How to Play Carrom - Carrom

How to play carrom?

The main objective behind the game of the carrom is to drive the corrommen into any of the four pockets using striker with the flick of the finger. The main aim of the game is to pocket all the nine carrommen of the player along with the queen before the opponent does it.

This game requires some of the skills such as high levels of concentration, more of practice and perfect sense of angles. The player should be aware of the rules of the game and how to play.

Getting Ready

• When the game is played in singles, both of the players sit opposite to each other and when the game is played in doubles, the partners sit opposite to each other.
• Once arranged and the positions are taken, the players are not supposed to either lift or move the chairs to reposition themselves for better strike. The players are allowed to change the positions but without moving the chairs.
• The player cannot take the support of the nearby objects while playing.
• Usually a toss indicates the start of the game and the referee hides the white and black carrommen in his both hands. The player who correctly identifies will win the toss.
• The player whoever wins the toss can either opt for strike or change the side. When the player winning the toss opts for changing the side, then the opponent player will get the chance of strike.
• Then all the carrommen at arranged at the center of the board by the referee and the queen lying in the middle of all the carrommen. And all the nine black carrommen and white carrommen are arranged.
• The black and white carrommen are arranged alternatively in a circular form around the queen.

How the game is played?

This section explains clearly about how the game is being played by demonstrating one complete round of how the players strike.

• It is assumed that the game is played in doubles with two teams. The winning team gets the chance to strike first and start the game. It is up to the partners to decide on who will start the game with the first strike.
• The while carrommen are allotted to the team whoever strikes first and thus will try to pocket the white carrommen.
• If any one of the carrommen is being pocket by the player, then the player gets another chance to strike.
• If the pocket is missed by the strike of the player, then the next players who is on the right to the player gets the chance to strike. The players get the chance in anti-clockwise direction.
• The opponent player has to strike the black carrommen in to the pocket. This way the game continues until all the carrommen along with the queen are pocketed.

Explain in detail about Striking

• When the player is striking, only the arm of the player should rest on the board as shown in the picture below and no other part of the body should touch the board.
• The striker should be always placed on the base line for striking. While striking, the player is not supposed to shake the board or jerk the board, which can be considered as a foul.
• The break in doubles moves in anti-clockwise direction.

• The opponent will get the chance only when the player fails to pocket the carromman.
• When the striker is placed on the base circle, then the striker should not touch the imaginary line.
• Once the strike of the player is finished, it is the responsibility of the referee to give the striker to the opponent player. Players should always play by abiding to the rules and laws of the of the game.

How to cover the Queen?

• The queen is pocketed by the player only when all other carrommens of a particular player are pocketed and only one is remaining.
• This one carromman is used for covering the queen once it is pocketed. Once the queen is pocketed, then the players wins the game and points are being allocated.
• One point is allocated to each of the both black and white carrommans and queen weights three points.
• The points of the queen are allotted to the player only when it is being covered and the board is won by the player.
• The game comes to an end when the carrommans of the player are pocketed and the carroman of the opponent player are left on the board. The points obtained by the winner of the game are the number of carromans of the opponent left on the board and the points of the queen if it is being pocketed by the winner. If the queen is pocked by other player who has not won the game, then winner not get the points of the queen.
• When the striker along with the queen is pocket at the same strike, then the player should place the queen and two more carrommen on the board and then strike and continue the game. The queen and the carromen should be placed at the middle of the board.
• By mistakenly if the queen and the carroman of the opponent are pocket, the queen along with the carromen of the player wh strike has to be placed on the board and not the carroman of the opponent.
• When the player has a due without pocketing any of the carroman, in which case the first carroman that is being pockted is returned to the board and then the player continues to strike.
• When only one carroman of both the players are left on the board along with the queen and if the player tends to pocket the queen and the carroman of the opponent player, then the opponent player is considered as the winner with the points equalling to the number of carromen remaining on the board.
• When the player pockets the queen and the carroman in a single strike, then the queen is considered as covered.

How the scores are calculated?

• The total points that are considered for the game is 25. If the score of the player is 21 and above, then the player is not supposed to count the queen. The player who first scores 25 first is considered as the winner of the game.
• The maximum time given for the player to strike is 10 seconds. If even 10 seconds are crossed, then the striker is passed on to the opponent.
• The maximum number of boards played is eight. If any one of the player scores 25 points within these number of boards, then he is considered as the winner. Or else after the eight boards, whoever has the maximum number of points is considered as the winner.
• The maximum time provided for finishing the eight boards is 25 minutes. If eight rounds are not finished within 25 minutes, then the player with the maximum points is considered as the winner.

What are Fouls?

When a foul is committed by the player then the player has to pay it either in due or in a penalty. Some of the common instances of foul are as follows -

• When either the board or the carrommen is touched by the player while playing or while idle, the player is committed to a foul. For this foul, the player has to pay a due of one carromman.
• During the strike, if it happens that the carromman bumps out of the board, then the striking player has committed a foul and he losses one of his strikes.
• When the player pushes the striker to hit the carromman, it is considered as a foul and the player is given a penalty of one carromman or the player should miss one of the turns.
• When the striker alone or the striker with a carromman is pocketed, then it is a foul. The carromman that is pocketed is returned back to the board and the player has to loss one of the turns. In return, the opponent player will be given the chance to place the carromman anywhere on the board as the opponent desires.
• When the queen is pocketed by the player in first strike, then it is considered as a foul.