Carrom Rules

Most casual players would find the following simplified carrom rules quite useful to get started with the game. However, the formal professional Laws of Carrom adopted by the International Carrom Federation are also available if required..

Generally speaking, two or four people can play carrom. If two, the players sit opposite each other, while with four, the opposite two are partners. As an exception, though, you can play with three players against each other for points.


Carrom Board

Arrange the carrom men on the centre circle of the carrom board as shown in the following illustration, with the red ‘queen’ at the centre. The whites should be lined up to form a “Y” shape, with two sides aiming directly towards the corner pockets.

Carrom Men Arrangement

Each player sits on his side of the board and can only strike from that side. The contestant playing white ‘breaks’ or plays first, which can be decided by the toss of a coin. The object of the game of carrom is to sink all of your carrommen, using the heavier ‘striker’, in any of the pockets before your opponent. Your turn continues as long as you keep sinking your carrom men – luck shots count and all combinations are permitted.

When placing the striker on the board to shoot, it must touch both ‘base lines’, either covering the end circle completely, or not touching it at all. The striker may not touch the diagonal arrow line.

Correct Striker Placement
Incorrect Striker Placement
Incorrect Striker Placement
Index Finger
Index Finger
Middle Finger
Middle Finger

Shooting styles are very personal – whichever ‘grip’ works for you is fine as long as you ‘flick’ the striker and don’t push it. Generally, it’s best to orient your body in order to see the line of your aim while shooting comfortably; you may not move or leave your chair.

Scissors Shot
Scissors Shot
Thumb Shot
Thumb Shot

For forward shots, you can use your index finger, middle finger, or even the ‘scissors’ shot. Before shooting, try touching the striker with your fingernail, to be sure that its really on line. This will improve your accuracy and prevent you from hurting your finger.

For ‘back-shots’ you may only use your thumb or the scissors technique.

No part of your body, except your hand, may cross the imaginary diagonal line nor may your elbow protrude over the frame in front of you. Even your feet or knees my not leave your quadrant.

Incorrect Arm Position
Incorrect Arm Position

The red ‘queen,’ can be pocketed at any time after sinking your first piece but must be sunk before your last one. After pocketing the queen, you must sink one of your carrommen, thereby ‘covering’ it, into any pocket in the next shot, or she is returned to the center spot.

Once the queen is covered, whoever clears all their carrom men first wins the ‘board’.

The winner of a board collects one point for each of the opponent’s carrom men left at the finish and three points for the queen if covered by the winner (if covered by the loser, no-one gets those points). No more points are collected for the queen after your score reaches 22.

A game consists of 25 points or eight boards, whichever comes first.


  • Sinking the striker costs you one piece and your turn. But, if you sink a piece in the same shot, then two come up and you shoot again.
  • After sinking the striker, your opponent places the due piece(s) within the center circle. If you haven’t sunk one yet, you owe one.
  • If while shooting for the quee,n you also sink one of your carrom men in the same shot, the queen is automatically covered, no matter which went first.
  • If a piece jumps off the board, it is placed on the center spot. If pieces land on end or are overlapping, they are left that way.
  • If the center spot is partially covered when replacing the queen or a jumped piece, the piece should cover as much red as possible. If totally covered, the piece is placed opposite the next player behind the red spot.
  • If you sink your opponent’s piece, you lose your turn. If you sink their last piece, you lose the board and three points.
  • If you sink your last piece before the queen, you lose the board, three points and one point for each of your opponent’s pieces left.
  • If the striker does not leave both lines, go again. You get three tries to break before losing your turn.

112 Replies to “Carrom Rules”

        1. If last red coin is on the board. & opposite party possible to cover that time can i distrubed the opposite parties last cover coon

          1. No. You are not allowed to directly touch the last cover coin at opponents side. If only red queen is left either player should not be touching their coins or knowingly disrurb thr opponents cover coin.

          2. Yes, as per rules you can play any coin on the board even the opponent’s coin during your turn. This is the indirect defense technique used in carrom and most of the time interpreted wrongly. Some videos are posted on youtube for the rules and u can watch them for a better understanding.

      1. Pls explain this situation:-
        Opponent has scored the queen earlier and left with 3 coins on board. Player has pocketed last coin but striker goes in the hole while scoring it.

        1. 3 pts for queen, 3 points for 3 coins on board & 1 point for striker fowl / penalty
          If opponents points are 22 or above queen pts are not counted
          For an improper shot foul another point can be clained

    1. No; according to my wife who is the carom champion. You have to have pocketed at least one of your carom before pocketing red

    1. Both coins will be put at the middle along with your one more point that you have collected if you have not connected any point yet there will be no penalty

      1. If you have not sunk any of your men and you sink the striker, then one point will be due. You will have to put it back as soon as you sink one.

      1. At last shoot,red ,pan and apponent last plan cleared,no plans on the board,how calculate points

        1. if shooting proper, you won 3 point.
          but if improper you lose. Opponent won 3point

      1. If you are playing the queen and you miss it and plot the strike you should remove one of the next player

  1. If I pot queen than cover and after that I put sticker in the pot. Will my queen count or it would put back in carrom.

  2. If opponent coin with striker pocketed than what is the rules. Does opponent will have strike chance with fine.?

  3. If I shoot the striker and it hits the carrommen but the strikers sinks and later the carrommen sinks in different pocket. Is it a foul???

