Five-pin billiards
Five-pins (Italian cinque birilli), also known as five-pin billiards or Italian billiards (It. biliardo all'italiana),[1] is a carom billiards cue sport, popular in Italy and parts of Latin America, as well as Switzerland and Spain, with international, televised professional tournaments.
History
Until 1980, the game (with some rules differences) was a form of skittle pool played on a pocket billiards table, but professional and regulated amateur play today exclusively uses pockless tables. Also, in former periods, it was common for the object ball to be smaller than the cue balls.[citation needed] Professional competition began in 1965.
Equipment and setup
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Five-pins_table_layout.gif)
The game is played on a pocketless billiards table, with standardized dimensions of 2.84 m (approximately 9-1/3 ft.) by 1.42 m (approx. 4-2/3 ft.)
Like most other carom games, it requires three billiard balls of equal diameter, a red object ball, a plain white cue ball for the first player or team, and a yellow or spotted-white cue ball for the second player or team.[1] The balls are initially placed as shown in the diagram to the right. The white (or plain white) cue ball is placed directly in front of the Diamond at the center of the head rail, one ball-width away from the cushion. The object ball is placed at the center of the head string. The yellow (or spotted white) cue ball is placed between the second and third diamonds from the foot rail, one ball-width toward the foot rail from the imaginary line between the third diamonds on both long rails, and two ball widths from the left-side (as seen from the head rail) long rail cushion.[citation needed]
As the name implies, the game makes use of five upright pins or birilli (singular birillo), which are like very small bowling pins. There are four white pins, and one red.[1] The red pin is placed on the center spot (the exact middle of the table both lengthwise and widthwise), and the four white pins are placed equidistant from the red in a square diamond pattern around it. Two whites are aligned with the center, head and foot spots, as well as the rail diamonds in the center of the head and foot rails, and with the white cue ball and object ball, and red pin. Meanwhile the other two whites are placed on the center string, aligned with the diamonds in the center of the long rails, and again with the red pin. The whites are spaced just far enough away from the red that a cue ball can pass between the pins without touching any of them.[citation needed] The final pattern looks like an "+", as shown in the diagram to the right. This arrangement of pins on the table is referred to as the "castle". Tables may have the precise castle positions for the pins permanently marked, as they must be placed back into position before every shot if any have been kocked over or moved.
Each player uses a cue stick to shoot the appropriate cue ball; average cue length is 140 cm (about 55 in.)[1]
Rules
Though there are variants in Central and South America, the Italian five-pins rules are the best codified. Because the Italian-rules championships are international, televised events, and often hosted outside of Italy, these rules are the global de facto standard..
Object
To earn the required number of points, before one's opponent does, by using one's cue ball to cause the opponent's cue ball to knock over pins or (and to not do so with one's own cue ball), and by contacting the object ball with either cue ball, after one's own cue ball has contact that of the opponent.
Play
The game is played by two players or by two teams (a pair of doubles partners most commonly, but also larger teams). Each player or team is assigned one of the two cue balls; this is the only cue ball they may hit with the cue stick. Determining who goes first can be done by any means (lag usually, but also coin toss, tournament stipulations about player order, etc.) The first player or team always uses the white cue ball. Unlike in many games, shots are always taken in rotation - the same player or team never shoots twice in a row even if they have scored (other than if the opponent fouled before actually shooting when their turn came up, such as by moving one of the balls accidentally). Play continues until one player or team wins by being the first to earn specific number of points (usually 50 or 60), either agreed upon beforehand by the players, or set by tournament organizers.[1]
The incoming player strokes his/her own cue ball (sometimes called the "clapper") to carom off of the opponent's cue ball (sometimes called the "receiver") — usually directly, but off a cushion is permitted and very common — with the goal of secondarily having the opponent's cue ball, directly or by way of rebounding of a cushion, next hit the pins (also known as "skittles") and/or the red object ball (sometimes called the "bullet").[1]
Unlike in straight-rail and three-cushion billiards, there is no requirement to hit one or more cushions at any time.[1]
Scoring
Knocking over pins, in the above manner earns cumulative points as follows:[1]
- Each white pin is worth 2 points.
- The red pin is worth 4 points, if white pins were also knocked over.
- The red pin is worth 8 points, if it is the only pin knocked down (by the cue ball going between the set of pins narrowly missing all of the whites).
- Knocking over pins with the object ball or one's own cue ball does not earn the shooter any points, and with the latter is a foul that awards points to the opponent.
The object ball is also worth points:[1]
- If struck by the opponent's cue ball (after the shooter strikes the opponent's cue ball with his/her own), it is worth 3 points.
- If struck by the shooter's cue ball (after the shooter strikes the opponent's cue ball with his/her own), it is worth 4 points (this is considered a true billiard/carom or carambola in this game's nomenclature).
- If struck correctly by both, the points are combined, to 7 points.
Fouls
The game has some foul fouls unique to its ruleset, as well as more common ones. All fouls end the shooter's turn at the table and award the opponent free points (which vary depending on the type of foul).[1]
- Knocking over pins with the shooter's own cueball, after having hit the opponent's cue ball — this foul awards the point values of those pins to the opponent. (In player jargon this is referred to as "drinking" ones points, as they are lost like the contents of an empty glass); opponent does not receive ball-in-hand. (Note: Knocking over pins with the object ball on an otherwise legal shot is not a foul,[citation needed] and has no effect on the score.)
- Failure to hit the opponent's cue ball at with the shooter's own — opponent receives ball-in-hand plus 2 points.
- Hitting the pins directly with the shooter's cue ball before any contact with the opponent's cue ball; opponent receives ball-in-hand plus 2 points.
