Pool Ball Colors and Numbers: Chart of All 15 Balls
A standard pool set is 16 balls: a white cue ball and 15 numbered balls. Balls 1 through 7 are solid colors, the 8 is black, and balls 9 through 15 are white with a stripe in the same colors as the solids, in the same order. The order is 1 yellow, 2 blue, 3 red, 4 purple, 5 orange, 6 green, 7 maroon.
That order comes from the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) equipment specification, and it is worth saying out loud because plenty of websites get it wrong. The chart below follows the WPA text, then covers the printed numbers, how many balls each game uses, TV color sets, and British pool and snooker.
Pool ball colors and numbers chart (1 to 15)
| Number | Type | Color | Its twin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Solid | Yellow | 9 |
| 2 | Solid | Blue | 10 |
| 3 | Solid | Red | 11 |
| 4 | Solid | Purple | 12 |
| 5 | Solid | Orange | 13 |
| 6 | Solid | Green | 14 |
| 7 | Solid | Maroon | 15 |
| 8 | Solid | Black | none |
| 9 | Stripe | Yellow on white | 1 |
| 10 | Stripe | Blue on white | 2 |
| 11 | Stripe | Red on white | 3 |
| 12 | Stripe | Purple on white | 4 |
| 13 | Stripe | Orange on white | 5 |
| 14 | Stripe | Green on white | 6 |
| 15 | Stripe | Maroon on white | 7 |
| Cue ball | Plain | White | none |
The wording comes from section 16 of the WPA Recommended Equipment Specifications: balls 1 through 8 "have solid colors as follows: 1=yellow, 2=blue, 3=red, 4=purple, 5=orange, 6=green, 7=maroon and 8=black," and balls 9 through 15 "are white with a centered band of color" in that same order.
If you have seen a chart with the 2 red and the 3 blue, that chart is wrong. Some retail blogs swap them. The WPA text is the standard to check against. The 7 is often called burgundy or dark brown, and that is only a different name for the same maroon ball.
Why the stripes copy the solids
Each striped ball is the twin of a solid. Add 8 to a solid's number and you have its twin: 1 and 9 are both yellow, 3 and 11 are both red. That pairing is why the stripes read as "the same balls, with white added."
The colors follow a simple logic that Dr. Dave Alciatore's FAQ credits to Patrick Johnson: balls 1, 2 and 3 (and 9, 10, 11) are the primary colors, 4, 5 and 6 (and 12, 13, 14) are secondary colors made by mixing two primaries, 7 and 15 are the tertiary color, the 8 is black (no color) and the cue ball is white (all colors). Yellow, blue and red are the primaries. Purple, orange and green are the secondaries. Maroon is the odd one out.
Nobody has a documented reason that these particular colors were chosen, so treat any "history of the colors" you read online with suspicion unless it names a source.
How the numbers are printed
The WPA spec is specific about the numerals as well as the colors:
- Each object ball has its number printed twice, on opposite sides of the ball.
- One of the two numbers is printed upside down, so a number is always readable whichever way the ball comes to rest.
- The numbers are black on a small white circle. That is what lets a black numeral show on a black 8 ball and a dark purple 4.
- The 6 and the 9 are underlined, because turned upside down they look like each other.
- The cue ball has no number.
How many balls each game uses
All the pool games below play from the same 16-ball set, and some use only part of it. Counts are from the WPA Rules of Play (effective September 15, 2025) and, for snooker, the WPBSA rulebook.
| Game | Balls on the table | Which ones |
|---|---|---|
| 8-ball | 16 | Cue ball and 1 to 15. One player takes the solids (1 to 7), the other the stripes (9 to 15), and the 8 comes last. |
| 9-ball | 10 | Cue ball and 1 to 9, hit in numerical order. Stripes and solids do not matter. |
| 10-ball | 11 | Cue ball and 1 to 10, in order, with called shots. |
| Straight pool (14.1) | 16 | Cue ball and 1 to 15. Any ball counts, so the colors do not matter. |
| One-pocket | 16 | Cue ball and 1 to 15, and the colors do not matter. |
| Bank pool | 10 or 16 | Nine or fifteen object balls, depending on the version. |
| Snooker | 22 | A white cue ball, 15 reds and 6 colors. No numbers. |
The answer to "how many balls are in a set of pool balls" is 16, and the answer to "how many balls do you play with" depends on the game. Our rack guide shows where each ball goes for 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball.
