Pool Table Dimensions: Standard Sizes, Room Size and Measurements
For anyone buying, fitting or measuring a pool table. The playing-surface sizes for every table class, what the whole table takes up, and the room you need around it to swing a cue.
Pool tables come in three standard sizes. A 9-ft tournament table has a playing surface of 100 × 50 in (254 × 127 cm), an 8-ft home table plays on 88 × 44 in (224 × 112 cm) or the larger 92 × 46 in "pro 8", and a 7-ft bar table is about 78 × 39 in (198 × 99 cm). The playing bed stands 29¼ to 31 in (74 to 79 cm) off the floor.
- 9-ft playing area
- 100 × 50 in
- 8-ft playing area
- 88 × 44 in
- Bed height
- 29¼–31 in
- Room for 8-ft table
- 17 × 13 ft 4 in
On this page
- Pool table sizes chart
- Standard pool table size: which one counts as regulation
- Pool table dimensions in cm and mm
- How much room you need for a pool table
- Pool table height and bed measurements
- Pockets, balls and cushions
- How to measure a pool table
- Pool table weight and floor load
- Other billiard tables
- Frequently asked questions
Pool table sizes chart
A pool table's "size" is a nominal name. What matters is the playing surface, measured between the noses of the rubber cushions, and the overall footprint, which adds the rails. The chart below covers both. Overall sizes vary by manufacturer because rail widths range from 4 to 7½ in under WPA rules.
| Table | Playing surface (in) | Playing surface (cm) | Typical overall size (in) | Where you find it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft | about 66–72 × 33–36 | about 168–183 × 84–91 | 76–84 × 42–46 | Compact and children's tables; not standardized |
| 7 ft (bar box) | 78 × 39 | 198 × 99 | 90–93 × 50–53 | Bars, leagues (VNEA, APA), small game rooms |
| 8 ft (home) | 88 × 44 | 224 × 112 | 99–101 × 55–57 | The most common residential size |
| 8 ft "pro 8" (oversize 8) | 92 × 46 | 234 × 117 | 103–106 × 57–60 | Upscale home tables; WPA lists it as an 8-ft size |
| 9 ft (tournament) | 100 × 50 | 254 × 127 | 111–114 × 61–64 | Pool halls, professional events |
| 12 ft snooker | 140½ × 70 | 357 × 178 | about 144 × 73 | Snooker clubs (UK, Asia) |
The WPA sets the tolerance on a tournament table's playing surface at plus ⅛ in in each direction. Home tables are built to the same nominal figures but are not checked against them, so a used 8-ft table can measure anywhere from 86 to 88 in long.
Standard pool table size: which one counts as regulation
There is no single "standard" pool table, but there is a single regulation one. The World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), which governs professional pool, specifies the 9-ft table: 100 × 50 in playing surface, with an 8-ft alternative of 92 × 46 in. Pro tours and televised events use 9-ft tables.
For homes, "standard" usually means the 8-ft table with an 88 × 44 in playing surface. It fits rooms that a 9-ft table does not, and it is still long enough for proper position play. The 92 × 46 in pro-8 is a compromise size that plays closer to a 9-footer.
In bars, the standard is the 7-ft coin-operated table. Its playing area is usually 78 × 39 in, though forum measurements of older Valley tables show 76 × 38 in and some newer bar tables measure 80 × 40 in. Measure the specific table if you need the exact figure.
Pool table dimensions in cm and mm
Outside the US, tables are often sold by length in centimeters or in feet that do not match American sizes exactly. Convert from the playing surface, not the nominal name.
| Table | Length × width (mm) | Length × width (cm) | Playing area |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 ft | 1981 × 991 | 198.1 × 99.1 | 1.96 m² (21.1 sq ft) |
| 8 ft | 2235 × 1118 | 223.5 × 111.8 | 2.50 m² (26.9 sq ft) |
| 8 ft pro | 2337 × 1168 | 233.7 × 116.8 | 2.73 m² (29.4 sq ft) |
| 9 ft | 2540 × 1270 | 254 × 127 | 3.23 m² (34.7 sq ft) |
| Snooker (12 ft) | 3569 × 1778 | 356.9 × 177.8 | 6.35 m² (68.3 sq ft) |
| Carom (match) | 2840 × 1420 | 284 × 142 | 4.03 m² (43.4 sq ft) |
A 9-ft table has 29% more cloth than an 8-ft home table and 64% more than a bar box. That difference, more than the extra foot of length, is why players who learn on bar tables find 9-footers hard at first: every shot is longer.
