Carrom board is one of the most loved indoor games enjoyed by people of all ages around the globe. Played amongst enthusiasts locally and also at professional levels, the game has always kept gaining popularity.
Carrom Board Rules Explained
The game carrom board is played between two to four players, contested either as singles or teams of two. The game is played on a square board with four pockets. It is played using two sets of nine discs – black and white and a single red disc. The red disc is also referred to as the queen. Players use a slightly bigger acrylic disc, referred to as the striker, for their set of discs.
The primary objective of the game is to pot all nine of a set of discs along with the red. The first player or the team pocketing all nine discs and the queen is declared the winner.
Carrom Board – The Setup
The setup refers to how the board and discs will be set up at the beginning of the game. You may place the board on a flat surface, like your floor or a stool to get some elevation. The queen (red disc) is placed in the middle of the carrom board within the disc area. Next, six black and white discs are lined up alternatively encircling the queen. The rest of the 12 discs are lined up and encircled in the same way around the first ring of discs.
When playing a game of singles carrom, the players sit opposite to one another. If the game is being contested as a double, players of the same team sit facing each other on opposite sides as per carrom board rules.
Carrom Biard Rules – How to Play?
This is a comprehensive set of carrom board rules that needs to be understood before starting a match.
- The slightly bigger acrylic disc, the striker is used for shooting the discs into the pockets
- Two parallel lines run through the board covering all four sides. As per carrom board rules, the striker must be placed in a way that it touches both lines while shooting the disc.
Carrom Rules for the Game
Here are some of the carrom board rules for the game which must be understood before starting a match. These are the striker rules.
- The striker or the acrylic disc is meant for shooting the carrom men and dash them into the pockets.
- In the carrom board rules, two parallel lines run covering all four sides. The striker must be placed in such a manner that it touches both the parallel lines every time the striker is placed to shoot a carrom man.
- Near the corners and pockets, there are four circles drawn attached to the baselines. While shooting, your striker must touch any part of the circle at all while sitting on the baseline or must be completely placed within the circle.
- A player is allowed to use their index or middle fingers and thumbs or either hand to use the striker
- Every player gets a single shot or go per round to pot the discs. If you pot a disc, you can continue to try potting another. But failing to pot a disc means the turn passes onto the next person.
- As per carrom board game rules, a game or board begins with a break. The player or players strike the circled discs in the disc area to break the cluster. The color of the disc a player or team manages to pot first shall continue doing same for the rest of the board. For example, while breaking, if you pot a white, your objective will to pot all whites and the queen on the board.
- To decide who goes first, you can do a toss to avoid problems and confusion.
- The queen cannot be potted in the first shot i.e the break of the board without potting a white or black disc along with it.
- While playing a board, carrom board rules suggest to pocket and secure the queen, a player must pot a disc of his color in the next shot following the queen. This is called a cover. Failing to do this, the queen will be placed back in the middle of the board.
Fouls and Penalties
- While playing, if a player pockets his/her striker, a disc of his/her color will be brought back into the game and the chance moves onto the next player. This refereed to as a ‘fine’
- If the striker is pocketed along with a disc, then two discs of his/her color are placed back on the board and the player gets another chance. This is a ‘double fine’.
- If any disc falls out of the board, it/they’re placed back in the center
- While playing, no other body part except a player’s wrist is allowed to touch the board. If any other body part touches, it can be deemed as a foul after an initial warning
So these were the essential set of carrom board rules that you need to keep in mind while playing the game. The game can seem a bit difficult for beginners but with some practice, anybody can master it in no time. Hope you have fun playing the game.