Looking for some information on snooker table dimensions? The following SportsAspire article will cover all that you want to know about this subject.
Snooker is a game that combines the characteristics of pyramid pool and life pool. It is thought that Colonel Sir Neville Chamberlain developed this game in India in 1875 in the British Army Officer’s Mess. The game of snooker became famous world over with the spread of the British Army. The rules of the game were recognized by the Billiards Association in 1990. Joe Davis promoted the game throughout the world and helped in gaining fast momentum of world popularity for snooker.
Dimensions of Snooker Table
Originally, snooker was played on English billiards tables. The original billiards tables were made from wood and had no cloths and pockets. They used hoops as targets and later lined the table bed with early ‘cushions’. These cushions were later replaced by felt layers.
The dimensions of snooker tables of the 19th century were according to the room size that could accommodate them easily. After a mutual agreement between the manufacturers, the standardized size of the snooker table was set at 12 feet x 6 feet. After 1892, the Governing Body of the Billiards Association gave a standard for tables that has only been slightly modified since.
The felt layers were replaced by rubber in 1835. Vulcanization of rubber had not yet been discovered, thus, the rubber was flexible only above the rubber temperature and so it was necessary to heat the cushions before a game. John Thurston, a pioneer in making billiards table of his time, introduced vulcanized rubber cushions for snooker tables after the discovery of vulcanization. In the 1830’s, slate beds were introduced into the English Billiards tables after many years of use in Europe.
The famous snooker table makers, Burroughs and Watts, developed tables in 1900’s that had a steel backing option. This helped in improving the speed and consistency of the rebounding balls. Which then led to the birth of modern snooker table dimensions. Today, the table dimensions have a playing size of about 11 feet 8½” x 5 feet 10″. The following table will prove to be useful in understanding the snooker table measurements.
Snooker Table Measurements
| Table Size | Playfield | Play Space Size | Finished Table Size | Slate Size |
| 7′ Home | 38 x 76 | 13’8 x 16’10” | 49 x 87 | 45 x 83 |
| 8′ Regulation | 44 x 88 | 14’2 x 17’10” | 55 x 99 | 51 x 95 |
| 81/2‘Oversize Regulation | 46 x 92 | 14’4″ x 18’2″ | 57 x 103 | 53 x 99 |
| 9′ Tournament | 50 x 100 | 14’8″ x 18’10” | 6 x 111 | 57 x 107 |
| 10′ Snooker | 56 x 112 | 15’2 x 19’10” | 67 x 123 | 63 x 119 |
Snooker is a very interesting game and one can get engrossed for hours while playing the same. If you are thinking of buying a snooker table, the above snooker table dimensions will prove to be very helpful.
