Snooker table sizes explained
A full-size snooker table is 12 feet by 6 feet, but snooker is also played on smaller 10ft, 9ft, 8ft, 7ft and 6ft tables. Here's how the sizes compare, and roughly how much room you need to play on each.
Full-size (championship) tables
A full-size table measures about 12ft × 6ft (roughly 3.7m × 1.8m) across the outside of the cushions. The playing surface inside the cushions is 11ft 8½in × 5ft 10in (3,569mm × 1,778mm). Every professional tournament and almost every snooker club uses this size, and it's the size the rules are written for.
A full-size slate-bed table typically weighs well over a tonne, because the bed is made of several thick slate sections. That's why they're usually only found in clubs, halls and very large private rooms.
Smaller snooker tables
| Nominal size | Typical use | Approx. room needed |
|---|---|---|
| 12ft × 6ft (full size) | Clubs, competitions | about 22ft × 16ft (6.7m × 4.9m) |
| 10ft × 5ft | Large games rooms | about 20ft × 15ft |
| 9ft × 4½ft | Home games rooms | about 19ft × 14ft |
| 8ft × 4ft | Home, combined pool/snooker tables | about 18ft × 14ft |
| 7ft × 3½ft | Pub-size, home | about 17ft × 13ft |
| 6ft × 3ft | Home, children, folding tables | about 16ft × 13ft |
The room sizes are rough guides. They allow about a cue's length (around 4ft 10in to 5ft) of clear space on every side of the playing surface. You can manage with less by keeping a shorter cue handy for shots near the walls.
Snooker vs pool tables
An English pub pool table is usually 7ft × 3½ft (some are 6ft or 8ft), with bigger pockets relative to the balls and a different cloth. American pool tables are commonly 7ft, 8ft or 9ft. Snooker balls are 52.5mm across. English pool balls are smaller at 2in (about 51mm), with a slightly smaller cue ball, and American pool balls are larger at 2¼in (57mm). So the same table can't really be used properly for all three games. See pool vs snooker vs billiards for the full comparison.
Playing on a full-size table
If you've only played on a small home or pub table, a full-size snooker table feels enormous, and long pots that look simple get much harder. A snooker club is the easiest place to try one. Find a club near you.