite.
U
- UMB
- Union Mondiale de Billard, governing body of carom worldwide.
- Umbrella
- Position where 3 balls form an umbrella shape; long-long-long route.
V
- Velocity
- Speed of the cue ball; key parameter in shot selection alongside angle and spin.
W
- Worlds
- UMB World Championship.
- World Cup
- UMB annual circuit of 6-8 international tournaments per year.