The break
The player with white opens by striking the centre cluster from their baseline. If the break fails to disturb the arrangement, the opponent may ask for a re-break.
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INDIGENOUS · ICF · AICF (All India Carrom Federation)
Carrom
Carrom is a strike-and-pocket board game played on a smooth powdered board with four corner pockets. Players flick a heavier striker from their baseline to pot nine carrom men of their colour plus the red queen. It is played singles or doubles, and matches are decided over a series of boards.
group
PLAYERS
1 v 1 (singles) or 2 v 2 (doubles)
schedule
DURATION
Best of 2 or 3 boards, roughly 30–60 min
stadium
PLAYING AREA
Plywood board 74 cm square with four corner pockets
scoreboard
SCORING
1 point per opponent's piece remaining, queen worth 3
HOW IT IS PLAYED
Core Rules
Striking position
The striker must be placed on the baseline touching both base lines, or in the red circle at either end, and must not touch the base circles at their ends. At least part of the striker must be visible over the front line.
Continuing the turn
A player who pockets one of their own carrom men strikes again. The turn continues as long as pieces keep going down, and ends on the first unsuccessful strike.
Covering the queen
The red queen may be pocketed at any time, but must be covered by pocketing one of your own carrom men on the very next strike. If it is not covered, the queen returns to the centre.
Queen restrictions
The queen may not be pocketed as the final piece. A player must have at least one of their own carrom men remaining on the board when they take the queen, otherwise the queen is returned.
Winning a board
A board ends when a player pockets all nine of their carrom men. Their score is the number of the opponent's pieces still on the board, plus three if they hold the queen — up to a maximum of 25 per board.
Match scoring
A game is played to 25 points or eight boards, whichever comes first. Queen points are only added if the winner's score is under 22.
Due and penalties
A foul returns one of the offender's already-pocketed pieces to the centre of the board — a 'due'. Dues accumulate and are placed back as they arise.
Thumbing and finger use
The striker may be flicked with any finger including the thumb, but it must be struck, not pushed, and the hand may not cross the diagonal lines at the corners.
WATCH OUT
Fouls & Penalties
- errorPocketing the striker — one due, and any piece pocketed on that strike is returned.
- errorPocketing an opponent's carrom man — it counts for them and the turn ends.
- errorStriking with the wrong position, or the striker not touching both base lines.
- errorTouching any piece while in play, or a piece leaving the board.
- errorFailing to cover the queen, or taking the queen with no own pieces left.
WHO DECIDES
Match Officials
- sportsUmpire — supervises the board, calls fouls and places dues.
- sportsScorer — records board scores and running match totals.
- sportsReferee — rules on disputes and equipment questions.
- sportsTournament director — manages draws, timing and conduct.
GOVERNED BY ICF · AICF (ALL INDIA CARROM FEDERATION)
Play Carrom On A Real Arena
Book a floodlit, pro-standard venue and put the rulebook to work.
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