Carrom Board Rules and How to Play
Carrom board game is the most favourite indoor game for all people. People of all ages enjoy this game with equal enthusiasm. From clubs in the neighbourhood to the state level, national level, and even the international level, Carrom has been played with much heart and soul. Carrom is basically a board game for two players, two teams or four players.
Carrom Tips: How to Play Carrom Board?
Carrom consists of a square board known as the Carrom board, 9 white discs and 9 black discs known as the carrom men, 1 red carrom man known as the queen and an acrylic disc known as the striker.
The basic target for a team or for a player is to pocket all the carrom men (black and white) and or the queen of their respective team. So, the player or the team who pockets all the carrom men first will be announced as the winner. While the other player or the team will lose the match.
Basic Carrom Rules for the Setup
What are the setup of carrom and does setup has rules as well? Yes. The setup for carrom has a specific set of rules that must be abided by the players and the teams. Carrom setup refers to how and where the carrom men will be placed before the game begins. So, altogether there are 19 carrom men and 1 striker required for a carrom game. The carrom board can be set up on a stool or may be placed on any flat surface. The red carrom man or the queen is to be placed at the middle of the carrom board where the disc lines are drawn.
Next, 6 black and white carrom men must be placed alternatively encircling the queen in the disc drawn on the carrom board. The remaining twelve carrom men have to be placed alternatively and in such a way that the white carrom men form a ‘Y’ shape. The upper part of the Y should point towards two pockets on one side. Now, for the player position, if the carrom match is between two players, a single to be precise, the players have to sit opposite to each other facing one another. In case of a doubles game, players of the same team sit opposite to each other facing their team member.
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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.
- At the four corners of the carrom board near the pockets and attached to the baselines are four circles. When placing the striker, either the circles should not be touched at all or the striker has to be placed on the circle. You cannot place the striker in such a way that it touches both the parallel lines and the circle as well.
- You can use only the index fingers, middle fingers and the thumbs of both the hands while playing. The thumb must be used for backward shots.
- You can do a ‘toss’ to avoid confusion and the one who wins the toss will get the chance to strike first.
- The teams strike one by one in the middle of the carrom men disc unless one of the teams strikes any one colour of the carrom men. For example, if player one manages to pocket a white carrom man, he will have to pocket all the white carrom men and or the queen as early as possible in order to win the match. The same rule is applied for player two as well.
- Every player will get a single chance in one round.
- If a player pots a carrom man (for example, if player 1 pots a white carrom man), he will get another chance to pot another carrom man of the same colour and will continue to get as many chances till he misses the shot. Once the shot is missed the turn will automatically be passed to the other player.
- A player cannot pot the queen at the beginning of the game in the first shot without potting a white or black coloured carrom man. (Player 1 starts the game and he pots the queen. This cannot be taken as a bonus or anything. First, he has to pot a white carrom man who can be followed by the queen).
- Soon after the queen is pocketed by any player, the player has to cover the queen by pocketing another carom man of the colour he is supposed to pocket. (For player 1, he has to pocket a white carrom man after he pockets the queen).
- On failing to do that, the queen has to be placed back in the center of the board in the small disc-shaped
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Other Fundamental Carrom Board Rules
Carrom board rules are the basic thing one must know before starting a game or before indulging oneself in a challenge. A single different rule can land a player into disqualification. So, here are some fundamental carrom rules for a better understanding of the sport. One must memorize the carrom rules as this would make the game easier for them.
- If the striker is pocketed by a player anyhow, this will be taken as a foul shot and he has to put back one of his won carrom man in the center of the board. He also loses a chance.
- If a carrom man along with the striker gets pocketed anyhow, the player will have to put back two of his won carrom men in the center of the carrom board. But in this case, he will get a chance to shot.
- While shooting for the respective carrom men, the player should not stand up or move from the chair.
- If a carrom man falls out of the carrom board, the carrom man has to be placed in the center of the carrom board.
- While playing carrom, the player’s wrist can touch the carrom board. If any other body part touches the carrom board, it will be counted as disqualified.
- It is recommended that the players choose their sides before starting the match as they cannot shift their positions once the match begins.
- If the striker does not move in a single strike, the player earns three more strikes before he loses his turn.
- Rebound strikes touching the player’s baseline can also be used to pocket a carrom man.
Carrom is the most common tabletop games around the world. It might seem a bit difficult for the players at the beginning. But once the players get accustomed to the carrom rules, it will be an easier game to play. Also ‘practice makes one perfect’. So, the more a player indulges himself in this indoor game, the more quickly he can master the game.
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