Carrom is a board game played throughout the world. It's difficult to pinpoint the game's origins, as there are so many variations of this game.
The variations include - the size of the board, the size of the pockets, the shape of the corners (rounded, right angled or cut-away), the type of surface lubrication used to make the pieces glide more efficiently, the weight and size of the striker, the positioning of the pieces at the start of the game, what is considered to be foul strokes, the end game, the method of scoring, etc.
The International Carrom Federation (ICF) has standardised on powdered boards and includes backshots. The Carrom Association International (CAINT) has standardised on powdered boards and no backshots. The UK Carrom Association (UKCA), which this website supports, uses mainly polished boards and sometimes powdered boards but definitely no backshots. There are other minor differences, which do not affect the strategy and tactics of the game.
To get a basic understanding of the game, think of snooker. Then imagine a square board instead of a rectangular table. Remove the side pockets. Make the playing surface polished wood. Replace the balls with discs. Use one of your fingers instead of a cue to propel the striker disc. Remain seated whilst playing. Now read on to find out more about the game.
Carrom, played under UKCA rules, is a board game for two to four players. It is played on a square board with a slightly raised frame and four netted corner pockets. It is played with nine white discs (known as men or pieces), nine black discs, a red (queen) disc and a slightly larger, thicker and heavier striker disc. Most players use their own favourite striker.
There are markings on the board, two concentric circles in the centre of the board (where all the pieces are placed in a set pattern before play commences) and double lines around the board (known as base lines) to show where the striker can be placed. The base lines on your side of the board, including the two circles (called moons) at each end of the base lines, is where you place your striker for your turn of play. The striker must touch both lines. The striker may completely cover the moon but must not partially cover it.
Click to view the board and click back to return to this page.
The object of the game is to get all your pieces into the pockets before your opponent does. To do this you flick the striker with one of your fingers so that the striker hits any carrom piece (your or your opponent's) so that at least one of your pieces falls into a pocket.
If your striker or an opponent's piece falls into a pocket then it is classed as a penalty, even if one of your pieces was pocketed at the same time. If you cause a penalty or you do not pocket one of your pieces then play passes to your opponent.
The only time you can make a direct hit on a piece is provided it is not touching your base line and it is forward of your base line. However, if one of your pieces is touching your base line or is behind it, then it can be hit indirectly by the striker or another piece rebounding off either the frame or another piece.
Some rules allow for pieces behind your base line to be struck directly (these are called homeshots or backshots). To strike these pieces you would have to use your thumb to propel the striker backwards.
At the start of the game the pieces are placed in the centre of the board in a set circular pattern. See the logo in the top left corner of this page. The queen is placed in the dead centre of the board. Three pairs of white pieces are placed around the queen in a Y formation. Three sets of three black pieces are placed touching the whites in each of the three segments formed by the whites. The last three white pieces are each placed in the gaps formed by the blacks to complete the circular pattern. The pieces must be tightly formed with no unnecessary gaps between them.
The standard game is for you to get all of your pieces into any of the four pockets. The person who won the right to start the game has to pocket the white pieces and can swivel the pattern of discs to his/her advantage. If the double white pieces are lined up facing an opposite corner pocket and the striker hits the white piece that is at the end of the line of five pieces including the double whites, then there is a possibility of up to three white pieces falling into three different pockets on the initial break.
If you get one of your pieces into a pocket, then play stays with you and you have another go. Play changes hand if you do not pocket your piece or you commit a penalty.
The winner is the one who pockets all their pieces first. An added complication is that if the queen is still on the board then you must pocket it after you pocket your first piece and any time before your last piece.
When the queen is pocketed you must pocket at least one of your pieces in the same strike or immediately afterwards. This is known as 'covering the queen'. If the queen is not covered it must be returned to the centre of the board and play passes to your opponent.
Penalties occur when -
The player causing the penalty has one of his/her already pocketed pieces returned anywhere within the large centre circle.
The queen returned to the board is placed in the dead centre. If the dead centre is occupied then the queen can be placed anywhere within the large centre circle to the advantage of the next player. Any other piece returned to the board can be placed anywhere within the large centre circle to the advantage of the next player.
The UKCC Carrom Rules © 1986, 1996 by Ram Chatlani have been revised by David McKertich, with the help of UKCA members, and ratified by the UKCA committee in April 2002 to form the UKCA Carrom Rules ©.
The UKCA Carrom
Rules © cover -
A Equipment (1 - 8)
B Body Positions & Etiquette during play (1 - 16)
C How to Strike (1 - 13)
D Start of Play (1 - 10)
E Turn of Play (1 - 4)
F Scoring (1 - 5)
G The Queen (1 - 9)
H Penalties and Dues (1 - 22)
I Rolling and Overlapping (1 - 5)
J Competitions and Tournaments (1 - 3)
An abridged version
of the rules is shown in the three tables below -
Table 1 Rules to get you started.
