Three-cushion glossary

A to D

Average (general average): points divided by innings; the standard measure of a player. See Rules.

Ball first: a shot where the cue ball hits an object ball before any cushion. Usually the safer choice. See Ball first or cushion first.

Bank (cushion first): a shot where the cue ball goes to one or more cushions before the first object ball.

Big ball: a second object ball near a cushion (ideally near a corner), which the cue ball can hit directly or off the cushion first, so it is a much bigger target than a ball in open table. See Big ball.

Carom: the cue ball striking both object balls; a point. Also the family of pocketless billiards games.

Cue ball: the ball you strike; in three-cushion each player has their own, white or yellow.

Cushion (rail): the rubber edges of the table. Players say rail for cushion, and long rail and short rail for the sides and ends.

Diamond: a sight mark on the rail. Seven on each long rail, three on each short rail. See The table.

Diamond system: a counting method that uses diamond numbers to aim cushion routes.

Double kiss: the cue ball and the first object ball meeting a second time right after the hit, usually off a nearby cushion. Kills most shots. See Kisses.

Draw: backspin, from striking the cue ball below centre.

E to N

English (side): sidespin, from striking the cue ball left or right of centre.

Feather: a very thin hit on the first ball. Hard to control.

Follow: topspin, from striking the cue ball above centre.

Frozen: a ball touching another ball or a cushion.

Half-ball hit: aiming the cue ball's centre at the object ball's edge, so half of one covers half of the other. The most forgiving thickness. See The hit.

High run: the most points scored in one inning.

Inning: one turn at the table, from your first shot until you miss.

Kiss: an unplanned collision between the cue ball and an object ball (or two object balls) that changes the shot.

Lag: a soft shot, or the lag for the break where both players send a ball to the far cushion and back.

Lag ticky: a cushion-first pattern off two cushions before the first ball. See Ticky, lag ticky and umbrella.

Long (playing long): a table whose cushions send the ball off at wider angles than expected. See Short, true or long.

Natural: ball first, then around the table off adjacent cushions with running english. The first shot to look for. See The natural.

O to Z

Object ball: either of the two balls that aren't your cue ball.

Position play: choosing and playing a shot so the balls stop in a good position for the next one. See Position play.

Reverse english: sidespin that works against the cue ball's direction off a cushion, narrowing the angle and taking speed off. See Running and reverse english.

Running english: sidespin that turns the same way the cue ball is travelling along the cushion, widening the angle and keeping it moving.

Safety: a shot played to leave the opponent a hard position if you miss.

Short (playing short): a table that sends the ball off the cushions at narrower angles than expected.

Stun: hitting the cue ball so it slides into the first ball without topspin or backspin.

Thickness (fullness): how much of the object ball the cue ball covers at contact, from full ball to a feather.

Ticky: a cushion-first shot where the cue ball goes to a cushion, hits the first ball, and returns to the same cushion. See Ticky, lag ticky and umbrella.

Two-way shot: a shot that scores short or long: short, the cue ball hits the second ball directly; long, it goes two more cushions around the corner and hits it from behind. The ball sits a couple of diamonds out from that corner. See Two-way shots.

Umbrella: a cushion-first pattern that goes to two adjacent cushions (a corner), then the first ball, then back across. See Ticky, lag ticky and umbrella.