  4. If my coin and red are just next to each other and then when I hit the coins first my coin falls then immediately red also falls without any other chance. So will the red coin be considered fair or we need to hit another coin?

  5. If I pocket both queen and one of my coin on first strike (without pocket any of my other coins). Did I cover the queen or not?

    1. What is the ruling on If I pocket both the Queen and the coin of the opponent at the first break?

      1. WHOSE MOVE IS TO BE PLACED, HE HAS TO PLAY AND POCKETS HIS COIN. IF HE POCKETS, HE WINS, OTHERWISE, IF THE OPPONENT PLAYS AND POCKETS HIS COIN FIRST, HE WILL WIN.

    1. You need to pocket the queen before your last carroman, then pocket your last to cover the queen. If you fail to cover her, she will be replaced and, I think your piece will also come out because you have made a foul shot.

    1. YOU WILL HAVE TO PLAY AGAIN TO POCKET YOUR COIN. IF YOU POCKET YOUR COIN, THEN RED IS YOURS. IF YOU DO NOT POCKET YOUR COIN, THEN THE RED SHOULD BE PLACED ON THE BOARD AND THE OPPONENT SHOULD PLAY FURTHER. THE WHITE COIN POCKETED ALONG WITH THE RED, IT IS AS GOOD AS POCKET PROPERLY.

  6. My opponent owes a piece. It’s his turn and he gets a piece in the hole. We put it back on the table. Does he get to go again or is it my turn? My partner and I are disputing this lol. Halp!!

  7. Can I pocket the queen if I have already pocketed one of my pieces but have taken it out by putting the disc in the hole.

  8. If both have red and one coin is remains, after my red ,try of covering , striker and coin also sink….so if in this case I’m win or play continue to opponent????

  9. If there is a last coin left of both teams and my partners shot is sure then can I leave my turn to allow my partner to puck the sure coin to win the game or is it compulsory to hit the last coin of yours

  10. Hi when i hit queen was hanging near the poket…after i left the striker it fall in pocket before opponent player played…so what is the situvation?

  11. In the game of carrom, what if I pocket the queen and in order to cover the queen,first I pocket the opponent’s coin (not last one) and then my last coin in the same strike? Will the queen be considered as covered?

  12. can the coins be fly and sink during play?
    Ex:- when I stroked, the coin flying and sinking in the hole instead passing through on the board.
    Is this an acceptable play?
    Thank you
    Veera

  13. If I put the stricter in before I put anything in, I owe one to the board and in my next round I put one of my coins in and it’s placed back on the table due to my penalty, right after can I put the queen or do I need to put another coni before

  14. If i already have the queen..and in next round i pocket the stricker.DO i have to keep my queen and one of my seed in the centre? Or just one of my seed

  15. If the red coin goes out from the carom board before remaining one white coin or one black coin, then what will be the rule?

    Is the red coin replace in the centre circle first or last?

  16. What happens if the queen and a black is left and you make the black coin go in? Do you have to put the black with another coin from your pocket…. or just the black…?

  17. What to do when no color left of are like white and the queen is left .
    Can you please tell the rules in simple language

  18. when red is on the board and single coins of both sides if opponent coin is pocketed does the game end

  19. If there is a double due what are the conditions can we put 1 pieces and skip the turn or we have to put 2 pieces and give the chance

  20. I have only red queen and white 1. My opponent has 3 blacks. Can opponent hit red queen? I think it is foul

  21. Hello, this is the situation:
    I have one pawn on the board, and i have hit red before, my opponent also has only one pawn. The opponent hits the pawn, but even my pawn goes in the pocket along with the opponent’s pawn.
    My question:
    Who gets the point or how is it decided?
    Thank you for reading and thank you if you replied:)

    1. When last white and black coins pocketed same time with red covered by you .
      you will get 3points of red , old rules 5 points

  22. If 1 white 1 black and a queen is left than the white player takes queen but he takes black as a cover then what?

  23. In Carrom board only two coins available black and white. After red pocket my stroke both coins are pockets at same time then who will win?

    1. Even i am looking for this answer /
      if i pocket red coin then on next short i pocket both white and black at same time on single shot then what is the rule ? Who gets red points

  24. Hello,

    Is it a foul if the striker fails to hit any carrom men?

    Is it a foul if I am playing white and the striker first hits a black carrom man before hitting one of my white carrom men?

    Thank you.

    1. If my colour is black coin and after strike the queen and after strike I’m strike Wight coin then can queen is covered??

  25. If I got 28 points and the opponent is having 0 points, so game is over and will I win the game?

  26. There is one coin each remaining for both players.Player forgot his opponent’s turn and played as his turn.He pocketed his coin.then what is the penalty that should be raised by the opponent?

  27. Is there complete rules written anywhere? Primitive “Laws of Carrom” are not defining many of situations i.e. written here in comments.

  28. What if i made a strike and pocket my coin and opponent’s coin at the same time unfortunately ?

  29. If your striker touch fully with the line red spot at the corner of your line and you strike the black or white one which is located in front of your red spot of your adjacent partner is this foul or not

  30. Hi

    My opponent has 2 coins/I have one coin/queen left. I pocket Queen & when trying to cover striker also go with cover.
    What next?

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