A pocketless cue sport played with three balls on a heated table, in which players score cannons by contacting both opponent balls.
Origin and rules
Billiards descends from outdoor lawn ball games adapted indoors in 14th-century France. The pocketless three-cushion form was codified in 19th-century Belgium and France, with the Union Mondiale de Billard founded in 1959.
How it plays
Two players use one of two cue balls and try to make the cue ball touch the opponent’s ball and the red ball in a single stroke. Three-cushion billiards requires the cue ball to contact at least three rail cushions before completing the cannon.
Competition
The UMB Three-Cushion World Championship and the Crystal Kelly Tournament in Monaco are the elite events. South Korea, Belgium, Turkey, the Netherlands, and Vietnam are leading nations. Billiards is part of the World Games but not the Olympic programme.
Find more sports by letter
Billiards starts with B and ends with S. Browse other sports along the same letter.
Sports that contain a letter from "Billiards":