Table 2 Technical fouls.
Table 3 Penalties, Dues and Placement of the dues.
Table 1 Rules to get you started.
| Ref |
Rule
|
| A2 | The Carrom board must be placed firmly and level at a height of between 600 mm and 700 mm from the floor. |
| A8 | The seating must not have any armrests. |
| B1 | In Singles, the players shall sit opposite each other. |
| B2 | In Doubles, partners shall sit opposite each other and play passes to the right (counter clockwise). |
| B5/ C7 |
The forearm of the striking hand may touch the frame. |
| C4 | The stroke shall be made with the finger with or without support of other fingers or thumb of the same hand. |
| C5 | Any hand may be used in play. |
| C10 | The striking hand up to the wrist may, however, cross the arrow. |
| C11 | A stroke is considered as having been played if either the striker entirely crosses the front striking line or touches a piece before it entirely crosses the front striking line. If the striker does not entirely cross the front striking line or does not touch a piece before it entirely crosses the front striking line then the stroke can be retaken. |
| C12 | Only pieces forward of and not touching the striking lines and the imaginary extensions of the striking lines to the side frame, can be struck directly. |
| C13 | After the striker has moved forward, then either the striker or any other piece can rebound back to strike any piece on or behind the striking lines. |
| D3 | Who breaks first is decided by pointing to one of two hands that each conceals a different coloured piece. Whoever gets white breaks first. |
| D4 | The player that lost the right to break first, decides on which seat to use. |
| D5 | The pieces are placed in the centre of the board in a set circular pattern. The queen is placed in the dead centre of the board. Three pairs of white pieces are placed around the queen in a Y formation. Three sets of three black pieces are placed touching the whites in each of the three segments formed by the whites. The last three white pieces are each placed in the gaps formed by the blacks to complete the circular pattern. The pieces must be touching each other with no unnecessary gaps. |
| D6 | The player to make the break can swivel the set of pieces to his/her advantage provided the red covers the centre circle. |
| D7 | The break is made only if the striker makes contact with any carrom piece. |
| E1 | Turn continues as long as a player pockets either his/her own carrom piece or the red queen in accordance with the rules. Otherwise it shall pass on to the opponent. |
| E2 | If a penalty is committed regardless of a piece being pocketed then the turn ends and the appropriate due applied. Unless the opponent calls for a double due (see rule H13). |
| E4 | In the next board to be played, the opponent who played black in the previous board will now break first and play with white. |
| F1 | The winner of a board is the first player to pocket all of his/her pieces provided the queen has been covered by either player. |
| F2 | The winner of a game is the first person to reach 29 points. |
| F4 | The board winner scores a point for each of the opponent's pieces left on the board (any dues are ignored) plus a bonus of five points provided he/she covered the queen. No bonus points are scored for either player if the losing opponent covered the queen. |
| F5 | The board winner cannot claim the five bonus points for covering the queen if at the end of the previous board, his/her tally of points was 24 or more. |
| G1 | The queen must be covered before either side may finish. |
| G2 | The queen is classed as covered when the queen is pocketed in one stroke and at least one own piece is pocketed in the next immediate stroke. |
| G3 | If after pocketing the queen the player fails to pocket own piece in the next immediate stroke the queen is not covered and is returned to the board. However, no penalty is incurred. |
| G4 | If in attempting to cover the queen a penalty is committed then the queen will not have been covered and is returned to the board. |
| G5 | When the queen is returned to the board it is placed in the centre circle. If, however, the centre circle is fully or partially obscured, the queen is placed anywhere within the main circle to the advantage of the opponent. |
| G6 | The queen can only be pocketed, on its own, provided that at least one own piece has been previously pocketed. Even if that piece has been returned to the board as a due. |
| G7 | The queen is also classed as covered when the queen plus one or more own pieces are pocketed in the same stroke. |
| G8 | If a striking player's piece has not been pocketed previously but the queen plus one own piece only are pocketed in the same stroke then the queen will be covered provided at least another own piece is pocketed in the next immediate stroke. |
| G9 | If a striking player's piece has not been pocketed previously but the queen plus two or more own pieces are pocketed in the same stroke then the queen is classed as covered. |
| I1 | Any piece caused to stand on its rim shall not be disturbed except during the course of play. |
| I2 | Any piece overlapping another piece shall not be disturbed except during the course of play. |
| I3 | If the striker comes to rest on or below another piece it shall be removed so as to cause the minimum disturbance to the position of that piece. |
| I4 | If the striker comes to rest on or below another piece overhanging a pocket, the striker shall be removed and the piece shall be placed as close to the edge of the pocket as practicable. |
| I5 | Any piece overhanging a pocket shall be considered as properly pocketed should it fall into the pocket without being struck. |
Table 2 Technical
fouls. They are usually overlooked in friendly games but are strictly adhered
to when a foul is committed persistently or in major competitions. The due is
agreed upon by the players or imposed by the referee.
