Week 1: Know the Game
An orientation to the table, the equipment and the basic rules — everything a complete beginner needs before technical stroke instruction begins.
22 February 2027
Learning objectives
- Identify the cue ball, object balls, rails, cushions, pockets and basic table areas.
- Understand the basic purpose of pool.
- Understand basic turn-taking and common fouls.
- Recognise simple legal and illegal situations.
- Handle the cue and table safely and respectfully.
- Learn
This week is an orientation to the table and the game, not a rulebook. You'll meet the cue ball and the object balls, the pockets and cushions, and the basic parts of the cue, then learn the basic objective of pool, how turns pass between players, the most common beginner fouls, and simple etiquette and safety around the table and other players.
- See
Simple table diagrams point out the cue ball, the object ball you're aiming at, the pocket you're aiming for, and the rail — the four things you'll be asked to identify before every shot from here on.
- Think
Beginner situations to reason through: which pocket is the most natural target for a given ball? Which shot is obviously legal, and which is obviously illegal? What should you check before taking any shot at all?
- Play
A light, low-pressure session at the table: walk around and identify the parts described above, place balls where asked, and try a few simple straight shots. The aim is comfort holding the cue and moving around the table, not potting percentage.
- Table check
A short knowledge check on table anatomy, the basic rules, and simple legal/illegal decisions.
The table at a glance#
Before anything technical, get comfortable naming what you’re looking at. Every shot from here on starts by identifying these four things: the cue ball, the object ball, the pocket you’re aiming for, and the rail.
A note on the rules#
Exact competition rules vary between pool rulesets and venues. For this beginner course, we use a simple, consistent set of turn-taking and foul rules — enough to play safely and fairly together. This is a starting point for learning the game, not a claim about official or competition regulations.
Think it through#
- Which pocket is the most natural target for the object ball above?
- Which of two shots shown to you is obviously legal, and which is obviously illegal, under the course rules?
- What should you check before taking any shot at all?
Weekly quiz
Complete this week's graded quiz.