TL;DR: Three-cushion billiards is the world's most precise cue sport — your cue ball must touch at least three cushions before completing the carom on the two object balls. This guide walks you through the rules, scoring, classic positions, the Diamond System, and how to practise everything for free in your browser using 3ball.
What makes a three-cushion point legal?
Cushion contacts before or after the first object ball may count. The same cushion may be contacted more than once; three different cushions are not required.
What is three-cushion billiards?
Three-cushion billiards (also called 3-cushion or carambole à trois bandes) is the apex discipline of the carom billiards family. Played on a pocketless 2.84 m × 1.42 m table with three balls — white, yellow and red — the game asks the player's cue ball to touch at least three cushions before completing contact with the other two object balls. This single rule turns each shot into a three-dimensional geometry-and-physics problem: trajectory, cushion bounce angles, applied english, table heat and cloth speed all conspire to determine the outcome.
Three-cushion has a global elite scene: the UMB World Cup circuit, the World Championship, and the powerhouse Korean PBA Pro Tour. Past and present greats include Torbjörn Blomdahl, Dick Jaspers, Sang Lee, Frédéric Caudron, Marco Zanetti, Cho Jae-Ho, Kang Dong-Koong, Tran Quyet Chien, Semih Saygıner and Tayfun Taşdemir.
A common misconception: three-cushion is not an Olympic sport. Billiards appeared as a demonstration at the 1900 and 1904 Games but no carom discipline is on the modern Olympic programme. The IOC's 2022 recognition of the World Confederation of Billiards Sports (WCBS) opens that door, however.
Official rules (UMB)
Equipment rules
- Table: 2.84 m × 1.42 m, cushion-to-cushion. Held at 30–32 °C; heating normalises cloth speed and ball friction.
- Balls: Three, 61.5 mm diameter, 210 g each. Colours: white (cue), yellow (second cue, in 2-player matches), red (object).
- Cue: 1- or 2-piece, 11–12 mm tip; tip hardness usually medium or hard.
- Cloth: Simonis 300 Rapide, 760, 860 (or equivalent) — fast, low-nap.
Game rules
- Opening: Red on the lower spot; opponent's cue ball on the centre spot; your cue ball on the head-string white spot. Opening shot must contact red first.
- Valid score: The cue ball must complete at least three cushion contacts before touching the second object ball. Repeated contacts with the same cushion each count.
- Turn order: Hold the table while you score; miss → opponent's turn.
- Match length: Usually played to a target score — 40 points, rising to 50 from the quarter-finals. Some events use a 40-second shot clock.
- Faults: Miscue, failure to contact both object balls, ball off table → 0 points, opponent up.
How scoring works
Order of contact for a valid carom: cue ball → at least three cushions → both object balls. The cushion contacts can be interleaved with object-ball contacts in any order, as long as by the time both object balls have been hit, three cushions have also been hit. Common patterns:
- Cushion-first: Cue ball hits 3 cushions → first object ball → second object ball
- Single-ball-first: Cue ball hits first object ball → 3 cushions → second object ball
- Mixed: Cue ball hits 1 cushion → first object ball → 2 cushions → second object ball
Common error: Three cushions but only one object ball touched = no point.
In a 2-player match, each player has their own cue ball. White player shoots white; yellow player shoots yellow. Red is always the shared object ball. Each valid carom = 1 point. Your average (points / innings) is the key metric — pros reliably break 1.5; the world's top players exceed 2.0 over a season.
Equipment: cue, balls, table, cloth
Choosing a carom cue
- Weight: 480–540 g typical for pros
- Tip diameter: 11.5 mm standard for carom (vs 12.75–13 mm for pool)
- Tip type: Layered (Kamui, Predator) for longevity; single-layer (Le Pro, Triangle) for budget
- Shaft: Maple is standard; low-deflection shafts preferred in three-cushion (reduce squirt under heavy english)
- Wrap: Linen, leather, or bare — whatever feels consistent
3ball tip
In the simulator's Cue panel you can dial tip hardness; medium tip + low-deflection shaft gives a visible reduction in squirt for side-spin shots.
Open 3ball →Balls & cloth
Aramith Super Pro Carom 61.5 mm is the industry standard. Cheaper brands roll inconsistently — false economy. Clean balls after every session with a microfibre cloth; monthly Aramith Ball Cleaner. Simonis 300 Rapide / 760 / 860 are the dominant cloths. Heating to ~30 °C is standard at tournaments; non-essential at home but room dehumidification helps consistency.
The seven foundational shots
Memorise these and run repeatable sets of each in 3ball; record your own accuracy and route consistency under the same table conditions.
- Natural angle — The cushion bounce angle without english applied. The reference from which all systems calculate deviations.
- Bricole (short–long–short) — Cue ball hits the near cushion first, then crosses to the long cushion, then the short cushion, completing the carom. "Cushion before object."
