Carrom is a family of tabletop games sharing a similarity in that their mechanics lie

somewhere between billiards and table shuffleboard. The game is known by other
names around the world, including carrum, couronne, carum, karam, karom,
karum, fatta (Punjabi) and finger billiards. According to some sources, the game
is thought to have originated in India. Formal rules for the game were published
only by 1988. The game and its variants are played in many countries across the
world. Carrom employs simple equipment enabling a wider player-base. Variants of
Carrom that employ cue sticks also exist.

Origins
The origin of Carrom is uncertain. Sources suggest that the game is of Indian origin.[1]
Variations of the game played with a Cue stick similar to billiards-type games may have
independently developed. Such similarity is evident in games such as Table shuffleboard.

The International Carrom Federation (ICF) was formed in the year 1988 in the city of Chennai.
In the same year, the rules for playing Carrom were formally codified.

The game is very popular in South Asia (Nepal,India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh & Pakistan).
Similar games are played throughout the world, and may or may not share common origins with
Carrom. There is a Carrom-like game also played with cues in China. Games similar to Carrom
appear all over Asia, for example vindi vindi in Fiji and szhe szhe in Israel. Some variants make
use of discarded objects instead of fashioned playing pieces; bottle caps are used for games
similar to Carrom in both Mexico and Java.[citation needed] Various North American and European
games bear a resemblance to (and may be related to) Carrom, including Crokinole, Pitchnut,
Pichenotte and Novuss.

[edit]
Equipment

In India, the game is played on a board made of lacquered plywood. The dimensions of the
standardised Indian game is a a 29 inches (74 cm) square playing surface on a board of lacquered
plywood. The edges of the playing surface are bounded by bumpers of wood, and the bottom of
the board is covered by a net which is 10 cm2 or larger.[2] Carrom uses disks, and not balls. The
objective of play is to use a striker with a flick of the finger to make contact with and move
lighter object disks called 'carrom-men'. The 'carrom-men' are thus propelled into one of four
corner pockets.
[edit] Carrom-men

Carrom-men and two strikers, arranged at the start of a game

Carrom is played on the board using carrom-men. A carrom-man (also carrom man, carromman,
carroman; plural -men) is sometimes abbreviated c/m. Carrom-men are also known by colloquial
terms such as seed, coin, puck, or goti). The Carrom man is a usually wooden or plastic in
exceptions. The Carrom-man is a uniform small disk used in playing carrom. The Carrom-men
have a smooth movement in a flat position on the surface of the carrom board when hit by a
striker of standard specification.

The carrom-men are available in three distinct colors. Two colours are meant to represent
invidual or team opponents. These colors are white (or unstained) and black. Red is a special
color that designates the queen.

ICF approved pieces must have a diameter of no more than 3.18 cm and no less than 3.02 cm.
The pieces must be at least 7 mm and at most 9 mm thick. The pieces have a plain, rounded
edge. The mass of the pieces is within 5 g and 5.5 g.

Modern references prefer the term carrom pieces to carrom men for gender neutrality.

[edit] The Queen

The queen

The red coin (or disk or seed) is called the Queen. The Queen is the most powerful carrom piece.
During board setup, it is placed at the center of the circle. In accordance with the ICF rules,
pocketing the 'Queen' adds 3 points to the player's total score. The dimensions of the 'queen' must
be the same as those of other carrom-men.
 • The player must pocket the 'queen' and subsequently pocket a carrom-man
of the color chosen by the player. This is termed covering the queen.
• If the player fails to pocket a subsequent carrom-man, the queen is replaced
at the center of the circle. The player is further penalised by being forced to
skip the next turn.
• If the player subsequently pockets a carrom-man of the color chosen by the
opponent, he loses the game.
• When playing for a cumulative point, the player must pocket a white coin.[3]

[edit] The Striker

The Striker is larger and heavier than the carrom-men. According to ICF rules, "the striker shall
be smooth and round, with a diameter that does not exceed 4.13 cm."[2] Its weight should not be
more than 15 grams.[4] Ivory and metal strikers are not allowed in tournaments.[2] The Striker can
be flicked with a finger to hit carrom-men into corner pockets or against another.

[edit] Powder

Fine-grained powder is used on the board to enable the pieces to slide easily. Boric acid powder
is the most commonly used for this purpose.[2]

In the UK, many players use a version of anti-set-off spray powder from the printing industry
which has specific electrostatic properties with particles of 50 micrometres in diameter. The
powder is made from pure, food-grade vegetable starch.

[edit] Standardised rules and regulations

Main article: International_Carrom_Federation

Carrom board

The ICF promulgates International Rules of Carrom (also termed 'The Laws of Carrom.') ICF
acts as the governing body of carrom. The organisation also ranks players, sanctions tournaments
and presents awards. ICF has many national affiliates such as the All-India Carrom Federation,
Australian Carrom Federation, UK Carrom Association and United States Carrom Association.
[edit] The toss

Order of play is determined by the process of "calling the carrom-men" or, simply, "the toss".
Before commencing each match, a umpire hides one black and one white carrom-man in his
hands. The players must guess which color carrom-men are being held in each hand. The player
who guesses correctly wins the toss.