| Ref |
Technical
Foul
|
| B3 | Players can move their position on their seat during their turn of play, provided the seat is not lifted or moved. |
| B4/ C6 |
Only the striking hand (fingers up to the wrist) may touch the playing surface. |
| B6/ C9 |
The elbow is not allowed inside the frame. |
| B7/ C9 |
The elbow, arm or legs should not break the diagonal of the carrom board whilst playing a stroke. |
| B8 | Players must not use either the board or the board stand to support themselves whilst playing a stroke. |
| B10 | Nothing is allowed to be placed on the frame. |
| B11 | In doubles partners may talk to each other but must not communicate verbally or by gestures on how to play the next stroke. |
| B12 | Players must not communicate verbally or by gestures with spectators on how to play the next stroke. |
| B13 | Players must not disturb the board wilfully or otherwise. |
| B14 | Players must not distract the attention of their opponent by any act. |
| B15 | Players must maintain a polite and courteous manner throughout the game. |
| C1 | The striker must be placed so that it touches both striking lines. |
| C2 | If the striker is placed at either end of the striking lines then it must either cover completely the end circle or not touch the end circle at all. The striker must not partially cover the end circle. |
| C3 | The striker shall be struck and not pushed (i.e. motion of the fingers and not the whole arm). |
| C8 | The non-striking hand must not touch any part of the board or stand. The seat is exempt. |
| D8 | Once play has started the striker cannot be changed unless damaged beyond use. |
| E3 | No more than 15 seconds shall be allowed between strikes. |
Table 3 Penalties,
Dues and Placement of the dues.
|
Penalty
|
Due
|
Placement
|
| . | H1 The due for a penalty will be one offending player's piece, except when a double due is called as per H13. | . |
| . | H2 Where several penalties are committed in the same stroke, the dues will be one for each penalty listed but not one for each piece improperly pocketed or overboard. | . |
| . | H3 Where a player incurs a penalty but has no pocketed piece to pay the due, the opponent shall place the due once the offender has pocketed a piece but at the end of that turn. A due not returned to the board at the first opportunity shall be lost. | . |
| . | H4 A player may, at his/her option, not call for a due when the opponent incurs a penalty. | . |
| . | . | H5 Unless covered, the queen is always returned to the centre circle. If the centre circle is fully or partially obscured then anywhere within the main circle, to the advantage of the opponent. |
| . | . | H6 The queen and any overboard piece returned to the board must be placed in the centre circle. The queen takes priority for the centre circle. If the centre circle is fully or partially obscured then anywhere within the main circle, to the advantage of the opponent. |
| . | . | H7 Placement of dues will be anywhere within the main circle, by the opponent, to his/her advantage. Pieces can be touching, covering another piece, astride several pieces, at an angle with the board and another piece/s but not on its rim on its own. |
| . | H8 Other than the queen, any improperly pocketed pieces remain pocketed unless it is the last piece of either player. | . |
| H9 After a penalty play will pass to the opponent, except when a double due is called for as stated in H13. | . | . |
| H10 A break that does not observe the set up as described in D5. | One offending player's piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H11 Striking directly any piece that is not forward of the striking lines and the imaginary extensions of the striking lines to the side frames. | One offending player's piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H12 Pocketing the striker. | One offending player's piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H13 Striker following own piece into the same pocket. If agreed before the start of the game the opponent can call for a double due but only if there are sufficient pieces to pay the due immediately. Play continues with the offending player. | Two offending player's pieces. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H14 Pocketing an opponent's piece/s. | One offending player's piece but opponent's piece/s remain pocketed. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H15 Pocketing the queen and in the same stroke, any combination of striker and opponent's piece/s. | One offending player's piece but opponent's piece/s remain pocketed. | Queen to centre, offending player's piece anywhere in the main circle. |
| H16 Pocketing the queen on its own before having previously pocketed at least one of your own pieces. | One offending player's piece. | Queen to centre, offending player's piece anywhere in the main circle at the next available opportunity. See H3. |
| H17 Pocketing an opponent's last piece. | One offending player's piece plus the opponent's last piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H18 Pocketing own last piece when the queen has yet to be covered. | One offending player's piece plus own last piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H19 Causing the striker to leave the board. | One offending player's piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H20 Causing any piece/s (own, opponent's or queen) to leave the board. | One offending player's piece plus the overboard piece/s. | Anywhere in the main circle. Overboard piece/s to centre see H6. |
