BASIC RULES
This page describes the basic rules of the game Carrom. A more accurate description of the rules is available online at Carromcentre.co.uk ali International Carrom Federation - ICF.THE POINT OF THE GAME
The point of the game is to sink all of your Carrommen, using the Striker, in any of the pockets before your opponent. Your turn continues as long as you keep sinking your Carrommen. The game is played to 25 points or not more than 8 games for the final victory.NUMBER OF PLAYERS
- 2 players: sitting opposite each other
- 3 players: playing for points (regardless of the colour)
- 4 players: players sitting opposite each other are partners (teammates)
LAYOUT CARROMMEN IN THE CENTRE CIRCLE
From the viewpoint of the player who starts the game: First, put the red Queen in the centre circle, which is painted red and is exactly in the centre of the Carrom table. Then put the three white Carrommen in the form of "Y", so that the top two white Carrommen are directed towards the upper left and upper right hole. Put three black Carrommen between these white ones. The six Carrommen represent the internal circle around the Queen and they all converge the Queen and the neighboring Carrommen. The remaining twelve Carrommen must be placed around the internal circle of Carrommen converging the internal circle and the neighboring Carrommen.
CHOISE OF CARROMMEN
Options:- The players draw lots to determine who is going to play with white and who with black Carrommen;
- The player plays with the colour of Carrommen which he sinks first (for example, if he sinks a white Carrommen first, he plays with white Carrommen to the end of the game; his opponent plays with the black Carrommen).
BEGINING OF THE GAME
Break is taken by a player, who has chosen the white Carrommen. The player who begins the game places the Striker on his own base line and breakes the initial positioning of Carromen in the centre circle. He can aim at or hit any Carrommen in the initial positioning. A player has three attempts to break properly-correct. If he does not hit the initial positioning of Carromen in the centre circle even in the third attempt, the right to break is lost and the turn passes on to the opponent who has black Carrommen but no re-arrangement is permitted. A player's turn continues as long as he keeps sinking his Carrommen - luck shots count and all combinations are permitted.THE GAME AND THE STRIKER
Each player sits on his side of the board and can only strike from that side. No part of the player's body, except his hand, may cross the imaginary diagonal line nor may his elbow go across the frame in front of him. A player can flick-not push-the Striker which is placed on his own base line - in front of him. When placing the Striker on the board to shoot, it must touch both 'base lines' (upper thin and lower thick), either covering the end circle completely, or not touching it at all. The Striker may not touch the diagonal arrow line.Correct Striker Placement
Incorrect Striker Placement
The Striker must be flicked and not pushed with any finger. The point of the game is to sink all the Carrommen, using the Striker, in any of the pockets before the opponent. A player's turn continues as long as he keeps sinking his Carrommen. If he sinks any opponent's Carrommen, his turn is lost and it passes on to the opponent. If any Carrommen (or Queen) falls out of the playing field, a player's turn is lost and it passes on to the opponent, unless he sinks one or more of his own Carrommen. The picked up Carrommen (or Queen) must be placed in the centre circle, if space permits, covering it fully or as much as possible. If both a Carrommen and the Queen fall at the same time, the Queen is placed into the circle first. After a shot, a Carrommen or the Queen cannot be moved. If a Carrommen or the Queen stands on its edge, it must remain as it is. If two Carrommen or the Queen overlap each other, they must be left so. If a player pockets his Striker, his turn is lost and the opponent places one of his Carrommen inside the outer circle (penalty). If the player sinks one or more of his own Carrommen in the same stroke, this Carrommen must be placed in the outer circle, near centre circle; the player's turn continues. If the Striker rests on a Carrommen or the Queen, the Striker must be removed without disturbing the the Carrommen or the Queen. If disturbed, the original position of the Carrommen or the Queen must be restored, as far as possible. If a player pockets one or more of his opponent's Carrommen, his turn is lost. The opponent's Carrommen are deemed as pocketed. If a player pockets the last Carrommen of his opponent, he loses the board by the number of his own Carrommen lying on the Carrom board together with the three points for the Queen.
Heavier option: the player may not play with the Carrommen, which is behind his own base line-between him and his base line (back shots not allowed).
THE QUEEN (red Carrommen)
A player has the right to pocket the Queen and to cover it provided that a Carrommen of his own has already been pocketed. After pocketing the Queen, a player must pocket one of his Carrommen in the next shot, thereby 'covering' it, or the Queen is returned to the centre circle. If the Queen and the Carrommen of a player are pocketed together in one stroke, the Queen is considered covered.The Queen is worth additional 3 points.
To get additional 3 points for the Queen the player must:
- Pocket the Queen
- Cover the Queen
- Win.
Easier option: The Queen can be left unpocketed at the end of the game. Easier option: The Queen can be left unpocketed at the end of the game.
HOW TO SCORE
A game consists of 25 points or eight boards, whichever comes first. The player who reaches 25 points first or leads at the conclusion of the eighth board is the winner of the game.The winner of a board collects:
- one point for each of the opponent's Carrommen left at the end of a board
- three points for the Queen if covered by the winner (if covered by the loser, no-one gets those points). The player loses the advantage of getting the credit of additional 3 points for covering the Queen, once he has reached the score of 22 points.