Carrom Rules and Shots: A Complete Beginner's Guide
Carrom is played on a smooth square wooden board with a pocket in each corner. Players flick a heavy disc called the striker to knock smaller coins into the pockets. The game is hugely popular in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and it is often played on a verandah or in a tea shop with a crowd watching. Here is how it works.
The equipment
- 19 coins: 9 white, 9 black and 1 red queen.
- 1 striker: larger and heavier than the coins.
- The board: each player has a baseline, and the striker must be placed on it for every shot.
Setting up and starting
The queen goes in the centre, surrounded by a ring of six coins and an outer ring of twelve, in alternating colours. Players sit opposite each other, or in partners for a four-player game. A toss decides who goes first, and that player plays the white coins and takes the opening shot, known as the break.
Playing a turn
Place the striker on your baseline and flick it with your finger. If you pocket one of your own coins, you shoot again. If you do not, your turn ends. If you pocket an opponent's coin, it stays out and counts for them, and your turn ends.
The queen
The queen can only be pocketed after you have pocketed at least one of your own coins in the official rules, though many casual games drop this condition. After you pocket her, you must "cover" her by pocketing one of your own coins on your very next shot. If you fail, the queen goes back to the centre.
Fouls
The most common fouls are:
- Pocketing the striker.
- Knocking the striker or a coin off the board.
- Touching coins other than with the striker.
After a foul, one of your pocketed coins is usually returned to the centre, and you lose your turn.
Scoring
The player who clears all their coins wins the board and scores one point for every coin their opponent has left. A covered queen adds three more, but only until the winner's score gets close to the target, with the exact limit depending on the rule set. A game is normally played to 25 points.
The basic shots
The straight shot
The striker hits the coin directly toward a pocket. This is the first shot to master. Line up pocket, coin and striker, then aim for the centre of the coin.
The cut shot
The striker clips the side of a coin to send it off at an angle. The more of the coin you hit, the straighter it travels. A thin contact sends it wide, and a thick contact sends it closer to the striker's line.
The rebound shot
You bounce the striker or coin off a rail. On a clean board the angle in is close to the angle out, so you can reach coins that are blocked by others. This is the shot that makes carrom feel like billiards.
What actually improves your game
Control your power
Beginners tend to shoot hard. A hard shot sends the striker flying around, which leads to fouls and leaves coins in useful places for your opponent. Most shots only need medium strength.
Think about what comes next
Good players are not only asking whether a shot goes in. They ask where the striker and coins will end up afterwards. Keeping a coin near a pocket for your next shot is a big advantage.
Take the queen at the right time
The queen is only useful if you can cover her. Before going for her, make sure you have an easy coin ready.
Common questions
Can I shoot backwards? Yes. Coins behind your baseline can be reached by rebounding off a rail, and many tournament rules let the striker hit them only that way.
Why do real players use powder? Fine powder on the board reduces friction and lets the coins glide. In an online game, the physics takes care of that for you.
