nonsixball

Nonsixball is a term used in informal online discussions and some niche gaming contexts to describe variants, rules, or concepts that avoid or exclude the ball numbered six in a standard set. The term is not widely standardized, and its precise meaning varies across communities.

In billiards and pool discussions, nonsixball has been used to refer to variants that omit the six ball from play, or to rule sets in which the six ball is treated differently from other balls. In other domains, it is sometimes used metaphorically to describe experiments, strategies, or systems that remove a central element to observe the effects of its absence.

Etymology: the word combines the prefix non- with sixball, drawing from the common pool ball naming convention where balls are numbered. The usage is informal and localized to certain forums, clubs, or social media threads.

Because there is no formal body standardizing nonsixball, citations and formal definitions are scarce. The concept appears primarily in casual threads, home rules, or community-driven rule clarifications rather than in refereed publications. Related terms include six-ball and other pool variants.