How much room you need for a pool table
The rule used by table makers: leave one cue length between each cushion and the wall, so a player can stroke a ball frozen to the rail. Room length equals playing-surface length plus two cue lengths; room width equals playing-surface width plus two cue lengths. A standard cue is 58 in (147 cm). Shorter 52 in and 48 in cues exist for tight spots.
| Table | 58 in cue | 52 in cue | 48 in cue |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 ft (78 × 39) | 16 ft 2 in × 12 ft 11 in 493 × 394 cm | 15 ft 2 in × 11 ft 11 in 462 × 363 cm | 14 ft 6 in × 11 ft 3 in 442 × 343 cm |
| 8 ft (88 × 44) | 17 ft 0 in × 13 ft 4 in 518 × 406 cm | 16 ft 0 in × 12 ft 4 in 488 × 376 cm | 15 ft 4 in × 11 ft 8 in 467 × 356 cm |
| 8 ft pro (92 × 46) | 17 ft 4 in × 13 ft 6 in 528 × 411 cm | 16 ft 4 in × 12 ft 6 in 498 × 381 cm | 15 ft 8 in × 11 ft 10 in 478 × 361 cm |
| 9 ft (100 × 50) | 18 ft 0 in × 13 ft 10 in 549 × 422 cm | 17 ft 0 in × 12 ft 10 in 518 × 391 cm | 16 ft 4 in × 12 ft 2 in 498 × 371 cm |
| Snooker (3569 × 1778 mm) | 21 ft 4½ in × 15 ft 6 in 652 × 472 cm | Short cues are impractical on a snooker table | |
These are minimums with bare walls. Furniture counts as wall: a sofa, bar counter or cue rack within the cue zone takes the space away. Hard obstacles at a corner (a post, a radiator) matter less than you might think, because most shots there are played along the rail, not straight back into the wall.
Mark the playing surface on the floor with tape, then stand a broom or cue at each rail and at each corner pocket. If the butt hits the wall on more than one or two lines, step down a size or plan on a 52 in cue for those shots.
Which size fits your room
- Room under 15 × 11 ft: a 7-ft table only works with 48 in cues. Consider a convertible dining table or skip the slate table.
- Room about 16 × 13 ft: a 7-ft table with full cues, or an 8-ft with a short cue for some shots.
- Room about 17 × 13½ ft: an 8-ft table with full cues all round. This is the most common basement or game-room fit.
- Room 18 × 14 ft or larger: a 9-ft table fits. Choose it if you play leagues or tournaments on 9-footers.
Pool table height and bed measurements
WPA rules put the playing bed between 29¼ and 31 in (74.3 to 78.7 cm) above the floor. Most home tables sit near 30 in, roughly the same as a dining table. The rail top is about 1½ to 2 in higher, so the table's overall height is usually 31 to 32½ in.
Snooker tables are taller: the WPBSA sets the height to the top of the cushion rail at 2 ft 10 in (864 mm), with a tolerance of ±½ in (13 mm).
Pockets, balls and cushions
Pocket size changes how hard a table plays more than any other figure. These are the WPA limits for a tournament table.
| Item | Imperial | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Corner pocket opening | 4.5–4.625 in | 11.4–11.7 cm |
| Side pocket opening | 5–5.125 in | 12.7–13.0 cm |
| Corner pocket shelf depth | 1–2¼ in | 2.5–5.7 cm |
| Ball diameter | 2¼ in (±0.005) | 57.15 mm |
| Ball weight | 5½–6 oz | 156–170 g |
| Cushion nose height | about 1.43 in | 62.5–64.5% of ball diameter |
Pocket openings are measured straight across the mouth, from the tip of one cushion nose to the other. A corner pocket at 4½ in is exactly two balls wide, which is why pro tables feel tight. Many home and bar tables are cut closer to 5 in.
Coin-operated bar tables often use a slightly larger or heavier cue ball so the ball-return mechanism can separate it from the object balls. English-style "blackball" tables, common in UK pubs, use smaller balls: 2 in object balls and a 1⅞ in cue ball. A set of American 2¼ in balls will not play properly in their narrow pockets.
