Chapter 09
Illustrated Glossary
The language of the game.
5 min
A – M
- Break
- The opening shot that scatters the racked balls.
- Bridge
- The hand position that supports the cue near the tip.
- Carom
- Cue ball glancing off one ball into another.
- Cut
- A shot where the cue ball strikes the object ball off-center.
- Diamond
- A marker on the rail used for banking and kicking systems.
- Draw
- Backspin that pulls the cue ball backward after contact.
- English
- Sidespin applied to the cue ball.
- Follow
- Topspin that continues the cue ball forward after contact.
- Ghost ball
- An imaginary ball at the contact point used to aim.
- Kick
- Striking a rail before contacting your target ball.
- Kiss
- An unintended collision between two object balls.
5 min
N – Z
- Object ball
- Any ball other than the cue ball.
- Position
- Where the cue ball comes to rest — the setup for the next shot.
- Rack
- The triangle used to set balls up for the break.
- Rail
- The cushioned inner edge of the table.
- Safety
- A defensive shot leaving no makeable ball for the opponent.
- Scratch
- Pocketing the cue ball — a foul.
- Stun
- A shot with no top- or backspin; the cue ball takes the tangent line.
- Stripes / Solids
- The two groups of numbered balls (9–15 / 1–7) in 8-ball.
- Tangent line
- The line the cue ball travels along after a stun contact.
- Throw
- Slight alteration of the object ball's path due to friction with the cue ball.