The winner of the toss must either choose to strike first or to change sides (from white to black)
and give up the opening break. No option to pass this decision to the other player is available. If
the player chooses to strike, the loser can change sides, but if the winner chooses to change sides
the loser must strike first. The player taking the first shot (or break) gets to play white. The
opponent plays black.

In a doubles event, the team winning the toss has the choice, as above. Once the players are
seated, they may not interchange. This seating order continues throughout the match.

[edit] Shooting

The aim of the game is to pot (or pocket) one's own nine carrom men before one's opponent pots
his/hers. It is necessary that the 'Queen' must be pocketed before pocketing a player's final
carrom man. Any player pocketing the 'Queen' is required it cover it by pocketing a carrom man
of his/her chosen color. The player is allowed to shoot with any finger, including the thumb
(known as "thumbing" or a "thumb shot").

Crossing the diagonal lines on the board by coming in touch with it, or pocketing the Striker is a
Foul. A player committing a foul must return one carrom-man that was already pocketed. If a
player pockets his Striker, he has to pay a penalty. This penalty is usually 10 points.
 The Rules of Carrom

These rules are provided by Masters Traditional Games, an Internet shop selling quality
traditional games, pub games and unusual games. We publish free game rules in order to
promote game playing around the world. To find out more, visit the website
www.mastersgames.com or email [email protected].

You are welcome to print, copy or pass these rules on but only in their original form including
the copyright and the information about Masters Traditional Games. The disclaimer on the
Masters Traditional Games website applies.

Carrom is a game that has long been played throughout India and South East Asia but the game
has become increasingly popular throughout much of the rest of the world during the last
century. There are a huge number of variations in the rules even though an international
regulatory body and several major national bodies exist - even these have rule variations
depending upon the situation. Masters Games has based the following rules on those from the
UK Carrom Club, tailoring them for simplicity where possible. These rules are comprehensive
instructions for friendly play. They are not a complete set of standard regulations encompassing
all situations that might be encountered. If in doubt, players should always abide by locally-
played or house rules. Note: 1 inch = 2.54cm.

You can buy a range of Carrom equipment from Masters Traditional

Games.

Equipment

The following dimensions vary considerably and are given only as an example of a tournament
board. A Carrom board is a square smooth flat wooden board that can be 72cm or 74cm square
and which should be positioned 60 - 70cm above the ground. In each corner is a circular hole
that can be 51mm in diameter and underneath each hole is a net to catch the pieces in a similar
way to a snooker table. Two lines are drawn on the table along the diagonals. These are the
"foul lines". In the centre are two concentric circles - the centre circle is the size of a piece, the
main circle having a diameter about six times larger. Outside the circles and a short way in from
each side of the board are two straight lines parallel with the edge of the board. They should be
about 3.8cm apart and the long thin area between them is terminated just before the diagonal foul
lines at either end by a red circle of 3.8cm diameter. This thin rectangle with circles at either end
is called the "baseline" and the baseline nearest to a player is the area that the player's striker
must be played from.
There are nine dark or black pieces and nine light or white pieces plus a red piece called the
"Queen". The smooth wooden pieces are slightly smaller than the the striker which is between
3.8cm and 4.4cm in diameter. People often own their own strikers which can also be made of
bone or ivory and which are normally somewhat heavier than the pieces although can vary in
weight from half as heavy to four times as heavy as a piece. On some boards, potato starch,
chalk dust or other lubricant is used to make the pieces slide more easily over the surface of the
board - the most popular lubricant is boric acid.

Preparation

The game is played by two opponents sitting opposite each other. To decide who goes first, one
player should hold a piece concealed in one hand. If the opponent guesses correctly which hand,
the opponent chooses who goes first, otherwise the player concealing the piece chooses. The
person who plays first aims to pocket the white pieces.

To begin, the Queen is placed in the centre of the board. Six pieces are put around the Queen
directly in a circle, each touching the Queen and their neighbours. The remaining twelve pieces
are positioned around the inner circle of six pieces, so that each outer piece touches the inner
circle. Both circles should have the pieces alternating in colour. The two circles are oriented so
that the Queen, a white piece from the inner circle and a white piece from the outer circle lie in a
straight line pointing towards the centre of the side of the board where the player who will play
first is sitting.

Objective

Players take turns to play. A turn consists of one or more strikes. A player wins by pocketing all
of the pieces of their chosen colour first. However, neither player can win until one or other
player has "covered the Queen". To cover the Queen, a player must pocket one of her own
pieces immediately after pocketing the Queen. If the Queen is pocketed but not covered, the
Queen is returned to the board. Both players normally try to cover the Queen in addition to
trying to win the game because a player who wins and also covers the Queen receives bonus
points.

