Why it’s Called a White Ball

Do you often find yourself perplexed while watching a game of snooker? Do you wonder why the white ball plays such an important role in the game?

This article answers your questions and explains why the white ball in snooker is called a cue ball.

Snooker is an English billiard sport which combines elements from both pool and billiards. A great game for those who seek a more challenging experience, snooker requires the player to proficiently manage the game’s cues, balls and tables. In order to succeed in snooker, players must become familiar with the basics of the game, as well as understand its specific rules and regulations.

This guide provides a brief introduction to the game of snooker; four main sections act as an overview of how to play snooker, some common terms like ‘foul’, ‘white ball’ and ‘draw shot’, popular equipment used during games, and tips on different types of shots.

History of Snooker

Snooker is a cue sport which originated among British Army officers in India in the later half of the 19th century. It is now very popular in the United Kingdom and many other parts of the world, especially in countries which were formerly part of the British Empire. The game is played on a large, rectangular table covered with green cloth, with pockets on each corner and one at each midpoint side. Players use a cue stick to strike appropriately colored balls and score points by potting balls into any of these pockets.

Snooker has its own unique set of rules; it uses 22 object balls that are all numbered except for one white ball, referred to as the “cue” ball. This white ball is what players initially hit into another object ball at the beginning of their shot, cueing it out onto another ball or into a pocket. It is also used when any rules are unintentionally broken during play; in such cases, players will have to shoot from behind where the white ball was before their foul occurred.

Rules

Snooker is a cue sport played on a large, rectangular cloth-covered table with pockets at each of the four corners and in the middle of each long side. The game is played with 22 balls in total, including 15 red balls worth one point each, 6 multi-colored balls that are worth 2 to 7 points, and one black eight ball that is worth eight points. The white ball or cue ball is used by players to hit other balls on the table.

The goal of Snooker is to score more points than your opponent by potting as many colored and red balls as possible and ultimately potting the eight ball. Points are scored for legally potting colored or red balls into designated pockets on a Snooker table. A player may continue their turn as long as they continue to legally pocket at least one ball per shot. A foul will be called if any rules are broken and a penalty will be imposed dependent on which rule was broken. The game then passes to the opponent’s turn.

During each strike, players should first hit the white cue ball in an attempt to pot either a red or colored ball into one of the six pockets on the table surface – although it’s important to remember that only reds can be potted first before any other colors can be attempted. When all 15 reds have been potted, players can then focus on potting as many of the remaining colors until either all 6 colors have been pocketed or until they are unable to legally pocket any more balls, at which point their turn ends and passes onto their opponent’s turn. The player who finally pots the 8-ball (black) wins the game of snooker!

Equipment

Snooker is a game of strategy and skill that involves multiple pieces of specialized equipment. In order to play snooker effectively, it is important to be familiar with the equipment and how it works. This guide will give you an overview of the necessary equipment used in snooker, including the cues, balls, table, and other accessories.

Cues: The cue sticks used in snooker are slightly thicker and heavier than cue sticks used for standard pool or billiards games. They range from about 3/4-inch to one-inch in diameter and are typically 57 inches long when laid out straight on the table. Cues are usually made of maple wood with brass joints connecting each section of the cue stick.

Balls: Snooker plays with 22 balls; 21 object balls (numbered 1-15) and one white ball called a “cue ball” which is usually larger than the others at 2 ¼ inches in diameter. The large size makes it easier for players to guide their shots accurately using their cue stick. Players score points by putting these balls into designated pockets around the table with precise force and skill.

Table: The playing surface for snooker is a rectangular green cloth covered table measured 12ft x 6ft that has six pockets located at equal intervals around its sides. There must be various lines marked out on it that indicate where different balls should rest when play stops or begins again after long shots have been taken. Above all else the cushions must line up absolutely straight otherwise shots off angle banks can become difficult or impossible to play accurately as well as inconsistent contact between cushion rubber and impact of contact between object ball & cushion could produce randomly different results mid game due to varying rebound action from cushion elasticity being played off from an incorrectly set up table position.

Other accessories: Along with cues, balls, and tables, there are additional items often seen within a snooker match such as chalk which helps keep the tips dry to ensure more accurate shots, scorekeeping boards so players can keep track of their points tally during matches as well as other items like spot markers designed directly into tables which predict specific positions on cloth ready for where next shot should go if player succeeds doing certain shot correctly such as ‘in off’, often correctly called ‘professional’ positions which top professionals play them!

White Ball in Snooker is Called

The white ball, also commonly referred to as the “cue ball”, is among the 16 balls used in a traditional game of snooker. As with other pocket billiards sports, the main goal of snooker is to hit the white cue ball into the various colored balls in order to pocket them. The white ball has an important role to play, as every shot requires a player to hit it in order to strike any other colored ball.

As well as being hit with a cue and striking a different object ball, the white cue-ball can also be potted directly into any of the six pockets on the table. The potting of (or ‘pot’) results in its shooter then playing again – this is known as continuing their turn unless they miss or foul their next strike. Potting the white acknowledges that no more points will be scored by that individual except for those they may previously have gained by potting a colored ball or having committed therefore a foul prior to potting it.

Aside from these instances, of course, chances are that most players will use it frequently during each frame – it’s hence considered ultimately fundamental for pinpoint accuracy and tensioned positional play across all parts of snooker match-play where knowledge/experience dictates that time should always be allocated for shot preparations both mental and physical accordingly for optimum result whenever called upon regarding this small but incredibly important innovation within our sport!

In conclusion, a white ball used in a game of snooker is referred to as a cue ball. The white ball is the same size and weight as all of the other colours, but it has some subtle differences. It is usually spotted in the centre of the table before the break off shot and is able to move any colour ball on contact, while other balls must remain unhit until they can touch another object on the table.

Knowing what a cue ball is will help you to enjoy snooker more whether you are watching or playing yourself.