The Standard
Pool Table [as per
World Pocket Billiards Association]
Table
Bed Height - between 29 ¼ inches [74.295 cm] and
31 inches [78.74 cm].
Design
- Shall not have any sharp edges or materials that might cause injuries or
damage clothes. Construction should be adequate enough so that the table
will remain stable and level under all conditions of play.
Slates
- The
thickness must be at least 1 inch [2.54 cm], and the playing surface must
be capable, either by its own strength or a combination of its strength
and that of the table base frame, of maintaining an overall flatness
within + .020 inches [.508 mm] lengthwise and + .010 inches [.254 mm]
across the width. Further this surface should have an additional
deflection not to exceed .030 inches [.762 mm] when loaded with a
concentrated static force of 200 pounds [90.7 kg] at its center. All slate
joints must be in the same plane within .005 inch [.127 mm] after leveling
and shimming. Tournament tables must have a set of slates consisting of
three pieces of equal size with wooden frame of at least ¾ inch [1.905 cm]
thick lumber attached underneath the slate. The slate sections must be
secured to the base frame with countersunk screws or bolts.
Playing
Surface -
The playing surface (area) must be rectangular, and symmetrical when the
pocket configurations are included:
9 foot-100(+1/8)x50(+1/8)inches (except
cushions)/[2.54m(+3.175 mm)x1.27m(+3.175 mm)]
8 foot-92(+1/8)x46(+1/8)inches (except
cushions)/[2.33m(+3.175mm)x1.168m(+3.175 mm)]
Rail
and Cushion -
The rail width must be between 4 [10.16 cm] and 7 ½ inches
[19.05 cm] including the rubber cushions. 18 sights (or 17 and a name
plate) shall be attached flush on the rail cap with:
12 ½ inches [31.75 cm] from sight to sight on a
9-foot regulation table
11 ½ inches [29.20 cm] from sight to sight on a 8-foot regulation table.
The center of each sight should be located 3 11/16 (+) inches [93.6625 mm
(+ 3.175 mm)] from the nose of the cushion. The sights may be round
(between 7/16 [11.11 mm] and ½ inch [12.7 mm] in diameter) or
diamond-shaped (between 1 x 7/16 [25.4 x 11.11 mm] and 1 ¼ x 5/8 inch
[31.75 x 15.875 mm]). Any nameplates and score counters should be flush
level with rail top. All rail bolts should be thus located that when
properly torqued render a quiet and optimum rebound from any point of the
cushion nose of the table.
Height of the
Cushion -
Rubber cushions should be triangular in shape with the width of the
cloth-covered cushion being between 1 7/8 [4.76 cm] and 2 inches [5.40 cm]
measured from the outer edge of the feather strip to the nose of the
cushion. Rail height (nose-line to table-bed) should be 63 ½% (+1 %) or
between 62 ½% and 64 ½ % of the diameter of the ball.
Cushion
Rubber -
Table cushions should influence the speed of the table such that with
placement of a ball on the head spot, shooting through the foot spot,
using center ball English, with a level cue and firm stroke, the ball must
travel a minimum of 4 to 4 ½ lengths of the table without jumping.
Pocket
Openings and Measurements
- Only rubber facings of minimum 1/16 [1.5875 mm] to maximum ¼ inch [6.35
mm] thick may be used at pocket jaws. The WPA-preferred maximum thickness
for facings is 1/8 inch [3.175 mm]. The facings on both sides of the
pockets must be of the same thickness. Facings must be of hard re-enforced
rubber glued with strong bond to the cushion and the rail, and adequately
fastened to the wood rail liner to prevent shifting. The rubber of the
facings should be somewhat harder than that of the cushions.
The pocket openings for pool tables are measured between opposing cushion
noses where the direction changes into the pocket (from pointed lip to
pointed lip). This is called mouth.
Corner Pocket Mouth: between 4.5 [11.43 cm] and
4.625 inches [11.75 cm]
Side Pocket Mouth: between 5 [12.7 cm] and 5.125 inches [13.0175 cm]
*The mouth of the side pocket is traditionally ½ inch [1.27 cm] wider
than the mouth of the corner pocket.
Vertical Pocket Angle (Back Draft): 12 degrees minimum to15 degrees
maximum.
