Carrom Game Rules - Easy Guide to Play Like a Pro

Carrom Game Rules is a fun and exciting board game that brings friends and family together for hours of entertainment. It’s a game of skill, strategy, and precision, where players flick wooden discs into pockets on a smooth square board. Whether you’re new to Carrom or looking to brush up on the rules, this guide will help you understand how to play and win. In this article we’ll explain the basic rules setup and give you some helpful tips to improve your gameplay.

Let’s dive in and learn how to play Carrom like a pro.

1. Carrom rules: Basic rules of Karom
2. Rules to start the Carrom game
3. Carrom rules for Queen
4. Carrom points rules

Table of Contents

Carrom Rules: Basic Rules of Carrom

Carrom is a simple yet exciting game that involves flicking discs into pockets. Here’s a quick breakdown of the basic rules:

The Objective

The main goal is to pocket all your Carrom Men (either black or white) before your opponent does. To win, you must also pocket the Queen and cover it with one of your own Carrom Men.
Setting Up the Board:

The game is played on a square wooden board with four corner pockets. The 18 Carrom Men (black, white, and one red Queen) are arranged in a circle at the center of the board.

Who Goes First

Players decide who starts by tossing a coin or any other fair method. The first player uses the striker to break the center arrangement of Carrom Men.

Taking Turns

Players take turns flicking the striker with their fingers to hit the Carrom Men into the pockets. You must flick your striker from within the designated striking zone on the board.

Flicking the Striker

The striker must be flicked with your fingers from within the “base” (the bottom part of the board). The striker must hit a Carrom Men directly. It should never be flicked in a way that makes it bounce off the board.

Pocketing Carrom Men

To score, you must pocket a Carrom Men of your color (either black or white). If the striker hits an opponent’s Carrom Men, it’s their turn. You must keep pocketing your color pieces until they are all cleared from the board.

The Queen

The Queen is the red Carrom Men placed at the center of the board. To pocket the Queen, you need to flick it into a pocket and then cover it by pocketing one of your own Carrom Men immediately afterward. If you fail to cover the Queen, it is returned to the center.

Winning the Game

The first player or team to pocket all their Carrom Men and the Queen (with the cover) wins the game. If you pocket the Queen but fail to cover it, you lose the Queen, and it is placed back on the board.

Rules to Start the Carrom Game

Starting a game of Carrom is easy once you know the steps. Here’s a simple guide to get you going:

Setting Up the Board

Place the Carrom board on a flat, smooth surface. Ensure all four corners of the board have a pocket.
The 18 Carrom Men (9 black, 9 white) and the red Queen are placed at the center of the board. The pieces are arranged in a circle with alternating black and white Carrom Men. The Queen is placed in the middle of the circle.

Deciding Who Goes First

Players can decide who goes first by tossing a coin or any other fair method.
The player who wins the toss gets to strike first, using the striker to break the central arrangement of the Carrom Men.

Breaking the Center

The first player strikes the center of the arrangement, aiming to break the circle and scatter the Carrom Men.
The player should flick the striker (using their finger) in such a way that it hits one of the Carrom Men and ideally pockets some pieces, or at least disrupts the arrangement.

Position of the Striker

When it’s your turn, the striker must be placed in the “base” area of the board (the area closest to you). You must flick the striker from this base zone to hit the Carrom Men.
The striker should always be flicked with your fingers (usually the thumb and index finger), and it must be within the striking area.

The Turn Sequence

After the initial break, players take turns flicking the striker. On each turn, the player attempts to pocket their Carrom Men (either black or white, depending on what they’ve chosen) while avoiding pocketing the opponent’s Carrom Men.

How the Game Starts

Once the center has been broken, the game officially starts, and players begin pocketing their Carrom Men one by one.
Players continue to alternate turns, with each player aiming to pocket their designated Carrom Men.

Carrom Rules for the Queen

The Queen is the most important and valuable piece in the game. Here are the key rules you need to know about how to handle the Queen:

Positioning the Queen

The Queen is placed at the center of the board during the setup of the game, surrounded by the other Carrom Men (black and white).

Pocketing the Queen

To pocket the Queen, you must flick the striker and hit the Queen into one of the pockets (just like any other Carrom Men).
However, simply pocketing the Queen is not enough to claim it as yours. The Queen must be covered by pocketing one of your own Carrom Men immediately after pocketing the Queen.

Covering the Queen

After you pocket the Queen, you must pocket one of your own Carrom Men (either black or white, depending on your color) on your next turn to cover the Queen.
If you pocket the Queen and fail to cover it immediately, the Queen is placed back in the center of the board, and your turn ends.

Penalty for Failing to Cover the Queen

If you pocket the Queen and don’t cover it, it’s treated as a foul, and the Queen is returned to the center of the board.
Additionally, the opponent may gain a chance to take an extra turn in some variations of the game, depending on local rules.

Winning the Game with the Queen

To win the game, a player must pocket all their Carrom Men (either black or white), and finally pocket and cover the Queen with one of their pieces.
If you pocket the Queen but have not covered it before finishing your pieces, you lose the Queen, and the game continues with the opponent’s advantage.

Special Rule for the Queen

In some variations of Carrom, a player may lose points or face a penalty if they pocket the Queen too early, before pocketing a significant number of their Carrom Men.

Summary of Queen Rules

The Queen is placed at the center.
You must pocket the Queen and cover it immediately with your own Carrom Men.
If you fail to cover it, the Queen is returned to the center.
The Queen is essential for winning the game but must be handled carefully to avoid penalties.

Carrom Points Rules

In Carrom, players earn points based on the pieces they pocket, including the Carrom Men and the Queen. The points system determines the winner of the game, so it’s essential to understand how points are awarded. Here’s how the points work: