Carrom Board – For All Ages!

Carrom is one of the simple yet absorbing game that combines not only the physical dexterity but also mental ability.

Origin:

It is believed to have originated from the Indian subcontinent where
the Indian Maharajas are credited for the invention of this game. The history of carrom has remained Sketchy and bears resemblance to many games with the market like snooker. However Carrom game is the future of carrom game seems more assured as this fascinating game continues to rise in popularity across USA, Canada European countries and Asian country.

The game:

Carrom also pronounced as Karum and spelled as carrom is a game of 4 players or 2 players. The principle of this game is just like the pool table or billiards where the target is to pocket all the carrom coins in the pot. This is only possible with skills and determination.

Accessories:

This game comprises of one board usually /mostly made out of wood with 4 corner pockets. The major components of this game are the striker and the carrom coins. The striker is usually made of hard plastic and plays the key role in the game. The carrom coins also known as carrom men are three in colour, the whites, blacks and one red popularly known as the queen.

How to play:

The game begins with a carrom board placed on the table top and carrom coins arranged in the centre A striker is flickered and should hit the coins such that all the coins are pocketed.

Basic Rules:

The basic rules to play a carrom are very common and standard. It is official in maximum countries irrespective where they are played i.e in the societies, with friends or family, or professional tournaments.
To begin with, the very first turn allows the player to three attempts to break or disturb the central group of coins which are aligned such that the queen is in the centre and the lights and the darks are placed alternatively to form in inner circles and outer circle all the coins touching each other.

• If a striker pockets the queen and/or one or more pieces of owns colour, the player takes another strike.
• A queen has to have a cover if pocketed. One can only win the queen if the player has pocketed the cover i.e the coin of his own colour after pocketing the queen.
• If no cover is pocketed the queen reaches the centre of the board, its original position

Toss:

The game begins where one player conceals a colour of the coin in his hand and other has to guess the colour correctly. In case he does so that player can begin the game
It doesn’t matter which color coin the striker hits, as long as it is not pocketed.

Fouls:

In case a player commits a foul, a penalty is incurred immediately by returning a piece pocketed to the board. Here are some cases where you have to return the coin back to the board.

• If a striker is pocketed.
• If a striker or any coin flips out of the board or other coins, leaves me other players coin is pocketed.
• The Other players final coin is pocketed. In this case both the coins i.e the final piece & coin of the player who committed the foul, is returned to the board.
• Player contradicts the rules of striking i.e the player fails to break the alignment in the 3 attempts.

If no pocketing is done, and a foul is committed, the penalty is owed or due until a coin is pocketed.

Score a Point:

In accordance with international carrom rules, a game to win is all about making either 25 points or 6 boards, whichever is accomplished first. The team or player successful in pocketing all their pieces is rewarded with points equal to the number of pieces remaining on the board of the opponent team

• The black carrom men are worth 10 points and the white ones are worth 20 points.
• The queen is assigned 50 points. As in the above two variants, it must have a carrom man pocketed after it.
• To win, a player must receive all the carrom men on the board
• After the first round, the player or team with the lowest score puts all their carrom men in the centre.
• The others must match this score in the center and the players play for the carrom men in the center.
• They repeat this until one team or player has all the carrom men.

Now that you have understood the basics, let us begin. How about playing alone and polishing the skills first. As it is rightly said, PRACTISE MAKES PERFECT.