The origin of billiards was not certain to billiards archivists and historians but what most presumed was that it started in the late fourteenth or early fifteenth century as an outdoor lawn game. Before the table version became popular, billiards was played outdoors on grass with bigger balls. Players would push the ball with their hands to project the ball forward. Needless to say, this put strain and required a lot more work. Many grew tired of this and a new idea evolved. The idea of using a stick to hit the ball rather than push it lessened the strain needed to move the ball. According to billiards historian William Hendricks, the first indoor game of billiards took place in 1470. Following this event the popularity of the game increased and spread through Europe and America.