Game guide · Carom billiards
One cushion: a route replaces the direct hit.
Your cue ball must contact both object balls and touch at least one cushion before the second object ball. Position choice now matters more than direct aim.
- 2.30 × 1.15 m
- Carambole small table
- 61 mm
- Three carom balls
- At least one
- Cushion before ball two
- 25 points
- Default game distance
When is a cushion carom legal?
A point counts when your cue ball contacts both object balls and has made at least one cushion contact before reaching the second object ball. That cushion may be contacted before the first object ball or between the first and second object balls.
More than one cushion is allowed. What matters is the sequence: at the instant the second object ball is contacted, the cue ball's cushion count must be at least one.
- Ball one → cushion → ball two is legal.
- Cushion → ball one → ball two is legal.
- Ball one → two or more cushions → ball two is legal.
- Ball one → ball two → cushion is illegal because the cushion came too late.
Equipment and opening position
Carambole plays one cushion on a 2.30 × 1.15 metre small table with three 61 millimetre balls and no pockets. The two-to-one table ratio and rail diamonds provide repeatable references for departure and arrival.
At the opening position, the red, white and yellow balls occupy fixed spots. In Carambole, the opening player must contact red first. After that opening stroke, either object ball may be contacted first.
Turn order and scoring
Every correct cushion carom scores one point. After scoring, you continue from the position in which the balls stopped. A well-designed route can therefore score and prepare the next stroke at the same time.
If both object balls are contacted but the cue ball lacked a timely cushion contact, no point is awarded. A normal miss also ends the turn. Carambole's default match distance is 25 points.
Frequently misunderstood errors
- The first object ball reaches a cushion but the cue ball does not.
- The cue ball reaches a cushion only after both object balls.
- The required cushion is reached but the second object ball is missed.
- The opening stroke does not contact red first.
- A hard stroke scores but destroys any practical next position.
How one cushion differs from straight rail
Straight rail often allows the shortest connection between the balls. One cushion requires a rail route, which makes natural rebound, arrival speed and running or reverse spin central to the shot.
A strong player does not choose only a line that can score. The first object ball is controlled and the cue ball is delivered so all three balls remain manageable for the next position.
How Carambole implements one cushion
The game records the first object-ball contact, all cue-ball cushion contacts and the contact with the second object ball. A point is awarded only when both object balls were reached and at least one cushion came in time.
The default distance is 25. The accompanying One-Cushion Lesson teaches natural angles, long-short and short-long routes, spin adjustments and gathering through the cushion.
Sources and verification
Content last verified on 8 August 2026. In official competition, the current governing rulebook takes precedence.
Put the theory on the table.
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