The development of the various forms and families of billiards owes much to changes and improvements to the equipment used. This applies to the balls, the maces or cues, the surface of the table and the side cushions in particular. Without radical improvements to all pieces of equipment used in the game, none of the modern variations of Billiards could exist.      more..

At some point in the 1400s, people began to play a version of Ground Billiards indoors on a table as well. It"s likely that the green cloth was supposed to represent the lawn from which the game had been stolen.      more..

During the middle-ages and even back to ancient Egypt, many sports were played with balls, clubs, maces or bats and skittles. There are ancient pictures depicting games that are clearly the forerunner of modern Skittles (Americans will know this as 10 pin bowling), Bowls, Quoits and Tennis, for instance.       more..

We are unable even to state when or where the game was born. The French word "Bille", meaning a ball, could provide the first syllable of the word "Billiards". Charles Cotton, author of "The Complete Gamester" in 1674 suggests both Spain and Italy.       more..

We are unable even to state when or where the game was born. The French word "Bille", meaning a ball, could provide the first syllable of the word "Billiards". Charles Cotton, author of "The Complete Gamester" in 1674 suggests both Spain and Italy.       more..

Eleven ways of being out      more..

Right Handed Batsman      more..

For over-the-wrist spin, grip the ball so that the seam runs across the first joint of the index finger and the first joint of the third finger. For the leg-break, and the over-spinner or top-spinner, the ball is spun off the third finger. The wrist is cocked, but definitely not stiffly cocked which would prevent flexibility.      more..

Very occasionally, you"ll hear commentators going on about a chinaman. The origins of the name are obscure, but there might be an indirect connection with Shanghai. A chinaman is actually a ball from a normal left-arm spinner that turns the opposite way to his normal delivery (i.e. from left to right).      more..

Leg spin is by far the most exciting and potentially devastating type of spin, and also the hardest to master. It is frequently described as "wrist spin" while off-spin and left-arm spin are labelled as "finger spin". It seems a fairly subtle distinction since all three types use both wrist and fingers to turn the ball, but there we are.       more..