To begin, the balls are arranged as follows: all reds in a pyramid with its apex on the pyramid spot; black on the billiard spot near the foot of the table; pink touching the apex of the pyramid; blue at the centre spot; and green, brown, and yellow at the left, centre, and right of the straight line of the D, a semicircular area at the head of the table.

The first (break) shot must contact a red ball initially. A player shoots until he fails to pocket a ball or fouls, then yields play to an opponent. When playing at a nonred ball, the player must designate which ball is “on” (his target), although he need not specify where he intends to pocket the ball. Red balls remain pocketed, whether played legally or not, but the others are immediately replaced on their respective spots as long as any reds remain on the table. When all reds are pocketed, players attempt to pocket the other balls in numerical order. When the last ball is off the table, the game ends and the player with the highest score wins.

Penalties are assessed for fouls, i.e., violations of certain rules, including pocketing the cue ball (“scratching”), failing to hit any ball with the cue ball, causing the cue ball to strike first a ball that is not on, and pocketing two balls (other than two reds) on the same stroke. Penalties usually consist of a forfeit of a certain number of points to all opponents, loss of any score made on the foul stroke, and loss of the turn at play. English and American versions of the game vary somewhat according to rules of the Billiards Association and Control Council and the Billiard Congress of America, respectively.

The term “snooker” denotes a position of the cue ball from which the player is unable to hit the ball that the rules require him to play. Compare pocket billiards; pyramids.