How to measure a pool table
- Measure the playing surface. Run the tape along the cloth from the nose of one end cushion to the nose of the other, on the long axis. Do not measure into a pocket. A result near 100 in means a 9-ft table, near 92 in a pro-8, near 88 in an 8-ft, near 78 in a 7-ft.
- Measure the width the same way. It should be half the length. If it is not, you measured to the rail top instead of the cushion nose.
- Measure the outside of the rails on both axes. This is the footprint you need for the room and for moving the table.
- Check the bed height from floor to cloth at each corner. A difference of more than ⅛ in between corners usually means the table needs leveling.
- Identify the slate. Lift a pocket liner or look under the table: a three-piece slate has two visible seams across the bed. Slate tables are heavier and move as kits; MDF tables move in one piece.
Pool table weight and floor load
Slate is the bulk of the weight. Slate weighs about 170 lb per cubic foot, and the slab extends under the rails, so a 1-in slate bed for an 8-ft table is roughly 450 to 500 lb, and for a 9-ft table about 550 to 650 lb. With the frame and rails, a slate 8-ft table typically totals 650 to 1,000 lb. Tables with ¾ in slate are lighter; MDF or "slatron" tables usually weigh 150 to 350 lb.
Spread over the table's footprint, an 800 lb 8-ft table puts about 20 lb per square foot on the floor. US residential codes design living-area floors for 40 lb per square foot of live load, so a slate table on an upper floor is normally fine. The concentration under each leg is the real issue on older or long-span floors; set legs over joists where you can, or ask a builder if the floor already flexes.
Never lift a slate table by its rails or slide it assembled. The slates must come out and travel flat, then be re-leveled and re-seamed on site. That is a professional job for most owners.
Other billiard tables
- Snooker: 3569 × 1778 mm playing area (11 ft 8½ in × 5 ft 10 in), with smaller 52.5 mm balls and rounded pockets. Clubs call it a 12-ft table.
- Carom (three-cushion): a pocketless 10-ft table with a 2840 × 1420 mm playing surface under UMB rules, popular in Europe, Latin America and East Asia.
- English pool (blackball): sold as 6-ft and 7-ft tables with snooker-style rounded pockets. They are smaller than American 7-ft bar tables in practice; check the playing area with the maker before buying a cover or cloth.
If the table will share a room with other large pieces, the dining table size guide covers convertible pool-dining layouts, and the piano dimensions guide and home gym space guide help when you are planning a multi-use game room. For other games and courts, see the sports equipment sizes hub.
Frequently asked questions
Is a pool table's playing surface always twice as long as it is wide?
Yes. Every standard pool, snooker and carom table uses a 2:1 playing surface, measured from cushion nose to cushion nose. The outside of the table is not 2:1, because the rails add the same width to every side. A 9-ft table plays on 100 × 50 in but measures about 112 × 62 in overall.
What size is a bar pool table?
Bar tables ("bar boxes") are sold as 7-ft tables. The usual playing surface is 78 × 39 in (198 × 99 cm), although some coin-operated models measure 80 × 40 in and older ones 76 × 38 in. The cabinet is about 90 to 93 in long and 50 to 53 in wide.
What size table does VNEA league play use?
VNEA (Valley National Eight-Ball Association) leagues play on 7-ft coin-operated bar tables, the same tables found in most bars. The WPA 9-ft table (100 × 50 in) is the standard for professional 9-ball and 10-ball events.
How big is a snooker table compared with a pool table?
A full-size snooker table plays on 3569 × 1778 mm (11 ft 8½ in × 5 ft 10 in), which is 40½ in longer and 20 in wider than a 9-ft pool table. It is usually called a 12-ft table and needs a room about 21 × 16 ft.
What are regulation pool table pocket dimensions?
WPA tournament specifications set corner pocket openings at 4.5 to 4.625 in (11.4 to 11.7 cm) and side pockets at 5 to 5.125 in (12.7 to 13.0 cm), measured between the cushion noses. Home and bar tables often have corner pockets closer to 5 in, which play easier.
How much space do you need around a pool table?
Allow one full cue length (58 in, or 147 cm, for a standard cue) between every cushion and the nearest wall. In practice you need the playing surface plus 116 in in each direction. A 52-in cue cuts that to 104 in for tight rooms.