We are less than two years away from the World Games 2021 taking place in and around Birmingham. Many are likely unfamiliar with the sports in the World Games, so Alabama NewsCenter is explaining what you can expect to see. Today, we look at Billiards Sports.

Billiards Sports is an umbrella term for three different games played at the World Games

First is carom. Carom, also known as carambole, is a cue sport that involves hitting the cue ball off of the other player’s cue ball and a second ball in one shot. The billiard table features no holes and often has a heated slate bed.

The variant of carom played for the World Games is known as 3-cushion carom. In this version, the player must also hit three sides, or cushions, along with the two balls. By doing this, the player earns a point. The player continues to hit their cue ball until they fail to point, ending their turn.

While the sport itself is obscure in the United States, it is more popular in Europe, especially France where it originated, and in Japan and South Korea.

The second variant is pool. Eight ball pool and is the most well-known variant in the United States, but for the World Games, the variant known as nine ball pool is played. Nine ball pool is considered the dominant competitive pool game due to its quicker tempo games.

Billiards Sports is part of the World Games. (Photo by Wojciech Grzedzinski)

Nine ball is played on a table with six pockets and 10 balls, including the cue ball. The goal of the game is to hit the lowest numbered available ball to pocket any ball on the table, finishing with the number nine ball to win the game. Play continues for a player until they miss, then switching to the other player. The nine ball can be pocketed to win the game during any turn but cannot be touched by the hit of the cue ball directly until all other balls are pocketed. Winners are determined by winning a set number of games out of a series.

The third pool variant is snooker. Originating in India among British Army officers, snooker is played on a table with six holes, like pool. The game involves the use of 21 colored balls plus a white cue ball. Players strike the cue ball to hit the other balls in the correct sequence.

Fifteen of the balls are red, with the other six being yellow, green, brown, blue, pink and black. The goal is to sink all of the red balls first before moving on to the six remaining balls. Players switch turns when a shot is missed.

To learn more visit: https://www.theworldgames.org/sports/Billiards-Sports-43.