Different Pool Ball Sizes

Pool balls, or billiard balls, are small, hard balls used in cue sports, including pool, billiards and snooker. Depending on the specific game, the number, size, coating and color of the balls can vary. Early pool balls were made of wood, and ivory was common before its use became illegal. Different types of plastic are used to make pool balls today.

Carom Billiards

Carom uses the biggest pool balls: 2 7/16 inches in diameter (61.5 mm). Usually played on pocketless tables, carom uses only three or four balls.

American or Pocket Billiards

American or pocket billiards uses the next-largest balls 2 1/4 inches in diameter (5.715 cm). Games played on a pocket-billiards table include eight-ball, nine-ball, one-pocket and cutthroat.

British-Style Pool or Blackball

British-style pool, or British billiards, also is commonly referred to as Blackball. The object balls are 2 inches in diameter (5.08 cm), and the cue balls are 1 7/8 inches in diameter.

Snooker

Snooker uses 22 balls, the most of any billiards game. Snooker balls are 2 1/15 inches in diameter (52.5 mm).