Striking

• For each strike, the player must position the striker within the baseline OR on
one of the two circles at either end of the baseline.
• A striker within the baseline must touch both the front line and the rear line.
• The striker may not "cut the moon" - be placed partially within the baseline
and partially within the circle.
• The player must flick the striker with one finger so that it crosses the front
baseline - it is not permitted to flick backwards or horizontally.
• A piece that is on or behind the front baseline must not be struck by the
striker until the striker has crossed the front baseline.
• In striking, the player's hand or arm must not cross the diagonal foul lines at
either end of the baseline.
Basic rules

• For the very first turn, the player is allowed three attempts to "break" i.e.
disturb the central group of counters.
• It doesn't matter which piece the striker hits first and it doesn't matter if the
striker hits no pieces.
• If a the striker pockets the Queen and/or one or more pieces of her own
colour, the player retrieves the striker and takes another strike.
• If the player pockets no pieces or commits a foul, the turn finishes.

Covering the Queen

• A player may only pocket and cover the Queen if that player has already
pocketed at least one piece of that player's colour.
• Should a player pocket the Queen before being permitted to cover it, the turn
continues but the Queen is returned to the centre at the end of the turn.
• If a player pockets the Queen and one of her own pieces in the same turn,
this counts and that player has covered the Queen. Such a player must have
already pocketed at least one piece in order to cover the Queen as per
normal.
• When a player pockets the Queen but does not cover it, the Queen is
returned as near as possible to the centre circle by the opponent.

Other Rules

• Pieces returned to the centre can be placed on top of other pieces within the
main circle.
• If pieces come to rest standing on their edge or overlapping another piece,
they are left as they are until moved again in the normal course of play.
• If the striker comes to rest under another piece, the striker should be
removed with as little disturbance to the covering piece as possible.

Fouls

When a player commits a foul, the turn comes to an end immediately 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. It is normal for pieces to be positioned in order to confer an
advantage for the opponent.

A foul is recorded in the following situations:

• 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 opponent's piece. Regardless of whether the
Queen has been covered, the opponent's piece is returned to the centre in
addition to the penalty piece.
• 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 contravenes the rules for striking.
• 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.

Scoring

At the end of the game the winner scores 1 point for each opponent's piece left on the board.
If the winner has less than 24 points and the winner also covered the Queen, a bonus 5 points are
scored.
If the winner has 24 or more points, then no points are scored for covering the Queen.

The maximum score for one game is therefore 14 points. A match is played to 29 points.

Doubles

Carrom is played by four people just as often as by two. For the doubles game, partners sit
opposite one another and turns proceed in a clockwise order. Other than that, play is exactly the
same as for the singles game. The game has a different character, though, because pieces behind
the baseline can be safely left for the partner to deal with unlike in the singles game where pieces
behind the baseline can only be moved by the opponent or by rebounding of the board edges.

Copyright © 1999 Masters Games. All rights reserved.

The term Standard Equipment shall mean and include the following :

A. Carrom Board
B. Carrommen
C. Striker
D.Table or Stand
E. Stool or Chair
F. Powder
G. Nets
H. Light

IMPORTANT RULES

There are quite simple rules in the carom game and knowing them would be very useful to get
started with the game.
1) Two to four people can play carom at a time, if two of them are playing then they have to sit
opposite side of the board, while four can occupy all the four side of the board. Partner should sit
opposite to each other. As an exception even three can play against each other for points.

2) Follow the rules for arranging the coins; arrange the carom men on the centre circle of the
carom board, with the red queen at centre. The white should be arranged in such a way as to
form "y" shape with two sides aiming directly towards corner pockets.

3) Each player sits on his side and can strike from that side only.

4) When placing the striker on the board to strike, it should touch both the base line or on end
circle covering it completely, or not touching it at all. The striker should not touch the diagonal
arrow.

5) Striking style depends on individual comfort, which ever grip is comfortable is fine as long
as you flick the striker and don’t push it. For forward shots, you can either use your index finger,
middle finger or scissors shot. Before shooting, touch the striker with your nail to be sure that it’s
on line. This will prevent you form hurting your finger and will improve your accuracy.

6) For back shots you can use your thumb or scissors style.

7) Except your hand, any other part of body should not cross the imaginary diagonal line. Also
make sure that only your wrist can touch the board.

8) The red queen can be pocketed after sinking the first piece but before your last one. After
pocketing the queen, you must sink any of your carom men, covering it in the next shot, or else
queen will be returned back to the center point of the board.

9) Once the queen is covered, who ever clears all their carom men first wins the game.

10) The winner of the board collect one point for each carom men left by the opponent at the end
and three points if the queen is covered by winner itself.

11) A game consists of 25 points or eight boards, whichever comer earlier.

12) Sinking the striker cost you one piece and one turn. If you sink any of the carom men in the
same shot then you shoot again.

13) If a piece jump out of board while shooting then the piece will be placed on the center spot.

14) If there is any overlapping of the piece then they are left as it is.

15) If you sink your opponent’s piece you lose the turn and if you sink their last piece you lose
the board and three points.

16) If the striker does not leave both lines, you get three tries to break before losing your turn.

These are some important rules and regulation to be followed while playing carom.