Pool table playing surface
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A bar box is useually 3-1/2' x 7', <<ED
7' barbox is either 39" X 78" or 40" X 80"
8' table is 44" X 88"
Pro 8 table is 46" X 92"
9' table is 50" X 100"
10' table is 56" X 112"
All good here, except I've never seen a 7' bar table that was 39" x 78". Diamond and Valley are both 40" x 80".
We used to call the larger 8' table an "oversized" 8'.
As I recall, one of the (common) modern tables is actually a bit wider at 50.25 or 50.5 inches x 100"...or maybe it was +.25 or +.5 on the length...I can't remember which table this is but RKC knows the answer.
I wish the AZ search engine would let us search for things like "50.25" but it doesn't.
Dartman quoted sizes that are known to be the industry standard table sizes ...although I've seen others that have some odd ball measurements.
Any table should play correctly as long as the surface is twice as long as it is wide.
When I was looking at tables in the 70's Brunswick made 8 ft that were were both 46 x 92 and 44 x 88. They were also referred to as commercial 8's and the smaller home 8's.
I asked why the tables were less than a true 9 ft or 8 ft and one of the explanations was that the rail was taken into consideration because it is considered part of the table and in some cases the surface area because if a ball hits the top of the rail and then bounces back onto the table it is still in play. If that were true than the length would not be twice the width.
I asked why the tables were less than a true 9 ft or 8 ft and one of the explanations was that the rail was taken into consideration because it is considered part of the table and in some cases the surface area because if a ball hits the top of the rail and then bounces back onto the table it is still in play. If that were true than the length would not be twice the width.
Which is referred to as "regulation".
If we define "playing surface" as the surface that the balls actually travel on, then pool tables' playing surface dimensions are not truly 2:1, because the balls never travel into the 1.125" gap between the "gutter" and the cushion nose. To play truly symmetrically, a table's dimensions would have to be in a 2:1 ratio at the gutter, not at the cushion noses. Of course, play is never truly symmetrical anyway.
The diamonds on a table's rails divide the area between the cushion noses equally, so they don't apply to the "true" playing surface. The difference is so small (and using the diamonds is so inexact anyway) that it doesn't really matter, even though if you use the diamonds to measure a bank or kick to a corner pocket you're really measuring to the cushion just past the pocket.
With no warranty of usefulness, here are "true playing surface" dimensions (and length/width ratios) measured to the gutter for common tables:
7' barbox (39" X 78") = 36.75" X 75.75" (2.06:1)
7' barbox (40" X 80") = 37.75" X 77.75" (2.06:1)
8' table (44" X 88") = 41.75" X 85.75" (2.05:1)
Pro 8' table (46" X 92") = 43.75" X 89.75" (2.05:1)
9' table (50" X 100") = 47.75" X 97.75" (2.05:1)
10' table (56" X 112") = 53.75" X 109.75" (2.04:1)
pj
chgo
pj
Seeing that the balls on most 10' tables are not played with pool balls you should have allowed for snooker balls (smaller) and billiard balls (larger). :duck: :thumbup:
uttahere: Steve
Next time I'll order up a CUSTOM 9' table.... 52 1/4" x 102 1/4"...:killingme:
Technically speaking one could argue the difference between playing area and playing surface.
Good post.
There you go - a 9' oversize. :grin:
It would have to be 52 1/4 X 104 1/2 to be regulation. :thumbup2:
You are right. A table should be twice as long as it is wide.
However, the balls hitting the end rail don't get twice the size.
The actual playing surface that the balls will touch changes by 2 1/4" longer.
To have a 9' playing surface of 50 x 100 the rails would be 52 1/4 x 102 1/4.
This of course is not a regulation size and why I posted the laughing character.
This happens on any table twice as long, no matter what the size.