- Hitting the object ball directly with the shooter's cue ball before any contact with the opponent's cue ball; opponent receives ball-in-hand plus 2 points.
- Knocking any ball off of the table; opponent receives ball-in-hand plus 2 points (the ball is spotted in its starting position, or as close to this position as possible, unless it was the now-incoming opponent's cue ball, which as noted is in-hand).
- Standard billiards-wide fouls also apply and yield ball-in-hand plus 2 points (moving balls accidentally, double-hitting the cue ball, push shots, etc. Because of the particularity of first foul, players watch the game carefully, and tournaments have referrees.
Any points earned by the shooter on a foul shot are awarded to the opponent. An extra 2 points go to opponent if the object ball was (correctly) hit on a foul stroke (in addition to being awarded the 3 or 4 points the object ball was worth).[citation needed] Ball-in-hand on fouls is not entirely free; the incoming shooter after a ball-in-hand foul can only place his/her cue ball on the opposite half of the table from the other cue ball, and must shoot from the end (short part) not side of the table.[1]
Strategy
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/cc/Five-pins_3-rail_bank.gif/180px-Five-pins_3-rail_bank.gif)
Five-pins integrates some of the target-shooting aspects of pool, snooker, etc., perhaps via the influence of English billiards, into carom billiards, which is otherwise oriented at scoring carom points.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8e/Five-pins_2-rail_kick.gif/180px-Five-pins_2-rail_kick.gif)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/40/Five-pins_Mass%C3%A9.gif/180px-Five-pins_Mass%C3%A9.gif)
Safety play, as in other carom games, is essential to keep in mind when attempting to score, with the goal of leaving the balls in such a position that in the incoming opponent is snookered {hooked) and will have a difficult bank, kick, or massé shot to perform.
Because kicks and banks are so common, players must be more skilled at these shots than they would need to be for more forms of pool. The game also requires a good understanding of carom angles and the effects of english on the cue ball.
World Five-pins Championship
![]() | This list (which may have dates, numbers, etc.) may be better in a sortable table format. |
Organized by the Italian Federation of Billiard Sport (FIBiS), and inaugurated in 1965, the World Five-pins Championship (Albo d'Oro Campionato del Mondo "5 Birilli") is an international event, hosted to date in various places in Italy, Argentina, Uruguay, and Switzerland and Spain. It is semi-annual; many years since its inception have not featured such a tournament. As of early 2007, there have been nineteen such tournaments. There are various divisions, including youth, women, men, teams, and a one-on-one open championship.[2]
World Champions
Winners of the overall one-on-one tournament. By year, city, country — winner (nationality):[2]
- 1965 Santa Fé, Argentina — Manuel Gomez (Argentina)
- 1968 Bell Ville, Argentina — Anselmo Berrondo (Uruguay)
- 1975 Campione d'Italia, Italy — Domenico Acanfora (Italy)
- 1978 Bell Ville, Argentina — Ricardo Fantasia (Argentina)
- 1979 Pesaro, Italy — Attilio Sessa (Italy)
- 1980 Necochea, Argentina — Nestor Osvaldo Gomez (Argentina)
- 1982 Loano, Italy — Nestor Osvaldo Gomez (Argentina)
- 1983 Marco Juarez, Argentina — Miguel Angel Borrelli (Argentina)
- 1985 Spoleto, Italy — Giampiero Rosanna (Italy)
- 1987 Milan, Italy — Carlo Cifalà (Italy)
- 1989 Chiasso, Switzerland — Gustavo Enrique Torregiani (Argentina)
- 1990 Brescia, Italy — Gustavo Enrique Torregiani (Argentina)
- 1992 Arezzo, Italy — Giampiero Rosanna (Italy)
- 1993 Bolivar, Argentina — Fabio Cavazzana (Italy)
- 1995 Fiuggi, Italy — Gustavo Adrian Zito (Italy)
- 1998 Ferrara, Italy — David Martinelli (Italy)
- 1999 Necochea, Argentina — Gustavo Adrian Zito (Italy)
- 2003 Legnano, Italy — Crocefisso Maggio (Italy)
- 2006 Seville, Spain — Michelangelo Aniello (Italy)
Five-pins Pro World Cup
Also organized by FIBiS, the Five-pins Pro World Cup (Albo d’Oro World Cup Pro “5 Birilli”), was a semi-annual event begun in 1993, and discontinued in 1997. In only one year (1993) were both the Pro World Cup and the World Championships held. The event was a one-on-one invitational championship, without other divisions.[2]
Pro World Cup Champions
Winners of the World Cup by year, city, country — winner (nationality):[2]
- 1993 Cannes, France — Salvatore Mannone (Italy)
- 1997 Saint-Vincent, Italy — Gustavo Adrian Zito (Argentina; not representing Italy at this date)
- 1996 Saint-Vincent, Italy — David Martinelli (Italy)
- 1997 Todi, Italy — Gustavo Adrian Zito (Italy)
In popular culture
Five-pins is a major plot-point of the Italian-produced, English-language drama/romance film Bye Bye Baby, which stars Brigitte Nielsen as a professional player.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Biliardo all'italiana manual at Wikibooks, accessed February 1, 2007. Template:It
- ^ a b c d Sezione Stecca: Organigramma della Sezione - Attività agonistica - Calendari - Regolamento Tecnico Sportivo, 2004-2005, Federazione Italiana Biliardo Sportivo, 2004, Italy. Template:It
External links
- Federazione Italiana Biliardo Sportivo (FIBiS) — the Italian Federation of Billiard Sport; provides rules and organizes events. Template:It