Examine individual changes

'{{redirect|Cueball|the video game|Jimmy White's 2: Cueball}} [[Image:Billiard ball comparison.jpg|thumb|right|200px|{{Cuegloss|Cue ball|Cue balls}} from (left to right):<ul> <li>[[Russian pyramid|Russian pool]] &ndash; 68&nbsp;mm ({{Frac|2|11|16}}&nbsp;in)</li> <li>[[Carom billiards|Carom]] &ndash; 61.5&nbsp;mm ({{Frac|2|7|16}}&nbsp;in)</li> <li>American-style [[Pocket billiards|pool]] &ndash; 57&nbsp;mm ({{Frac|2|1|4}}&nbsp;in)</li> <li>[[Blackball (pool)|British-style]] pool &ndash; 56&nbsp;mm ({{Frac|2|3|16}}&nbsp;in)</li> <li>[[Snooker]] &ndash; 52.5&nbsp;mm ({{Frac|2|1|15}}&nbsp;in)</li> <li>Scaled-down pool &ndash; 51&nbsp;mm (2&nbsp;in) for children's smaller tables</li> </ul> Not shown: half-scale children's miniature pool &ndash; approximately 28.5&nbsp;mm ({{Frac|1|1|8}}&nbsp;in).]] A '''Billiard ball''' is a small, hard [[ball]] used in [[cue sports]], such as [[carom billiards]], [[pocket billiards|pool]], and [[snooker]]. The number, type, diameter, color, and pattern of the balls differ depending upon the specific game being played. Various specific ball properties such as [[hardness]], [[friction coefficient]] and [[resilience]] are very important to the finer points of gameplay.{{Clarify me|date=October 2008|reason=That last sentence needs elaboration.}} == Historydk == The earliest balls were made of wood and then later clay (the latter remaining in use well into the 20th century). [[Ivory]] was favored for several hundred years, dating back to at least the 16th century,<ref name="Everton 1986">{{Cite book |title=The History of Snooker and Billiards |last=Everton |first=Clive |authorlink=Clive Everton |location=[[Haywards Heath|Haywards Heath, UK]] |publisher=[[Transworld (company)|Partridge Pr.]] |page=8 |year=1986 |isbn=1-8522-5013-5 |edition=rev. ver. of ''The Story of Billiards and Snooker'', 1979 }}</ref> but by the mid-1800s, elephants were being slaughtered for their ivory at an alarming rate, just to keep up with the demand for billiard balls. No more than eight balls could be made from a single elephant's tusks. The billiard industry realized that the supply of elephants (their primary source of ivory) was [[endangered species|endangered]], as well as dangerous to obtain. They challenged inventors to come up with an alternative material that could be manufactured, with a [[United States dollar|US$]]10,000 prize from [[Brunswick Corporation|Phelan and Collender]] of New York City being offered. In 1869, [[John Wesley Hyatt]] invented a composition material called [[nitrocellulose]] for billiard balls (US patent 50359, the first American patent for billiard balls). It is unclear if the cash prize was ever awarded to Hyatt, and there is no evidence suggesting he did in fact win it[http://www.thefactoryoutlet.com/pool-table/personality.asp][http://www.plastiquarian.com/hyatt.htm]. By 1870 it was commercially branded [[Celluloid]], the first industrial [[plastic]]. Unfortunately, the nature of celluloid made it volatile in production, occasionally exploding, which ultimately made this early plastic impractical. [[Urban legend]] has it that celluloid billiard balls themselves would occasionally explode during rough play, but no reliable sources have been found that can substantiate this. Subsequently, to avoid the problem of celluloid instability, the industry experimented with various other synthetic materials for billiards balls such as [[Bakelite]], [[Crystalate]] and other plastic compounds. The exacting requirements of the billiard ball are met today with balls cast from plastic materials that are strongly resistant to cracking and chipping. Currently [[Saluc]], under the brand names [http://www.saluc.com/html/billiard/index.php Aramith] and [http://www.brunswickbilliards.com/our_rich_history/billiard_balls/index.html Brunswick Centennial], manufactures [[phenolic resin]] balls. Other plastics and resins such as [[polyester]] (under various trade names) and clear [[Acrylic glass|acrylic]] are also used, by competing companies such as [http://www.ElephantBalls.com Elephant Balls Ltd.], [http://www.FrenzySports.com/productinfo.htm Frenzy Sports]. :''(See also [[Cue sports#History|Cue sports, "History"]] for more-general information on billiards history.)'' ;hdgasfklajdksjheiunewifjddkdjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjjj==Types of billiard balls== ===Carom billiards=== [[Image:Carom billiards balls.