- Around-the-table — Cue ball travels long–short–long around the perimeter to reach the object ball — the canonical Diamond System pattern.
- Reverse english (double-the-rail) — English applied to bend the post-cushion path back. Advanced; "curves" the rebound. The specialist form where the cue ball tracks the same cushion twice is covered in the double-the-rail snake shot guide.
- Massé — Cue held vertical, struck downward, producing a curved cue-ball path that arcs around obstructing balls. See Saygıner massé and piqué shots for the full technique.
- Pivot — Spin-loaded shots that pivot around an imaginary axis. Distance + spin control.
- Cushion-first — Cue ball touches a cushion before any object ball — a mainstay of opening positions.
For a complete classification of all shot families — rail-first, ball-first, massé, bricole, ticky, nursing, and defensive shots — see the three-cushion shot types guide.
Diamond System overview
The Diamond System, codified by Willie Hoppe in the 1920s, uses the diamond markings on the rails to numerically calculate three-cushion routes.
Original Diamond System: Diamond starting position (cue ball) + diamond target position (object ball) = first cushion contact diamond. Example:
- Cue ball at diamond 5
- Red at diamond 4
- Aim cue ball at diamond 9 on the first cushion → completes 3-cushion route under standard table speed
In practice, ball speed, cloth speed, temperature and english each shift the number by ±1 diamond. Hence:
- Plus 2 system adds +2 for slow strokes
- Korean (5-and-half) system divides cushion values by 5 for higher precision
- Half-ball reference method standardises the strike angle
Full mathematical breakdown + interactive examples in 3ball: Diamond Systems Mastery.
Classic positions
Three-cushion has roughly 35–50 classic positions — set-ups with an established "natural solution" that pros memorise.
| Position | Short description |
|---|---|
| Ticky | Cue ball + an object ball frozen on the cushion; short–long–short carom |
| Umbrella | Three balls in an umbrella shape; long–long–long route |
| Around-the-table | Cue ball circles the perimeter via three cushions |
| Bricole (4 sub-types) | Long-rail, short-rail, reverse, diagonal |
| Triangle | Three balls form a triangle; central contact + two cushions |
| Edge shot | Object ball very close to cushion; edge attack |
Consistent practice across hundreds of sessions inevitably produces periods of stagnation. The three-cushion plateau guide explains why progress stalls at the 0.3–0.6 average range and how to break through with targeted drill blocks.
30-day practice routine
| Week | Focus | Daily 30-minute drill |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natural angle + basic Diamond | 50 straight shots, 25 natural-angle tests, 25 diamond calcs |
| 2 | Bricole + ticky | 30 bricole variations, 30 tickys, 30 natural angles |
| 3 | Around-the-table + umbrella | 25 ATT, 25 umbrella, 25 system-shot calcs |
| 4 | Mixed + tempo + timing | 50 mixed positions, 25 timed shots, video review |
How to run it inside 3ball:
- Open the day's position in the simulator
- Inspect the physics solver's suggested route
- Try the same shot yourself; on a miss, tweak power or english
- Move to the next position after 10 successful caroms
Practise free in 3ball
3ball.app is a free, login-less, browser-based trainer simulator built specifically for three-cushion:
- Event-timed collision physics: Coulomb sliding→rolling friction, frictional ball-ball contact with throw, and a Mathavan cushion model
- Physics-based solver: tests every suggestion against small human errors and ranks routes by their real tolerance
- Photo-to-position: snap a real table; the computer-vision assistant detects the table and balls, and you fine-tune the suggested positions before loading them
- 10-language UI: EN, TR, ES, DE, KO, VI, NL, FR, JA, IT
- Mobile + desktop PWA: no install required; optional "Add to Home Screen"
- Free, no in-simulator ads; built by Setviva as a community service
Frequently asked questions
How is a point scored in three-cushion?
Your cue ball must touch both object balls and complete at least three cushion contacts before touching the second object ball. Repeated contacts with the same cushion count. A valid carom = 1 point.
How many balls in three-cushion?
Three: white (cue), yellow (cue in 2-player), red (object). No pockets.
What size is a three-cushion table?
2.84 m × 1.42 m, cushion to cushion (UMB international standard).
How long does it take to learn three-cushion?
Learning pace varies widely with prior experience, practice quality and access to a real table. Track repeatable sets rather than relying on a promised deadline or scoring average.
Is 3ball really free?
Yes — no signup, no payment, no paywall. Built by Setviva as a community resource.
What's next?
- Master Diamond Systems: Diamond Systems Mastery
- All shot families explained: Three-Cushion Shot Types
- How the world ranking works: UMB World Ranking Explained
- Breaking through a scoring plateau: Three-Cushion Plateau Guide
- Carom terms: Glossary
- FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions
- Practise now: Open 3ball →