When someone says a pool table is 9 feet, they mean the nominal size of the table, not the length of the cloth between the cushions. The playing surface is the area inside the cushions, and the standard figures below follow the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) specifications. From them you can work out how many balls fit across a table and how much room you need around it.
The playing surface
Every regulation pool table is twice as long as it is wide. The playing surface, measured between the cushion noses, is:
- 9 ft: 100 × 50 in. This is the standard for tournament play.
- 8 ft: 88 × 44 in. A common home size. Some 8-foot tables are sold as "pro" and play 92 × 46 in.
- 7 ft: 78 × 39 in. Often called a bar box. Bar tables vary between makers, so a coin-operated table may differ by an inch or two either way.
Check the ratio: 100 / 50 = 2, 88 / 44 = 2, 92 / 46 = 2 and 78 / 39 = 2. The 8-foot surface has 3,872 square inches (88 × 44) against 5,000 for the 9-foot (100 × 50), so it is 77% of the area. The 7-foot has 3,042 (78 × 39), which is 61%. The 8-foot pro, at 4,232, is 85%.
Why 2:1 matters
The fixed ratio is what makes the diamonds on the rails work. A table has eight equal sections along each long rail and four along each short rail, so the spacing is the same in both directions: 100 / 8 = 12.5 in and 50 / 4 = 12.5 in on a 9-foot table, 11 in on an 8-footer and 9.75 in on a 7-footer. The same diamond layout therefore works on every size; the bank shot post shows the geometry.
The ratio also fixes where the key spots are. The head string sits a quarter of the way down the table, and the foot spot, where the apex ball of the rack goes, sits a quarter of the way up from the foot rail. That puts the two half a length apart: 50 in, 44 in and 39 in on the 9, 8 and 7-foot tables. The 8-ball rules post covers the rack and the break from the head string.
How many balls fit across
A ball is 2.25 in across, so you can divide each dimension by 2.25 to see the table in balls:
| Table | Length × width (balls) | Diagonal | Room |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 ft | 44.4 × 22.2 | 111.8 in | 18 ft × 13 ft 10 in |
| 8 ft pro | 40.9 × 20.4 | 102.9 in | 17 ft 4 in × 13 ft 6 in |
| 8 ft | 39.1 × 19.6 | 98.4 in | 17 ft × 13 ft 4 in |
| 7 ft | 34.7 × 17.3 | 87.2 in | 16 ft 2 in × 12 ft 11 in |
The diagonal is the width times the square root of 5 (about 2.236), because the length is twice the width: 50 × 2.236 = 111.8 in. It is measured between cushions, so the real distance between pockets differs a little. The 7-foot diagonal is 87.2 in, about 78% of the 9-foot figure.
A rack is five ball diameters across its back row, 11.25 in. That is 22.5% of the width of a 9-foot table, 25.6% of an 8-foot and 28.8% of a 7-foot. On the small table the rack fills more of the cloth.
The room you need
Table size means little without space to use it. A cue is commonly about 58 in long, so a common rule of thumb is to allow 58 in beyond every cushion, which is 2 × 58 = 116 in added to each dimension. It is a guide, not a hard rule; a shorter cue helps in a tight room.
- 9 ft: 100 + 116 = 216 in (18 ft) by 50 + 116 = 166 in (13 ft 10 in).
- 8 ft: 88 + 116 = 204 in (17 ft) by 44 + 116 = 160 in (13 ft 4 in).
- 8 ft pro: 92 + 116 = 208 in (17 ft 4 in) by 46 + 116 = 162 in (13 ft 6 in).
- 7 ft: 78 + 116 = 194 in (16 ft 2 in) by 39 + 116 = 155 in (12 ft 11 in).
The clearance is the same for every table, so it adds a fixed amount, and the saving from a smaller table is smaller than it looks. Going from a 9-foot to a 7-foot table cuts the playing area by 39%, since 3,042 / 5,000 = 0.61. The room shrinks by only about 10% in length (194 / 216 = 0.90) and 7% in width (155 / 166 = 0.93). Going from 9 ft to 8 ft saves 12 in of room length and 6 in of width.
What changes when you play
On a bigger table every shot is longer, so small aiming errors grow, in the way the throw post works out for a 2 degree error. A 2 degree miss over 100 in is about 3.5 in (100 × tan 2°), and over 50 in it is about half that. Position play is harder too, because the cue ball travels further. On a 7-foot table the shots are shorter, but the balls sit closer together.
Your sense of cut angle transfers between sizes; your sense of distance and speed has to be recalibrated.
In the app
The Play listing for 8balls describes a clear 3D table and says you can switch between overhead and aiming views, and adjust aim, shot power and cue-ball spin. It does not give the table's size, so do not assume it matches any of the sizes above. The overhead view is still useful for practising how a shot sits against the rails and the head string, whatever size you meet next.
8balls: Pool & Billiards plays 8-ball and 9-ball with overhead and aiming views, practice at your own pace, computer opponents at three difficulty levels, or a local two-player match on one device. Every match is free, with no ads or in-app purchases.