Carrom rules: how to play, the way most Indian homes do

Most of us learnt carrom from an older cousin who made up a rule whenever they were losing. Here are the carrom rules as most Indian families actually play them, in the order you need them. They’re also the rules our free Carrom game follows, so you can try each one as you read.

What you need

• A board with four corner pockets
• 9 white coins, 9 black coins and 1 red coin, the queen
• A striker, the bigger, heavier disc you flick
• 2 players sitting opposite each other, or 4 players in two teams, with partners sitting opposite
• A pinch of boric powder or carrom powder, so the coins slide

Setting up the board

Put the queen on the centre spot. Arrange the other 18 coins in a circle around it, alternating white and black, so that nothing is touching the edge of the centre circle. Toss a coin to decide who plays white. White breaks first.

Taking a shot

• Place the striker on your baseline, the pair of lines nearest you. It has to touch both lines, or sit inside one of the red circles at either end.
• Flick it with a finger. Many families also allow a thumb shot; agree on it first. You can aim at any coin on the board, and you can bounce the striker off the edges.
• Pocket one of your own coins and you play again. Pocket nothing, and it’s the other side’s turn.
• With four players, turns go round the board, so the two teams alternate.

The queen

The red queen is the coin everyone wants. You can pocket it at any time, but you must cover it: pocket one of your own coins in the same shot or the very next one. If you don’t, the queen goes back to the centre spot.

One more rule people forget: you can’t pocket your last coin while the queen is still on the board. If you do, that coin comes back.

Some families only allow the queen once you’ve pocketed at least one of your own coins. Agree on it before you start; it saves an argument later.

Fouls

• Pocketing the striker is a foul. One of the coins you’ve already pocketed goes back to the centre, along with anything of yours that went down on that shot, and your turn ends.
• Pocketing the other side’s coin doesn’t help you. It counts as theirs.
• Pocketing your last coin before the queen is covered is also a foul: the coin comes back.

Two house rules worth agreeing on

• The “due”: if you foul before you have pocketed anything, many homes say you owe a coin and put one back the next time you pocket. Our game skips the due and simply ends your turn.
• Coins off the board: if a coin jumps off the board, it usually goes back on the centre spot, or as close to it as it will fit.

Winning a board

The first side to pocket all nine of its coins, with the queen covered, wins the board. The winner scores a point for each coin the other side still has on the board, plus 3 for the queen if the winner covered it.

Families usually play to an agreed total, 25 or 29 points being common, over several boards. The side that lost the last board breaks next.

Carrom tips for beginners

• Start with straight shots. A coin sitting near a pocket, in line with your striker, is worth more than a clever angle.
• Learn the cut. Hit a coin slightly off-centre and it goes off at an angle. Most coins are pocketed this way once the board opens up.
• Use the edges. A rebound off the cushion reaches coins you can’t hit directly, especially those behind your own baseline.
• Plan the queen. Go for her when you also have an easy coin of your own lined up, so you can cover on the next shot.
• Leave the board hard for the other side. If you can’t pocket, nudge their coins away from the pockets.

Questions people ask about carrom

How many points is the queen worth in carrom?

In the family scoring most homes use, the queen is worth 3 points, but only to the side that covers it and wins the board.

What happens if you pocket the striker?

It’s a foul. One coin you’ve already pocketed goes back to the centre, anything of yours pocketed on that shot comes back too, and your turn ends.

Can you pocket the queen first?

In the usual rules, yes, as long as you cover it straight after. Some families make you pocket one of your own coins before you’re allowed the queen.

How many points do you need to win carrom?

There’s no single number for a home game. 25 or 29 points over several boards is common; agree before the first break.

Who breaks first in carrom?

Toss a coin. The winner plays white and breaks first; after that, the side that lost the previous board usually breaks.

Practise on your phone

Our Carrom game is free and plays in the browser. Play 2 players or 4 in teams on one phone or tablet, take on the computer, or try the 40 trick-shot challenges to work on your angles. For more board games from home, see Indian Classics, and the Ludo rules for the other family favourite.