Though this may sound a trivial thing to you, but it can be a matter of great importance for serious players, what is regulation size Pool balls? Because, in case you are thinking it doesn’t make any difference, you are wrong. The size and weight of the cue ball does make a difference when you are playing.
Not everyone can play with a professional Pool/Snooker ball size, for instance kids. Likewise, even when it comes to standard Pool/Snooker ball size there are so many variations available with different names, like English Pool/Snooker ball size or American Pool/Snooker ball size, one can easily get confused.
So in this article, I’m going to discuss the weight and size of Pool and Snooker balls in a separate guide, alongside we’ll be discussing several other factors associated with their sizes so you can decide which size and weight balls are appropriate for your use.
BTW, if you want to know what material are these balls made of, read our detailed article on this subject here.
If we compare Pool balls vs Snooker balls, Snooker balls are normally bigger than Pool balls. Their standard size is 52.5mm in diameter of object balls within a tolerance of plus or minus 0.05 mm.
There is no standard weight defined but all balls must be of the same size. The average weight of a snooker ball is around 3 grams (11 ounces).However, you may come across slightly bigger or smaller Snooker balls, but one thing remains constant that all balls are of the same size.
On the other hand, Pool balls are 51 mm in diameter and weigh between 5 1⁄2 to 6.0 oz.
These numbers are true for object balls, while if you are wondering if Pool/Snooker object balls are of the same weight as cue balls, then we have written a detailed answer for this question. In some cases, yes, while in some cases they can be slightly heavier than the object balls. Read here.
Now that you know Snooker and Pool balls are not of the same size, it’s time to learn the different sizes of Pool balls available.
There isn’t much difference between the standard Pool balls and English Pool balls, as English Pool balls are of the same weight while their size in terms of diameter is around 50.8 mm – a little less than the standard Pool balls. Moreover, an English ball can weigh up to 3.48 ounces.
A lot of people have asked Australian Pool ball size, the answer is Australian and English Pool balls both are of the same size. They are pretty much the same as the standards followed at international level.
On the other hand, American Pool balls are half a diameter bigger than English Pool balls and they weigh approximately 57% more than the English balls. Each American Pool ball can weigh up to 6 ounces.
Now, when you know the different sizes of Pool balls, you must be wondering which size of the Pool balls should you buy?
The thing is, apart from the above mentioned sizes, Pool balls are also available in small sizes, for instance small balls which are made for children. These balls are 38 mm in diameter and much lighter.
Likewise, you can find Pool balls slightly bigger than these. So that brings us to another important aspect of this discussion, the size of your table.
As it goes without saying, the size of your table must also be taken into account before buying Pool balls of a certain size. If you play with small size cue balls on a 10-foot table, it won’t make sense. The table would feel empty. And if you are playing with bigger cue sticks, balls would travel faster than you intended.
That’s why, I have prepared a detailed size guide for you to have an idea which size you should buy when buying for a specific size table. Generally, the bigger the balls are the heavier you’ll find them. So I’m not adding weights in the table below.
| Pool Ball Size | Table Size |
|---|---|
| 25 mm diameter balls | 6 ft table |
| Around 38mm | 7 ft table |
| Standard size balls | 8 ft table |
| Standard size balls | 9 ft table |
On 8 ft and 9 ft tables, we use standard size balls. While on a 7 ft table, which is considered smaller than the standard size but not exactly the size used for children, it can be tricky to decide which size to use.
I recommend you try different sizes on it before jumping to any conclusion.
If we talk about 8-ball and 9-ball pool sizes, there are no standards. You can play 8-ball Pool or 9-ball Pool with any size, the only thing necessary is those balls must have numbers over them as these numbers tell players which ball to hit.
Normally, the 8-ball and 9-ball pool matches you see are played with standard size balls.
Now, we’ll talk about Snooker balls. There isn’t much difference in the size of Snooker balls, more or less they are of the same sizes everywhere.
However, you may find different sizes of snooker balls being sold online. Just like Pool balls, they are available in small sizes for kids, while you can also find full size snooker balls.
And again, you need to consider the size of the table before choosing any size. A word of caution for you is don’t think Snooker and Pool balls are interchangeable, as Snooker is comparatively played with bigger balls.
| Snooker Ball Size | Table Size |
|---|---|
| 38mm diameter balls with weight almost half of the original weight | 5 ft- 6 ft table |
| Around 50mm balls with standard weight | 7 ft table |
| Standard size balls (52.5mm) | 8 ft table |
| Standard size balls (52.5mm) | 9 ft table |
| Standard size balls (52.5mm) | 10 ft table |
However, before selecting any size, one must consider his preferences as well. Maybe you don’t like too small balls on your 6 ft table, so you could be more inclined towards the standard size rather than going with a small size.
So, in order to determine your comfort while playing with a certain size of ball, you must know how to measure the size. They are always measured by their circumference and diameter.
You can use measuring tape for this purpose along with a yarn.
What size snooker balls do professional use?
Professional snooker balls are around 52.5 mm in diameter, while there is no standard weight defined.
Are all pool balls the same weight?
All object balls are of the same weight, while cue ball’s weight is also supposed to be the same but in some cases, due to the type of table, it can be slightly heavier than the rest of the balls.
What is Pub Pool ball size?
It depends on the table. If the Pub table is of standard size, a standard sized ball will be used.
Are Pool and snooker balls the same thing?
In Snooker, balls are identified with their colors. While in the Pool, those balls are identified with solid/stripe type and their numbers.
What do the numbers on pool balls mean?
They tell the player which ball to be hit, for a shot to be legal.
So, if we sum things up, there are quite a few sizes of Pool and Snooker balls available, however, standard sizes are pretty much the same everywhere. Also, we have discussed the difference between American and English Pool ball sizes, which are significantly different from each other. And at the very end, we discussed the different sizes which are appropriate according to the table. So, if you have read this article from beginning till the end, you now know which size Snooker/Ball is the right size for you.
