Regulation pocket sizes? Why do they vary?

The pocket sizes will never be consistant to the rules, they will only come close.

It all comes down to money. Most of the people setting up the tables have grunt workers who probably have an I.Q. equal to the average tempature of the North Pole. I've seen it so many times. All the rubber is numbered, and they put the tables together as fast as they can so they can go have a beer afterwards. The only measuring tool they use is the level, everything else doesn't matter to them. If they got paid by the consistantcy of a table, instead of how many they can get set up in an hour, things may change.

That's why I'm always preaching to learn how to read a table and adapt.

You can take a disadvantage and MAKE it an advantage if the table has a problem to your play style. More often than not, your opponent will have a problem also (unless your oponent knows how to read a table, and you don't). If you're smart enough, you can fill in the rest.
 
pete lafond said:
It is too bad though that the men are not organized with a body that oversees the BCA, UPA,... Maybe some day.
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I'm with you there. Would love to see and organized body that oversees Men's pool.

Another thing about pocket size and equipment:
If the pocket size is stated somewhere at the tournament I think it would be great. Then we get an idea what kinda contest this is.

So if Espn televises the Pig Skin Billiards Classic or whatever tournament :)
They list this on the screen:
Played with: New Simonis 860
Pocket size: Double shimmped 4.5 " corners and 5" side pockets
No jump cues are allowed
Break from the box

or they can list it on their Website for the specific tournamet, or they can list it at the tournament on a piece of paper or a sign. They advertise the tables anyway, so just advertise on a bill board that says "Played with on Brunswick Gold crown tables with Pro cut 4.5 " pockets.

Now we know exactly what equipment is being played on so we know what type of tournament this is. If they have 5"+ easy pockets we know its gonna be a run out slop shot tournament and if its played on 4..5" pockets, we know its gonna be a shotmaking bonanza. At least we know and its the same for everyone.
 
I'm not bothered as much by pocket size as I am by the difference in how far back the drop off is in the pocket. When a slow rolling ball goes into the pocket, bounces back and forth and doesn't drop because the drop off it so far back in the pocket, that bothers me a little.

While I'm thinking about it. I think I'd really like a table if it were triple shimmed and the pocket drop off was moved a little closer to the hole opening. That would maximize accuracy, but still allow you to hit a ball with some speed if necessary.
 
Diamond Billiard Products has pushed for pocket specifications for years. In the first case, shimming is a bad fix to the problem. It results in the table playing phony (balls not going that should.) If you desire to practice on a tight table, play some snooker. That will force you to concentrate on pocketing balls.

In the Diamond tables, the pocket opening is 4 5/8". This is tight enough to prevent 2 balls side by side from falling into the pocket. However, to make a pocket play tight it is necessary to also consider the angle of the pocket opening. Opening the pocket angle makes pocketing balls down the rail more difficult. In this case, when balls rub the rail on the way in they will tend to hit the facing inside the pocket at a more oblique angle. This tends to make balls "jaw up". Therefore, Diamond makes two styles of pockets. A standard cut and a pro cut pocket. In both cases, the opening is 4 5/8 inches.

At the moment, there are too many sanctioning bodies in pool to have a set of standard playing specifications for tourament play. When you start comparing players accomplishments, it becomes difficult without standard specs. John Schmidt, a very accomplished straight pool player, has run 400 balls on a table with 5" pockets and he has managed to run over 200 on a Diamond with Pro Cut pockets. Who is to say if those runs are not equal given the difference in tightness of the pockets?
 
pete lafond said:
Unless I'm wrong, the BCA has their own standards, UPA has theirs, .. The women are the only group that has a unified structure, outside of them none exists.
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I found WPBA's ruling on pocket size.
WPBA.com
"TABLES, BALLS, EQUIPMENT
All games described in these rules are designed for tables, balls and equipment meeting the standards prescribed in the BCA Equipment Specifications"

BCA ruling:
http://www.bca-pool.com/play/tourna...les/equip.shtml
 
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