The Carrom board game has always been popular with all age groups. It promotes the team spirit and provides excellent entertainment. With its wide popularity worldwide and the advancement in technology, there are many online carom apps with which anyone can play Carrom online now.
Initially, it was a local game; however, with its growing popularity across the globe, carom board games are now played internationally and international championships are also held in the game. The International Carrom Federation (ICF) is the international governing body of the game.
Contents
Equipment Used in Carrom
Carrom board
Carrom is played on a board called Carrom board. It has four pockets in the four corners.
Pucks
There are three 19 same-sized but different coloured pucks: 9 white, 9 black and 1 red. Black and White pucks are called Carrom men and the red puck is called the Queen.
Striker
The striker is bigger in size than the pucks. It is used to hit or strike pucks into the four pockets/holes present at the four corners of the Carrom board.
Common Terminology
Queen
The Queen is a red-colored puck. It has the highest number of points and in order to win the game, it is essential to pocket the queen.
Foul
Any strike that violates the rules of the game is considered a foul.
Breaking shot
The very first shot in a game is called the breaking shot.
Covering the Queen
A player needs to pocket a Carrom men immediately after pocketing the queen. This move is called covering the Queen. Extra points are awarded for covering the Queen.
Thumbing
When the thumb is used for striking, it is called thumbing.
White slam
Pocketing all white men in the first shot is called a white slam.
Black Slam
Pocketing all black men in the first shot is called a black slam.
Rules of the game
There are certain rules to follow while playing Carrom. Let us take a look at them.
Basic Rules
Players get a chance to make a move on alternate turns. If a player pockets a puck, they get another chance to play a shot.
Covering the Queen
If a player pockets the Queen, they get another chance to pocket a Carrom man of their chosen colour to cover the Queen. In case, they fail to do that, the Queen is placed back in the centre of the Carrom board.
Foul
If a player violates any of the rules of the game or gets the striker in the pocket, they have to pay a penalty and it ends their turn. Given below are the situations in which a foul takes place:
- If the striker is placed in any of the four pockets.
- If the striker or a puck jumps off the board.
- If a player pockets a Carrom men of their opponent.
- If a player pockets the last Carrom man before the queen.
- If a player pockets the last Carrom man of the opponent.
- If a Carrom men is touched by the striker while it is being positioned.
So, these are the various aspects of both offline and online Carrom games. You need to follow the rules to score and win. For more information about Carrom games, stay tuned.
