National Billiards Hall of Fame Criteria
Best in Billiards Hall of Fame
Criteria, Categories, and Induction Process
The Best in Billiards Hall of Fame exists to permanently recognize the individuals whose excellence, innovation, leadership, teaching, writing, promotion, or service have most elevated American billiards across its full history. Induction is reserved for those whose impact is both exceptional and lasting. Selection is made exclusively by the Best in Billiards Committee through a structured, multi-stage process.
Core Categories
Candidates are considered in one or more of the following categories. A person may be nominated in more than one category if their record supports it; the Committee decides the primary category for induction.
1. Players (Greatest Competitive Achievement)
For individuals whose competitive records stand among the highest in American billiards history.
2. Instructors and Teachers
For those who have advanced the teaching and understanding of the game through formal instruction, systems, academies, certification programs, or widespread educational influence.
3. Authors, Media and Broadcasters
For writers, journalists, publishers, historians, and broadcasters whose work has documented, explained, popularized, or preserved the game at a high level.
4. Industry Leaders and Meritorious Service
For manufacturers, cue makers, table makers, league and tournament organizers, promoters, room owners, administrators, innovators, and other contributors whose sustained efforts have strengthened the industry, infrastructure, or public standing of billiards.
5. Special Recognition / Multi-Role Contributors
For rare individuals whose combined playing, teaching, writing, or organizational work creates an unusually broad and lasting legacy that does not fit cleanly into a single category.
General Eligibility Requirements (All Categories)
- Demonstrable, sustained contribution to American billiards over a meaningful span of years.
- Evidence of excellence, influence, or innovation that rises clearly above ordinary high-level participation.
- Positive impact on the reputation, growth, knowledge, or integrity of the game.
- Living or deceased candidates are eligible. Posthumous induction is permitted and has no waiting period beyond the normal review cycle.
- Character, sportsmanship, professionalism, and respect for the game are considered as part of the overall record.
Specific Criteria by Category
Players
- Significant body of major championship results (national, international, or historically important events) across one or more disciplines.
- Demonstrated longevity and consistency at the highest competitive level.
- Historical significance within an era or across eras (dominance, innovation of style or strategy, influence on subsequent generations of players).
- Reputation for excellence under pressure and contribution to the competitive standard of the game.
Instructors and Teachers
- Proven record of high-level instructional work (private teaching, group programs, academies, or formal certification systems).
- Creation or refinement of teaching methods, drills, systems, or educational materials that have been widely adopted or respected.
- Measurable influence on player development (students reaching high levels, instructor training, published instructional content).
- Sustained commitment over many years rather than short-term activity.
Authors, Media and Broadcasters
- Substantial published body of work (books, articles, instructional texts, historical writing, or long-running media coverage).
- Clear influence on how the game is understood, taught, or followed by players and the public.
- High standards of accuracy, insight, and lasting value.
- For broadcasters: extended period of knowledgeable, high-quality commentary or coverage that elevated public understanding and appreciation of the sport.
Industry Leaders and Meritorious Service
- Long-term leadership or innovation in manufacturing, equipment design, league systems, tournament organization, room operation, promotion, or administration.
- Contributions that improved the infrastructure, accessibility, commercial health, or public image of billiards.
- Evidence of lasting institutional or industry-wide impact rather than temporary commercial success.
- Service that strengthened the professional or amateur structure of the game.
Nomination Process
1. Nominations may be submitted by any member of the Best in Billiards Committee, by established figures in the billiards community, or through an open call period announced by the Committee.
2. Each nomination must include a detailed written case: career summary, key achievements, supporting documentation or references, and a clear statement of why the candidate meets the criteria of one or more categories.
3. Nominations are collected during a defined annual or biennial window. Late or incomplete nominations are held for the next cycle.
4. A preliminary screening group within the Committee reviews all nominations for basic eligibility and completeness. Clearly unqualified or incomplete submissions are set aside.
Committee Composition and Voting Process
The Best in Billiards Committee is a standing body of knowledgeable, long-term observers of the game drawn from players of historical stature, respected instructors, experienced media members, industry veterans, and historians. The Committee is responsible for all final decisions.
Voting Stages (deliberate, multi-round process)
1. Initial Ballot – All properly screened candidates appear on a first ballot. Each Committee member votes for a limited number of candidates they consider worthy of further consideration.
2. Discussion and Narrowing – Results are shared. The Committee discusses the remaining candidates in detail, examining records, historical context, comparative standing, and overall impact. A second ballot reduces the field to a short list of finalists.
3. Final Ballot – Committee members vote on the finalists. A high threshold is required for induction (typically a substantial supermajority of votes cast). The exact percentage is set by the Committee to ensure only clear, consensus choices advance.
4. Category Assignment and Class Size – The Committee determines the primary category for each successful candidate and decides the size of the induction class. Classes are kept selective; zero to a small number of inductees may be chosen in any cycle.
The Committee may defer a strong candidate to a future cycle if additional perspective or supporting material is desired. Voting is confidential. Results are announced only after the process is complete.
Frequency and Induction
- Review cycles occur on a regular schedule (commonly every one or two years).
- Successful candidates are formally inducted at a Best in Billiards recognition event or ceremony.
- Each inductee receives permanent recognition as a member of the Best in Billiards Hall of Fame, with a citation summarizing the basis for selection.
Guiding Principles
Selection rests on documented achievement and lasting influence, not popularity of the moment, commercial success alone, or short-term visibility. The Committee evaluates the full historical record and the candidate’s place among the highest standards of the game. The process is designed to be thorough, deliberative, and resistant to fleeting trends so that induction remains a rare and meaningful honor.
This framework allows the Best in Billiards Committee to systematically consider players of great competitive achievement, outstanding instructors, influential authors and media figures, industry builders, and multi-dimensional contributors under clear, demanding standards while preserving the flexibility to recognize exceptional cases that advance the long-term excellence of American billiards.