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A standard set of [[w:Carom billiards|carom billiards]] balls (61.5&nbsp;mm [{{Frac|2|7|16}}&nbsp;in] diameter), including a red {{Cuegloss|Object ball|object ball}}, a plain white {{Cuegloss|Cue ball|cue ball}}, and a dotted cue ball for the opponent. Some games use an additional object ball.]] In the realm of [[carom billiards|carom]] (or carambole) games, billiard balls are the three (sometimes four) balls used to play [[straight-rail]], [[three-cushion]], [[balkline]], and related games on pocketless [[billiards table]]s, as well as [[English billiards]] which is played on a table with pockets. The predominantly-Asian game [[four-ball]] uses four balls (the name literally means "four-balls"). Carom balls are not numbered, and at {{Frac|2|7|16}} inches (61.5&nbsp;mm) are larger than pool balls. They are colored as follows: :* Red {{Cuegloss|Object ball|object ball}} (two reds, in the game four-ball) :* White {{Cuegloss|Cue ball|cue ball}} for player 1 :* White with a spot (or sometimes yellow) cue ball for player 2 <br style="clear:left;" /> ===International pool=== {{Anchor|American-style pool|reason=Old heading name may be linked to from somewhere.}} [[Image:8ball break.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Classic-style pool balls {{Cuegloss|Rack|racked}} for a game of [[eight-ball]], just before the {{Cuegloss|Break|break shot}}.]][[Image:Billiards balls.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Modern-style pool balls]] Pool balls are used to play various [[Pool (cue sports)]]|pool]] (pocket billiards) games, such as [[eight-ball]], [[nine-ball]] and [[one-pocket]]. In North America, they are sometimes referred to simply as "billiard balls" (except among carom players), and in the UK they are commonly referred to as [[kelly pool]] or American balls. These balls, used the most widely throughout the world, are considerably smaller than carom billiards balls, slightly larger than British-style pool balls and substantially larger than those for snooker. According to [[World Pool-Billiard Association|WPA]]/[[Billiard Congress of America|BCA]] equipment specifications, the weight may be from 5.5 to 6&nbsp;oz. (156 to 170&nbsp;g) with a diameter of 2.25&nbsp;in. (5.715&nbsp;cm), plus or minus 0.005&nbsp;in. (0.127&nbsp;mm).<ref name="WPAequipspec">[http://wpa-pool.com/index.asp?content=rules_spec "WPA Tournament Table &amp; Equipment Specifications"], [[World Pool-Billiard Association]], November 2001.</ref><ref name="BCAbook">{{cite book | year = 2004 | title = Billiards: The Official Rules and Records Book | publisher = [[Billiards Congress of America]] | location = [[Colorado Springs, CO]] | page = 5 | isbn = 978-1-878493-14-9 | author = BCA Rules Committee }}</ref> The balls are numbered and colored as follows: # Yellow # Blue # Red # Purple (pink in some ball sets) # Orange # Green # Brown or burgundy (tan in some ball sets) # Black # Yellow and white # Blue and white # Red and white # Purple and white (pink and white in some ball sets) # Orange and white # Green and white # Brown (or burgundy) and white (tan and white in some ball sets) :*{{Cuegloss|Cue ball|Cue ball}}, white (sometimes with one or more spots) Note that balls 1–7 are often referred to as {{Cuegloss|Solids|solids}} and 9–15 as {{Cuegloss|Stripes|stripes}} though there are many other colloquial terms for each {{Cuegloss|Suit|suit}} of balls. Though it looks similar to the solids, the 8 ball is not considered a solid. Some