Solids, stripes and the 8 ball in 8-ball
Solids and stripes only matter in 8-ball. The WPA rule is that the shooter's group of seven balls, "1-ball through 7-ball or 9-ball through 15-ball," must all be off the table before the 8 can be attempted. The table is open after the break, and any ball except the 8 can be hit first. The groups are assigned when a player legally pockets a called ball. Our 8-ball rules guide has the full sequence.
The 8 is neither a solid nor a stripe for scoring purposes. It is a solid-color ball, which is why the chart lists it with the solids, but it belongs to nobody until a player has cleared their group.
TV color sets: why your 4 ball may be pink
Some sets change two colors on purpose. Aramith's Tournament and Super Aramith Pro ranges include "Pro-Cup TV" sets with TV colors and a red-dot cue ball, created so balls are easier to tell apart on camera. Retailers list the change as the 4 and 12 in pink instead of purple and the 7 and 15 in light brown instead of maroon (for example, Pool Dawg's Aramith Tournament Pro-Cup TV set). Aramith's own page says TV colors but does not name them, so the pink and brown come from the retailer listings.
If your 4 ball is pink and the 7 is brown, you have a TV set. Nothing is missing, and the games play the same. The standard WPA colors in the chart above are the ones to expect in a set with no "TV" in its name.
British pool and snooker use different balls
British (UK) eight-ball pool and snooker do not use the 1 to 15 scheme at all.
- British pool (blackball): two groups of seven plain balls, usually red and yellow, plus a black 8 and a white cue ball, with no numbers. The WPA's blackball rule describes the groups as "distinguished by two solid colors or by the usual pattern of numbered solids and stripes." The balls are smaller: object balls are 2 inches and the cue ball is 1 7/8 inches under the WEPF eightball specification. See our blackball rules.
- Snooker: a white cue ball, 15 reds worth 1 point each and six colors: yellow 2, green 3, brown 4, blue 5, pink 6 and black 7, for 22 balls in all. The balls are 52.5 mm, much smaller than the 57.15 mm pool ball.
A numbered American set will not work on a snooker or British pool table, and the reverse is also true. The sizes for each game are compared in regulation pool ball size and weight, and the games themselves in pool vs billiards vs snooker.
What else the WPA says about the set
Same section of the spec, three more facts that help when you are buying or checking a set:
- The balls are cast phenolic resin, 2 1/4 inches across (within .005 inch) and 5 1/2 to 6 ounces each.
- A complete set is one white cue ball and fifteen color-coded numbered balls.
- The colors are fixed in the resin and the balls should not be waxed or polished.
The cue ball is the one ball you might replace on its own. The types, from plain white to the six-dot ball used on TV, are in cue ball types explained, and our Aramith comparison covers which full set to buy.
Our picks
Links open the current selection and price on Amazon so you can compare real reviews before buying.
Aramith Crown Standard Ball Set
A full 16-ball set with the standard colorsA complete regulation set of the numbered balls charted above. The detail that matters when you replace a worn set is a consistent size across all sixteen balls, which is what Belgian phenolic sets are built around.
Check price on AmazonFrequently asked questions
What are the colors of pool balls 1 to 15?
1 yellow, 2 blue, 3 red, 4 purple, 5 orange, 6 green, 7 maroon, 8 black. Balls 9 to 15 are white with a stripe in the colors of 1 to 7, in order. These are the WPA specification colors.
Which pool balls are solids and which are stripes?
Balls 1 to 7 are solids and balls 9 to 15 are stripes. The 8 is black and is played last in 8-ball.
How many balls are in a set of pool balls?
Sixteen: the white cue ball and fifteen numbered balls. 9-ball uses only 1 to 9 and the cue ball, and 10-ball uses 1 to 10 and the cue ball.
Are billiard balls striped?
In American pool, balls 9 to 15 are striped. In snooker and British pool the balls are plain colors with no stripes and no numbers.
Why are pool balls numbered and not just colored?
The numbers let games like 9-ball and 10-ball, which are played in numerical order, tell you which ball to hit first, and they separate balls whose colors look alike in a poor light. The WPA spec prints each number twice, one upside down.
Why is my 4 ball pink and my 7 ball brown?
You probably have a TV set, such as an Aramith Pro-Cup TV set. Its colors are changed to read better on camera. The game plays the same.
What color is the 9 ball?
The 9 ball is white with a yellow stripe. It matches the yellow 1 ball, and it is the ball that wins the game in 9-ball.
Do all pool ball sets use the same colors?
American sets follow the WPA colors above, apart from TV sets and novelty sets. British pool and snooker sets use completely different balls with no numbers.
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