Horizontal Pocket Cut Angle: The angle must be the same on both sides of a
pocket entrance. The cut angles of the rubber cushion and its wood backing
(rail liner) for both sides of the corner pocket entrance must be 142
degrees (+1). The cut angles of the rubber cushion and its wood backing
(rail liner) for both sides of the side pocket entrance must be 104
degrees (+1).
Shelf: The shelf is measured from the center of the imaginary line that
goes from one side of the mouth to the other - where the nose of the
cushion changes direction - to the vertical cut of the slate pocket cut.
Shelf includes bevel.
Corner Pocket Shelf: between 1 [2.54 cm] and 2 ¼
inches [5.715 cm]
Side Pocket Shelf: between 0 and .375 inches [.9525 cm]
Pocket Liners
- The pocket
liners and boots should be of long wearing plastic, rubber or leather. The
material the liners and boots are made of should not permanently mark
(stain) the balls or cues. The upper part of the inner wall must be so
fashioned that whenever a ball hits the pocket liner wall below the rim at
the top of the rail, the ball is directed downwards.
Ball Return
and Drop Pockets
- Both drop pockets and automatic ball returns can be used, but must be as
noiseless as possible. Drop pockets must have a basket capacity of at
least 6 balls. Automatic ball returns must be properly installed so that
pocketed balls are not trampolined back to the table or off the table.
Cloth -
The cloth
must be non-directional, nap-free billiard fabric which will not pill or
fluff, composed of no less than 85% combed worsted wool and no more than
15% nylon. 100% combed worsted wool fabric is preferred. No backed cloth
will be allowed. Only the colors of yellow-green, blue-green or electric
blue are acceptable for WPA competition.
Fastening of
the Cloth (Guidelines)
- Before cloth-covering the slate, a strip of canvas (or table-cloth)
should be glued to the vertical pocket cuts of the slates and their
underlying wooden slate liner. The table-bed cloth must be stretched for
"proper tension" and mechanically attached to the underlying wooden slate
liner with fully driven fasteners (staples/tacks) spaced a maximum of 1" on center approx., with at least inch [.9525 cm] penetration
into the wooden slate liner. Guidelines for proper tension are as follow:
1. Length of the cloth should be manually stretched
as tight as possible, and then relieved ½ inch [1.27 cm] before
attachment; and 2. Width of the cloth should be manually stretched as tight as possible,
and then relieved ¼ inch [.635 cm] before attachment.
When covering the cushions, the cloth must be lengthwise evenly and
consistently well-stretched while inserting the feather strip as well as
thereafter. While the cloth is in a stretched condition lengthwise, the
cloth must then be stretched in the width up to the moment when
indentation of the nose of the rubber cushion is about to start and
attached underneath the wooden rail with fully driven fasteners (staples
or tacks) spaced a maximum of 3/4 inch [1.905 cm] on center approximately,
with at least 3/8 inch [.9525 cm] penetration into the wood. At the side
pocket openings, the rails are to be covered with a minimum overlapping of
fabric over the facings. When doing overlapping, great care must be taken
so that hidden folds, if any, do not cause balls to jump off the table
during play. No folds are allowed in the cloth over the facings of the
corner pockets.
Cleaning
Table and Rail Cloth (Advised Preparation)
- The WPA recommends only the colors green and blue for chalk. A soft
(horse hair) brush, a cloth-cleaner made with billiard fabric, or a
brushless (without rotating brush) vacuum cleaner are the recommended
table and cushion cleaning devices. Brushes that shed bristles are not
recommended.
Lights - The
bed and rails of the table must receive at least 520 lux (48 foot-candles)
of light at every point. A screen or reflector configuration is advised so
that the center of the table does not receive noticeably more lighting than
the rails and the corners of the table. If the light fixture above the table
may be moved aside (referee), the minimum height of the fixture should be no
lower than 40" [1.016m] above the bed of table. If the light fixture above
the table is non-movable, the fixture should be no lower than 65" [1.65m]
above the bed of table. The intensity of any directed light on the players
at the table should not be blinding. Blinding light starts at 5000 lux
(465 foot-candles) direct
view. The rest of the venue
(bleachers, etc.) should
receive at least 50 lux
(5 foot-candles) of light.
Spacing Between Tables
- a minimum measurement of 6 feet [1.83 m] is required between the outside
edge of the table rail in every horizontal direction and obstacle (table,
chair, rail, etc.).
Table
Recognized by the WPA
- Only tables that are recognized by the WPA can be used at a WPA-sanctioned
or recognized event.
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