games such as nine-ball do not distinguish between stripes and solids, but rather use the numbering on the balls to determine which {{Cuegloss|Object ball|object ball}} must be pocketed, in other games such as [[three-ball]] neither type of marking is of any consequence. In [[eight-ball]], [[straight pool]], and related games, all sixteen balls are employed. In the game of [[nine-ball]], only object balls 1 through 9 (plus the cue ball) are used. Some balls used in televised pool games are colored differently to make them distinguishable on television monitors (thus the pink and tan variants). TV is also the genesis of the "measle" cue ball with numerous spots on its surface so that {{Cuegloss|Spin|spin}} placed on it is evident to viewers. Coin-operated pool tables such as those found at [[Bar (establishment)|bars]] historically have often used either a larger ("grapefruit") or denser ("rock", typically ceramic) cue ball, such that its extra weight makes it easy for the cue ball return mechanism to separate it from object balls (which are captured until the game ends and the table is paid again for another game) so that the cue ball can be returned for further play, should it be accidentally pocketed. Rarely in the US, some pool tables use a smaller cue ball instead. Modern tables usually employ a magnetic ball of regulation or near-regulation size and weight, since players have rightly complained for many decades that the heavy and often over-sized cue balls do not "play" correctly.<!--R. Givens's "Eight-ball Bible" can be cited on these points, but my copy is missing. -SMcCandlish--> ===British-style pool (blackball)=== [[Image:Blackball kick shot.jpg|left|thumb|250px|Playing blackball, with its distinctive red and yellow {{Cuegloss|Group|groups}}.]] In WPA [[Eight-ball#Blackball|blackball]] and [[World Eight-ball Pool Federation|WEPF]] or English-style eight-ball pool (not to be confused with the games of [[eight-ball]] or [[English billiards]]), fifteen balls again are used, but are arrayed in two unnumbered {{Cuegloss|Group|groups}}, the {{Cuegloss|Red ball|reds}} (or less commonly {{Cuegloss|Blue ball|blues}}) and {{Cuegloss|Yellow ball|yellows}}, with a white cue ball, and black 8 ball. Aside from the 8, shots are not {{Cuegloss|Call-shot|called}} since there is no reliable way to identify particular balls to be pocketed. Because they are unnumbered they are wholly unsuited to certain pool games, such as nine-ball, in which ball order is important. They are noticeably smaller than the American-style balls, and with a cue ball that is slightly smaller than the object balls, while the table's {{Cuegloss|Pocket|pockets}} are tighter to compensate. Neither the WPA nor the WEPF (publicly) define ball or even table dimensions, though presumably league and tournament organizers are given some guidelines in this regard. Most manufacturers that supply this market provide 2 in. (5.08&nbsp;cm) object balls and {{Frac|1|7|8}}&nbsp;inches (4.76&nbsp;cm) cue balls. The yellow-and-red sets are sometimes commercially referred to as "casino sets" (they were formerly used for televised eight-ball championships<ref name="Shamos 1999">{{Shamos 1999}}</ref>{{rp|45}} &ndash; most often held in casinos). The use of such sets, however, pre-dates television, as they were used for B.B.C. Co. Pool, the forerunner of modern eight-ball, at least as early as 1908.