Clusters
- Precision Sports
IWGA Member Federation since 1997.
Learn more about Carom – 3 Cushion on the WCBS website or YouTube.
Learn more about Pool – 9-Ball on the WCBS website or YouTube.
Learn more about Snooker on the WCBS website or YouTube.
Billiards Sports – highly competitive as well as recreational
Disciplines at The World Games 2025: Carom (3 Cushion), Pool (10-Ball & Heyball), and Snooker (6-Reds & 15-Reds).
Billiard sports are popular all over the world. On a rectangular cloth-covered table bounded by feathering rubber cushions (and for Pool and Snooker also with six pockets), players use a cue to direct a ‘cue ball’ to hit other balls so that they move around the table or drop into a pocket. Each discipline is played one against one.
Carom (3- Cushion) is played with three balls (one white cue ball, one yellow cue ball and one red object ball) on a table without pockets. The object is to complete ‘carom’ by driving one of the cue balls into both of the other balls, in the process bouncing off three cushions. Each successful carom counts as one point.
Pool is played on a table with six pockets and two disciplines are played, Ten Ball and Heyball.
Ten Ball is played with 10 coloured and numbered balls, and a cue ball. It is a rotation game, which means that the cue ball always has to contact the lowest numbered ball on the table first, and subsequently at least one ball must hit a cushion or a coloured ball be pocketed. If no ball hits a rail and no coloured ball is pocketed, a foul is declared, and the shooter's turn is over. 10-ball is a call-shot game which means that the shooter must state which coloured ball is intended to be pocketed, and in which pocket. Whoever pockets the 10-ball on a legal shot when the 10-ball is the only remaining coloured ball left on the table, scores 1 point.
Heyball is played with 15 coloured and numbered balls, and a cue ball. The numbered balls can be divided into two groups; 1 thru 7 and 9 thru 15. Whoever correctly pockets all seven balls belonging to the one group and subsequently the 8-ball, scores 1 point. Who plays what group is decided once the break has been performed, and a first coloured ball is pocketed on a legal shot by either player. Heyball is not a call-shot game.
Once it has been decided who plays which group of balls, the shooter must always cause the cue ball to first contact a coloured ball of the right group, and subsequently at least one ball must hit a cushion, or a coloured ball be pocketed. If this is not achieved, a foul is declared, and the shooter’s turn is over.
More information about the Ten Ball and Heyball rules can be found here and here.
Snooker is played on a large table with six pockets. Points are scored for potted balls (balls directed into a pocket). On the first shot of a player’s turn, the cue ball must be struck first, aimed to hit one of the 15 red balls. If that red is potted, the next shot is on any of six coloured balls; each colour has different points score with black the highest. If successfully potted, the player continues by aiming at another red. After the last red and associated colour, the coloured balls must be potted in ascending points order. The player with the highest score wins.
Federation: World Confederation of Billiards Sport (WCBS), https://www.wcbs.sport/
