bilard

Bilard refers to a family of cue sports played on a rectangular table with balls and a cue. Depending on the variant, games may involve potting balls into pockets or scoring by caroms on a pocketless table. In some languages the term covers billiards in general, while in others it denotes pocket billiards such as pool or snooker.

Tables vary in size by discipline; pocket billiards tables commonly range from 6 to 9 feet, with larger venues used in tournaments. A standard set includes cues, chalk, and a rack. Pocket billiards uses 15 object balls plus a cue ball (16 total). Snooker uses 15 red balls, six colored balls, and a white cue ball. Carom billiards is played on a pocketless table with three balls (two cue balls and a red object ball).

Variants and rules: Pool (pocket billiards) includes formats such as eight-ball and nine-ball, focusing on potting groups of balls and the final shot. Snooker emphasizes potting a sequence of red and color balls with specific values. Carom billiards emphasizes caroms—cushion rebounds resulting in points—on a pocketless table; there are three-ball and other disciplines.

History and play: Bilard originated in Europe during the late Middle Ages and evolved with improvements in cues, cloth, and tables. It spread worldwide in the 19th and 20th centuries, giving rise to organized leagues and professional circuits. International governing bodies regulate rules, equipment standards, and world championships in their respective disciplines.