<ref name="Shamos 1999" />{{rp|24}} {{Clear|left}} ===Snooker=== [[Image:Snooker break thumb1.png|thumb|right|300px|Snooker balls just before the {{Cuegloss|Break|break off}}.]] Ball sets for the sport of [[snooker]] look at first glance like a mixture of American- and British-style pool balls. There are twenty-two balls in total, arranged as a rack of fifteen unmarked reds, six {{Cuegloss|Colour ball|colour balls}} placed at various predetermined spots on the table, and a white cue ball. ''(See [[snooker]] for more information on ball setup.)'' The colour balls are sometimes numbered American-style, with their point values, for the amateur/home market. They are numbered as follows: <ol start="2"> <li>{{Cuegloss|Yellow ball|Yellow}} <li>{{Cuegloss|Green ball|Green}} <li>{{Cuegloss|Brown ball|Brown}} <li>{{Cuegloss|Blue ball|Blue}} <li>{{Cuegloss|Pink ball|Pink}} <li>{{Cuegloss|Black ball|Black}} </ol> Snooker balls are technically standardized at 52.5&nbsp;mm (approximately {{Frac|2|1|15}}&nbsp;in) in diameter within a tolerance of plus or minus 0.05&nbsp;mm (0.002&nbsp;in.) No standard weight is defined, but all balls in the set must be the same weight within a tolerance of 3 g.<ref name="WSAequipspec">[http://www.worldsnooker.com/equipment.htm "Equipment"], World Snooker Association, publication date unknown (accessed January 28, 2007), London, UK.</ref> However, many sets are actually {{Frac|2|1|16}}&nbsp;in. (a little under 52.4&nbsp;mm), even from major manufacturers. Snooker sets are also available with considerably smaller-than-regulation balls (and even with ten instead of fifteen reds) for play on smaller tables (down to half-size), and are sanctioned for use in some amateur leagues. ===Other games=== [[Image:Russian billiards ball at a corner pocket.jpg|thumb|left|150px|Russian pyramid ball at a corner pocket. The relative size of the ball and the pocket makes the game very challenging.]] Various other games have their own variants of billiard balls. [[Russian pyramid]] and the related Finnish game ''kaisa'' make use of a set of 15 numbered but otherwise all-white balls, and a red or yellow cue ball, that may be even larger than carom billiards balls, at 68&nbsp;mm (2¹¹⁄₁₆&nbsp;in) or 72&nbsp;mm (2⁴⁄₅ in).<ref name="BVRP">{{Cite web |url= http://www.billiardsvillage.com/russian-pyramid.html |title=Russian Billiards|work=BilliardsVillage.com |author=<!--Staff writer; no byline.--> |year=2007 |accessdate=2008-08-14 }}</ref>. [[Bumper pool]] requires four white and four red object balls, and two special balls, one red with a white spot and the other the opposite; all are usually {{Frac|2|1|8}} inch (approximately 52.5&nbsp;mm) in diameter.<br style="clear:both;" /> ===Training balls=== [[Image:Jim Rempe practice ball.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Jim Rempe]] Training Ball]] Several brands of practice balls exist, which have systems of spots, stripes, differently-colored halves and/or targeting rings. For example, Saluc markets several practice ball systems, including the [[Jim Rempe]] Training Ball, a {{Cuegloss|Cue ball|cue ball}} marked with rings and targets on the surface of the ball so that the practicing player can better judge the effects of very particular amounts of {{Cuegloss|Sidespin|sidespin}}, {{Cuegloss|Topspin|topspin}}, {{Cuegloss|Backspin|backspin}} and other forms of cue ball control, and learn better control of [[Cue stick|cue]] {{Cuegloss|Stroke|stroke}}.<ref name="Saluc 1">{{Cite web|url= http://www.saluc.com/html/index.php?idlien=17 |title=Product Line &gt; Training Balls|year=2005|work=Saluc.com|publisher=[[Saluc|Saluc S.A.]]|location=[[Callenelle]], [[Belgium]]|accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> Various competing products, such as several other Saluc models<ref name="Saluc 1" /> and Elephant Practice Balls,<ref name="Elephant">{{Cite web|url= http://www.elephantballs.com/store/products/22 |title=Elephant Practice Balls|year=2007|work=ElephantBalls.com|publisher=Elephant Balls, Ltd.|location=[[Columbus, Ohio]]|accessdate=2008-02-18}}</ref> use a similar aiming system. Some such sets consist of just a special cue ball and manual, while others contain both a cue ball and an object ball marked for aiming practice, along with the documenation. ===Novelty balls=== [[Image:Striped 8 ball.jpg|thumb|left|200px|A striped "[[referee]]" 8 ball from a set of [[American football]] team logo balls.]][[Image:Novelty billiard balls.jpg|thumb|right|200px|<small>Various novelty [[pocket billiards]] balls. Clockwise from the top: Red and white balls and markers from a proprietary game called Starball; an [[Elvis Presley]] commemorative cue ball from [[Graceland]]; a [[leopard]]-patterned 9 ball; colorful balls from a [[poker]]-themed set; regular balls and the small "jack" from a miniature [[bocce]] set used on a table instead of a lawn or court.