objectball

An object ball is any ball on the table in a cue sport that is not the cue ball. The term emphasizes the ball that players aim to strike with the cue. Object balls are typically part of the game's scoring and positioning system and are distinguished from the cue ball, which is struck to influence their path. In common sets, object balls include numbers 1–15 in pool and the various balls in snooker, where red balls and colored balls serve as the scoring objects.

In eight-ball, players are assigned either solids or stripes; the object balls in that group must be potted before the 8-ball is potted to win. In nine-ball, the lowest-numbered object ball must be struck first on each shot, and players may sink any legal ball after that; the first to legally pot the 9-ball wins. Straight pool and other games use a set of object balls to be potted in a sequence or by call-shot rules.

In carom billiards, the term object balls refers to the two other balls on the table; points are scored by caroming the cue ball into both object balls in a single shot.

Sizes and appearances vary by game; pool sets use larger balls (commonly 2 1/4 inches in diameter) than snooker sets, and the cue ball is typically white. The object-ball concept is central to gameplay, fouls, and strategy and appears in rulebooks and coaching materials.