Apparently, most neophytes to the game don't know this.
Ask Scott Lee, Randy G. and other billiard historians about the history of the pool table. The old timers have heard the stories of the history of table size. There is not much documented.
Before WWII, Italy produced more than 90%+ of the slate worldwide for pool and billiard tables.
The standard for billliard AND pool tables at the time was 10', with 9' at a minimum, in one and two piece sections.. A few 8' were made but strictly for residental use. Forget 7' bar boxes, they hadn't even been thought of yet from hearsay from the ol' timers on my part.
WWII left Italy in ruins. Slate was hard to come by for a while after Mussolini got strung up.
The billiard companies were in a fix!!!!!!!
With the returning G I ' s from the war, Brunswick and other companies focused on the smaller RECREATIONAL TABLE FOR THE HOME USE, instead of commercial, which meant going from one or two piece slate to three piece slate for home use since it was hard to find.
RE-engirneering and the standards definately lowered.
Mosconi, being a purist, along a few other top professinals, was not pleased, but since he was sponsored, he continued with his endorsements, exhibitions and ran 526 on an 8 footer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.
There is a lot more to the history than this. I'll let a few other ol' timers fill in the details.
The rest is NSFW as it is a personal observation:
Earl wants to play on the 10 footer with tight pockets as a standard and GO FIGURE.. Maybe cuz he wins on them like Mosconi. The boy had and continues to have talent to this day.
Like Mosconi, Earl's a self centered ****** and will always be a self centered ******, but he is a PURIST. That simple fact makes me admire both of them for their ability.
I knew them both long enough to have an opinion of their greatness and on a slightly personal level, another opinion.
Sorry, They're both still p****ks despite their greatness.
All I know is, given a 7 footer, 8 footer or 9 footer, as long as I have a clear backstroke without hitting anything, I'm happy
Stones< 63 years old next Monday, playing more than 50 years, and I still LOVE the game and its' history.