</small>]] There is a growing market for specialty cue balls and even entire ball sets, featuring sports team logos, cartoon characters, animal pelt patterns, etc. Entrepreneurial inventors also supply a variety of novelty billiard games with unique rules and balls, some with playing card markings, others with stars and stripes, and yet others in sets of more than thirty balls in several suits. Marbled-looking and glittery materials are also popular for home tables. There are even [[blacklight]] sets for playing in near-dark. There are also [[practical joke]] cue and 8 balls, with off-center weights in them that make their paths curve and wobble. Miniature sets in various sizes (typically {{Frac||2|3}} or {{Frac||1|2}} of normal size) are also commonly available, primarily intended for under-sized toy tables. Even an egg-shaped ball has been patented<ref>U.S. Patent No. 7,468,002</ref> and marketed under such names as Bobble Ball and Tag Ball.<br style="clear:both;" /> ==In popular culture== The 8 ball is frequently used iconically in Western, especially American, culture. It can often be found as an element of T-shirt designs, album covers and names, tattoos, household goods like paperweights and cigarette lighters, belt buckles, etc. A classic toy is the [[Magic 8-Ball]] "oracle". [[Don and Ron Harris|A wrestler]], [[Eightball & MJG|a rapper]], and [[8-Ball (band)|a rock band]] have all independently adopted the name. The term "8 ball" is also [[slang]] both for {{Frac||1|8}}&nbsp;oz. of [[cocaine]] or [[crystal methamphetamine|crystal meth]], and for a bottle of [[Olde English 800]] [[malt liquor]]. The expression "behind the eight" is used throughout the [[English language|English]]-speaking world to indicate a [[dilemma]] from which it is difficult to extricate oneself{{Citation needed|date=April 2009}}. The term derives from the game [[kelly pool]].<ref name="IEOB">{{cite book | last = Shamos | first = Michael Ian | year = 1993 | title = The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Billiards | publisher = Lyons & Burford | location = [[New York, NY]] | pages = 85, 128 and 168 | isbn = 1-55821-219-1}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last = Jewett | first = Bob | year = 2002 | month = February | title = 8-Ball Rules: The many different versions of one of today's most common games | journal = Billiards Digest Magazine | pages = Pages 22–23}}</ref><ref>Ralph Hickok (2001). [http://www.hickoksports.com/history/billiard.shtml Sports History: Pocket Billiards]. Retrieved February 22, 2007.</ref><ref>Billiard Congress America (1995-2005) [http://www.bca-pool.com/aboutus/history/start.shtml A Brief History of the Noble Game of Billiards] by Mike Shamos. Retrieved February 22, 2007.</ref><ref name="Mizerak">{{cite book | author= Steve Mizerak and Michael E. Panozzo | title = Steve Mizerak's Complete Book of Pool | publisher = Contemporary Books | location = [[Chicago|Chicago, Ill]] | pages = 127–8 | date = 1990 | isbn = 0-8092-4255-9}}</ref> The phrase "as smooth as a billiard ball" is sometimes applied to describe a [[Baldness|bald person]], and the term "cue ball" is also [[slang]] for someone who sports a [[shaved head]]. ==References== {{reflist}} ===Patents=== * {{US patent|0050359}} — ''Billiard ball ca. 1865'' * {{US patent|0076765}} — ''Billiard ball ca. 1868'' * {{US patent|0088634}} — ''Billiard ball ca. 1869'' * {{US patent|0114945}} — ''Billiard ball ca. 1871'' {{Cue sports nav}} [[Category:Cue sports equipment|Ball, billiard]] [[Category:Balls|Billiard ball]] [[da:Bal (billard)]] [[de:Billardkugel]] [[es:Bola de billar]] [[ja:ビリヤードボール]] [[no:Biljardball]] [[pl:Bila]] [[sv:Biljardboll]]'