what are the rules and how to play carrom

Carrom is a interesting indoor game, loved and played by many individuals inside home environment and indeed with the fingers.

Carom can be considered one of the indoor games used where family members can unite over and have a great time pass. Learning the rules of the game is quite easy as there are not too many complexities involved in it and has been changing across sometimes according to the player’s mood.

How eve there are certain rules which apply in the game which never changes.

Books of Rule 1:- The game is always played by more than 1 member. Normally it is singles i.e. 2 players playing or doubles i.e. game played between 4 layers and each team consist of two people.

Books of Rule 2: each players sits on the opposite side of the board. When playing with 4 people partners will sit on the same opposite side to one another. In singles also you need to sit in opposite side of the board to the player 1.

Books of Rule 3: Arranging the carom board with the coins. The queen (Red) is always in the center, the white coins or discs are arranged normally in Y shape and the black coins arranged around them as stated in the picture.

Books of Rule 4:- This coins or discs are also known as carom men, seed. There are total 19 pieces of these coins. 9 black, 9 white and 1 red and the diameter of this should not be more than 3.18 cm and no less than 3.02 cm. and the mass within 5g and 5.5g.

Books of Rule 5:- The objective of the game all the pieces of the chosen color first. Each game consists of turns and a player retains his turn until he is pocketing the coins. The winner of the game is decided by pocketing all the coins and the queen is pocketed by any of the players, until the queen is n the board the game is not over.

Books of Rule 6:- The Queen, is the most powerful carom piece on the carrom board and has the most point in comparison to other coins. A player playing carom must cover the queen and subsequently pocket other coin in order to get the point. If he is not able to do so he needs to place it again in the center.

                If a player pockets his or her opponents last carom disk before pocketing the queen, then the other player wins the board.

                If a player puts a queen and a carom man of the players own color in the same strike, the queen is covered in the same strike, he don’t needs to take further coin to cover the queen.
Books of Rule 7:- Point system in carom is as follow. Black=1, white=1 and queen=3

Books of Rule 7:- Foul Rules

            When a player commits a foul, the turn is terminated and a penalty is incurred.  The penalty is that one pocketed piece is returned to the board by the opponent anywhere within the main circle.  Any other pieces requiring to be returned to the board are also placed within the main circle by the opponent. 

A foul is recorded when:

  • The striker is pocketed.
  • The striker or any other piece leaves the board.
  • A player pockets an opponent's piece.  If the Queen was also pocketed, it is returned to the centre by the opponent together with the penalty piece.  Any other pieces pocketed in the same strike remain pocketed. 
  • A player pockets the final piece before the Queen has been covered.  In this case both the pocketed piece and a penalty piece are returned to the centre.
  • A player touches any piece in play, other than the striker.
  • The first player to strike fails to break the counters in three attempts. 

Where a penalty is incurred but no pocketed pieces exist to return, the penalty is "owed" until a piece becomes available.  If a penalty is owed, when a piece becomes available due to being pocketed, the piece is returned to the centre by the opponent at the end of the turn.  Should the opponent forget to do this before the start of the next turn, any owed penalties are lost

About The Author

Chetan Sharma is an Indian fact-checker and news writer, writing news for Ayupp since 2014.

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