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Classic (71 points) pyramid

Count by ball numbers to 71 points. Colored cue ball, no free cue-ball choice — unlike free pyramid.

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PointsClassic pyramid · small pyramidPyramid

Objective and scoring

First to 71 points (or more per finish rules). Ball No. k — k points; ball 1 — 11; last ball remaining on table — +10 to its number.

Small pyramid — historical name; not to be confused with free pyramid where balls are counted, not points by number.

  • Frame ends at target or when opponent cannot catch up on points.
  • Exact finish order (must pocket last ball) — per RBF/ICP regulations.

Rack

  • 15 numbered white balls — pyramid; cue ball — colored, in kitchen.
  • No pocket call required (unlike Moscow). Cue ball — colored only; in pocket — foul, no carom pocketing.
  • Break and first shot — under general pyramid rules.

Play

  • Only object ball in pocket counts; cue ball in pocket — always foul.
  • Cannot choose any ball as cue ball: play with colored cue ball only.
  • Run planning: pocket high numbers, do not leave hanging points for opponent.
  • Defense and safety exchanges — part of point-scoring tactics.

Difference from free and Moscow pyramid

  • From free: fixed cue ball, points by numbers, not ball count.
  • From Moscow: no mandatory call of ball and pocket each shot.
  • Tournaments rarer than free, but discipline kept in classic competition programs.

Violations

  • General pyramid fouls: miss, illegal shot, cue ball in pocket (no carom pocketing), ball off table.
  • Penalty — points to opponent and/or ball in hand from kitchen.
  • Playing with wrong ball as cue ball — foul.

Historical note: classic pyramid (71 points)

Classic (small) pyramid — play to 71 points by sum of pocketed ball numbers. Colored cue ball only, no choosing any ball as cue ball, no carom pocketing of cue ball. For a long time — the core of official USSR competition.

Small pyramid and Soviet sport

Classic pyramid to 71 points is one of the oldest official disciplines on the Russian table. Fifteen numbered white balls 1–15, colored cue ball, scoring — object ball in pocket only.

Unlike free pyramid, a white ball never becomes the cue ball. Cue ball in pocket — always foul, no carom pocketing. Pocket call not required (unlike Moscow pyramid).

In the 1960s–1980s classic and Moscow pyramid dominated sports committees; free pyramid grew in clubs. After the 1990s free pyramid became more mass-market, but classic remained in ICP and championship programs.

Scoring and frame format

Points = sum of pocketed ball numbers. Frame to 71 (or another target per regulations). Strategy: high numbers, position, no risk of cue ball in pocket.

Break from the hand in the kitchen under general pyramid rules. Legal shot mandatory; miss and illegal shot — foul, opponent from kitchen.

Playing with wrong ball as cue ball — foul. General pyramid foul list without free-pyramid leniency.

  • Colored cue ball only throughout the frame.
  • Cue ball in pocket — always penalty, not scoring.
  • No pocket call — simpler for amateurs than Moscow, but stricter on cue ball than free pyramid.

Where it appears today

  • Russian and world championships under ICP — classic in the program.
  • Specialized sections and older-generation players.
  • In an ordinary club rarer than free — needs regulation knowledge and referee at serious tournaments.
  • Regions: strong masters in Moscow, Ufa, Kazan, Minsk.

Why it is confused with free pyramid

Both — same table, 16 balls, tight pockets. But cue-ball rules are opposite in strictness: in free pyramid cue ball in pocket after object-ball contact — scoring; in classic 71 — always foul.

The phrase cue ball in pocket not allowed on a general table page is wrong: it is true only for classic 71 and Moscow pyramid (without call), not for free and dynamic pyramid.

This is a short guide. The exact regulations are in the tournament description on billiard.guru or from the organizer. Official event rules take precedence.

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