Carrom

Carrom is a tabletop game which originates from India. The game has grown progressively over time meaning there are now many clubs which hold tournaments and competitions. Carrom can also be enjoyed in a more relaxed setting. It is commonly played in a group, often with family, at a social event or with friends. Synco Boards are one of the most popular Carrom Board brands in the world. Their boards are made using premium wood and have a superior smooth playing surface.

What is the aim of Carrom?

The objective is to use your finger to flick your Striker at the Carrom Men / Coins, forcing them to fall into any of the four corner pockets. The winner is the first player or team to pocket all their own Coins and sometimes the Queen. If you are yet to get set up with a Carrom board, view our range here or click on the product below.

How to set up your Carrom Board

Sit your Carrom Board on a level surface 60cm - 70cm from the floor. If you don't have a suitable table, you could use one of our specialised Carrom Stands.
Lightly dust the Board with Carrom Powder and place the Queen in the centre circle in the middle of the Board. Arrange the Carrom Men / Coins around the Queen, alternating the dark and light pieces in a circle. Determine which player is going first. To do this you could toss a coin or guess which hand your opponent is holding their striker.

The First Move: How to Break in Carrom

Breaking refers to the first shot of the game. In a similar way to Billiards, the aim is to disperse the Carrom Men around the Board and away from the Queen. The break shot must be taken by flicking your Striker from between the rectangular base lines. The Striker must touch both base lines but not touch any of the diagonal lines. When breaking, if the player fails to make the Striker leave both base lines, they can try again up to three times before the turn passes to the opposition. Make sure you use a high quality Carrom Powder to ensure your striker is gliding across the board smoothy.

Carrom Men

Potting the Carrom Men is governed by the following rules, or as they are better known, Carrom Laws. Carrom Men that are not touching the player's baseline, or that are behind the baseline can be hit directly by the Striker. If the Carrom Men are touching the baseline or are in front of it, they can only be hit with a Striker that has rebounded off the side of the Carrom Board or another Carrom piece. If you strike your last piece directly before the Queen you will have to pay a penalty. If during a players turn a Carrom piece is knocked off the board, it is returned to the centre of the board. Any overlapping or pieces that stay on their edge are left as is. If there is already a piece in the centre of the board, the piece should be returned to touch as much of the red centre circle as possible. If however the centre circle is covered completely, then the piece is placed opposite the player who will strike next behind the red circle. A player will have to pay a penalty if they strike their last Carrom man on the board before the Queen . If a player pots their opponents colour Carrom piece, the player loses their turn. If the player sinks their opponents last piece they lose the board and have 3 points deducted from their score. If a player pots their last Carrom piece before the Queen, that player loses the board and has three points deducted from their total score.

How to Successfully Cover the Queen

To pocket and cover the Queen, a player must first pocket their own colour Coin. Then on their subsequent go, pocket the Queen. If a Queen is pocketed on players first turn, the Queen gets returned to the centre of the board. After a player has pocketed and correctly covered the Queen, the board will be won by the player who sinks all their own Coins.