When you put a light above the pool table how high from the table top should it be?

Question

when you place a billiards light above the billiards table , how many inches from the table top to the bottom of the light should this be?

Answer 1

Here is the answer from The World Pool-Billiard Association.

The bed and rails of the table must receive at least 520 lux (48 footcandles) of light at

every point. A screen or reflector configuration is advised so that the center of the table

does not receive noticeably more lighting than the rails and the corners of the table. If the

light fixture above the table may be moved aside (referee), the minimum height of the

fixture should be no lower than 40 inches [1.016 m] above the bed of the table. If the

light fixture above the table is non-movable, the fixture should be no lower than 65

inches [1.65 m] above the bed of the table. The intensity of any directed light on the

players at the table should not be blinding. Blinding light starts at 5000 lux (465

footcandles) direct view. The rest of the venue (bleachers, etc.) should receive at least 50

lux (5 footcandles) of light.

Although they get into how bright the light is at least you will now know how high .....basically you want it so no matter where a ball is on the table that the balls do not cast a shadow on the table.

Answer 2

High enough to illuminate the edges of the pool table, but not low enough to result in the cue ball randomly flying off from a miscalculated shot, and striking the light fixture in the process. Here's a pict of a billiard scene in a Las Vegas casino.  The light is about 3 feet above the surface of the table.

Answer 3

About 14 ft above table