What is Carom billiards (or French billiards)?

Principles:

Known as "Carom billiards" or "French billiards", this discipline is fundamentally different from its Anglo-Saxon pocket billiards' cousins, such as Blackball, Snooker or American billiards.

The rule is very simple, it is to "carom", i.e. to touch the two other balls with your own. The player can either carom the red ball or the opponent's white ball first. He can also directly carom one ball and then the other, or find a more judicious trajectory through the cushions to make the point.

The players' balls are one white and one yellow or two white balls (in this case they are distinguished by a small red or black circle on one of them, "the spotted"). The third ball is red. A fourth  ball (blue) is sometimes used for beginners. This method aims to facilitate the approach to the game by giving more possibilities of caroms and to allow an easier construction of the series. It contributes to rapid progress and maintains the pleasure of playing.

There are several specialities (or modes of play), imposing particular rules, such as :

• the "free game", a basic specialty with few constraints,

• the "balk-line" games, with marked areas on the playing surface,

• the « 1 cushion" and the "3-cushion", for which a minimum of one cushion, or a minimum of three cushions is requested before touching the third ball,

• the "Artistic" billiard

• the 5-Pin.

Strategy:

The practice of billiards, whether for leisure or competition, requires, like any other sport, strategies, tactics and techniques. 

At the beginning, the only objective will be to achieve the point. After some practice, the player will also try to improve the situation to facilitate the next shot, the main objective being always the achievement of the point. The aim is to optimise the execution of each carom for greater efficiency.

Moreover, each discipline (some more than others) implies, in a competitive spirit, a defensive strategy, consisting of leaving the opponent with an unfavourable playing situation when the point is unlikely to be won. However, this strategic option is double-edged and sometimes leads to "self-destruction".

In free games, the fundamental tactical principles are recall and placement. The game situation will indicate the option to be chosen, with a varying degree of precision in execution. The various techniques will allow the player to propel the ball in a certain direction, with a certain power and rotation, to see it shock one ball and then the other...

Material:

Playing area

The playing area is made of slate covered with billiard clothes. The markings on the billiard cloth are used to place the billiard balls precisely in certain circumstances, such as the start of a game.

The Carom billiard table (or French billiard table) can be equipped with an electric heating system to improve its rolling performance. There are several sizes for a carom table:

• small billiard tables, with a length of 2.40 m, 2.60 m or 2.80 m,

• 3.10 m for "match" table.

Billiard balls

Carom balls, with a diameter of 61.5 mm, are nowadays made of synthetic material.

Billiard cues/sticks

The Carom billiard cues are made of wood or composite material. Its weight is usually between 450 and 530 grams.For example, to begin in free games, it is recommended to play with a cue weighing about 480 grams.