Parts of a Pool Table – Rails, Cushions, Slate and Pockets

All 15 parts on the diagram

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From above 10

Rails The sights are set into their tops. The cushions are fixed along their inner edges.
Cushions Each cushion is rubber covered with cloth. Its front edge is called the nose.
Cloth The cloth covers the bed of the table and the cushions. It is often called felt, but it is a woven cloth.
Corner pockets A pool table has six pockets. Four of them are corner pockets.
Side pockets The center string is the line across the table between the two.
Sights (diamonds) They divide the length of the playing surface into eighths. They divide its width into quarters.
Head string Runs across the table between the second sights from the head rail. It bounds the quarter of the table nearest that rail.
Head spot Where the head string meets the long string. The long string is the line down the middle of the table.
Center spot The center spot is where the center string meets the long string.
Foot spot The foot spot is where the foot string meets the long string. The balls are racked here at the start of a game.

From the side 5

Slate The slate is ground flat and at least an inch thick. Tournament tables use three pieces of equal size.
Frame It carries the weight of the slate and helps keep it flat.
Apron The apron runs all the way around the table below the rails.
Legs A table must stand stable and level on its legs.
Ball return Channels inside carry each pocketed ball to one collecting box. A table with no ball return has drop pockets.

How this list was compiled: Every name checked on 2026-09-30, a name kept only where two of these use it: (1) World Pool-Billiard Association, Rules of Play, 8.1 Parts of the Table, archived copy at http://web.archive.org/web/20211220171626/https://wpapool.com/rules-of-play/ (rails, cushions, playing surface, pockets, pocket liners, head rail, foot rail, head string, foot string, long string, center string, head spot, center spot, foot spot, diamonds or sights, ball return); (2) World Pool-Billiard Association, Equipment Specifications, archived copy at http://web.archive.org/web/20220127212557/https://wpapool.com/equipment-specifications/ (slates, base frame, rail, cushion, sights, pocket liners, ball return and drop pockets, cloth); the two count as one source; (3) Wikipedia, Billiard table and Glossary of cue sports terms, text only, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billiard_table and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_cue_sports_terms (rail, cushion, cloth, bed, slate, corner pocket, side pocket, diamond, sights, head string, head spot, center spot, foot spot, ball return, drop pockets); (4) a buyer's guide to pool tables, A Rookie's Guide to Buying or Selling a Pool Table, passages read through the Internet Archive full-text search, https://archive.org/details/rookiesguidetobu0000mose (apron, frame, legs, slate, rails, pocket liners, ball return); (5) a 1985 retailer's catalog, table listings, https://archive.org/details/1985-sears-christmas-wishbook-catalog (apron, legs, sights). Licence: own work

The drawing: Drawn for this site on 2026-09-30 from plain geometry; no maker's table, nothing traced. Licence: own work

How it works

A pool table is a slate bed covered with cloth, with rubber cushions and six pockets around it. The first view shows it from above; the second shows what holds it up.

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From above, then from the side

Numbers 1 to 10 are on the table seen from above, with the head end on the left. The rails run around the outside, with the sights set into their tops and the cushions along their inner edges. There are four corner pockets and two side pockets. The dashed line is the head string, and three spots sit along the middle of the cloth: the head spot, the center spot and the foot spot. Numbers 11 to 15 are on the side view. A window cut in the apron shows the slate and the frame under it. The legs and the ball return finish the table.

Head or foot? The head end is where the cue ball usually starts. The foot end is where the balls are racked.
Rail or cushion? The cushion is the rubber strip the balls bounce off. It is fixed along the inner edge of the rail.

Questions and answers

What are the parts of a pool table?

Rails with cushions along their inner edges, a cloth-covered playing surface and six pockets. Under the cloth is a slate bed on a frame, with an apron around it and legs below. Many tables also have a ball return.

What are the diamonds on a pool table for?

They are sights set into the tops of the rails. They divide the length of the playing surface into eighths and its width into quarters, and players use them as reference points when aiming bank and kick shots.

Where is the head string on a pool table?

It runs across the table between the second sights from the head rail, a quarter of the way along the playing surface. The area behind it is often called the kitchen. On many tables the line is not drawn.

What is the foot spot on a pool table?

The point where the foot string meets the long string, the line down the middle of the table. In eight-ball and nine-ball the front ball of the rack is placed on it.

What is under the cloth of a pool table?

A bed of slate, ground flat. Tournament tables use three pieces of slate of equal size, fixed to the frame underneath with screws or bolts. Very cheap tables may use plywood or particle board instead.