| H21 A player who interferes with his/her striker before it has come completely to rest shall incur a penalty at the option of the opponent. | One offending player's piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
| H22 A player interfering with any piece either moving or still. | One offending player's piece. | Anywhere in the main circle. |
Similarities/Differences
between Carrom played under UKCA rules, CAINT rules & ICF laws
(the variation from UKCA rules are highlighted in pink)
|
UKCA
Rules
|
CAINT
Rules
|
ICF
Laws
|
||
| Equipment | Playing surface | 740 mm square | 740 mm square | 740 mm square |
| Playing height | 600 to 700 mm from ground | 630 to 690 mm from ground | 630 to 700 mm from ground | |
| Surface lubrication | Light furniture polish | Carrom powder | High quality dry powder | |
| Carrom pieces | Moulded resin or wooden | Moulded resin or wooden | Wooden only | |
| Striker | Wood,
Plastic or bone 38 to 42 mm diameter 15 gm max. weight |
Resin,
no ivory or bone 40 to 42.5 mm diameter 15 gm max. weight |
Non-metal Up to 41.3 mm diameter 15 gm max. weight |
|
| Seating
|
No armrests | No armrests |
No armrests |
|
| Method of play | Striker | Must touch both your base lines, or completely, but not partially, cover either of the circles at the end of your base lines. Striker must be struck and not pushed. | Must touch both your base lines, or completely, but not partially, cover the red moon. However, the circles around the red moon can be partially covered. Striker must be struck and not pushed. | Must touch both your base lines, or completely, but not partially, cover either of the circles at the end of your base lines. Striker must be struck and not pushed. |
| Which piece can have a direct hit by the striker | Any piece not touching and forward of the player's base lines | Any piece not touching and forward of the player's base lines | Any piece anywhere on the playing surface | |
| Hand | Any finger used for striking and playing hand only can touch playing surface | Any finger used for striking and playing hand only can touch playing surface. Same hand must be used throughout the one game. | Any finger used for striking and playing hand only can touch playing surface | |
| Arm | No part of the arm shall extend beyond the imaginary lines of the arrows | No part of the arm shall extend beyond the imaginary lines of the arrows | No part of the arm shall extend beyond the imaginary lines of the arrows | |
| Body / Legs | Shall not extend beyond the imaginary lines of the arrows | No restriction on body/legs | Shall not extend beyond the imaginary lines of the arrows | |
| Scoring | Points at end of a board | Winner scores one point for each opponent's remaining piece | Winner scores one point for each opponent's remaining piece | Winner scores one point for each opponent's remaining piece |
| Covering the Queen | Winner only can claim five points, but only if game score is below 24 | Winner only can claim five points, but only if game score is below 24 | Winner only can claim three points, but only if game score is below 22 | |
| Game winner | First
to reach 29 points, or leader after set time period |
First
to reach 29 points, or leader after set time period |
First to
reach 25 points, |
|
| Penalties / Dues | Pocketing striker | Turn lost and one of the offending player's previously pocketed piece is positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | Turn lost and one of the offending player's previously pocketed piece is positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | Turn lost and one of the offending player's previously pocketed piece is positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent |
| Pocketing opponent's piece | Turn lost, opponent's piece remains pocketed and one of the offending player's previously pocketed piece is positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | Turn lost, opponent's piece remains pocketed and one of the offending player's previously pocketed piece is positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | Turn lost and opponent's piece remains pocketed. Offending player's previously pocketed piece not brought to the board. | |
| Pocketing striker and own piece at the same time | Striker and own piece must fall into the same pocket and then only can the opponent call for a double due when turn not lost but continues only after two of the offending player's previously pocketed pieces are positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent. If opponent doesn't call double dues then normal penalty applies for pocketing striker | Turn lost and two of the offending player's previously pocketed pieces are positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | Turn not lost but continues only after two of the offending player's previously pocketed pieces are positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | |
| Piece overboard | Turn lost and the overboard piece plus one of the offending player's previously pocketed piece are positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | Turn lost and the overboard piece plus one of the offending player's previously pocketed piece are positioned anywhere within the large circle by the opponent | Turn lost and overboard piece returned to centre of inner circle. Offending player's previously pocketed piece not brought to the board. |
The Penalties/Dues listed above are the ones that occur most frequently. There are others e.g. pocketing opponent's last piece when queen is not covered. For this and others refer to the appropriate rule books.