No.352
Carrom: An Adapted Introduction
Japanese name: キャロム（体験版）
You can scroll an enlarged diagram from side to side. Press again to return to its original size.
Diagram key
- A
- Start with 9 black and 9 white pieces in the center.
- B
- The double line at the bottom is your baseline.
- C
- Orange: the striking disc
- D
- Score by getting your colored discs into the 4 corner pockets.
Materials
- A carrom board
- 9 white and 9 black carrom men
- 1 striker
How to play
- Sit opposite each other and choose colours, with white starting. Leave out the red queen. Cluster the eighteen black and white carrom men at the centre in alternating colours.
- Place the striker touching both baselines on your side. Do not partly overlap an end circle. Use a brief finger flick to shoot at the carrom men.
- Pocketing your own colour earns another shot. Otherwise change turns. An opponent’s piece pocketed counts for them, stays pocketed and ends your turn.
- Pocketing the striker ends your turn. Return all your own men pocketed on that shot to the centre, plus one previously pocketed man. If none is available, record the debt and repay it from your next pocketed man.
- Return any piece leaving the board near the centre. After processing returns, first to pocket all nine of their colour wins. Both colours reaching nine on the same shot is a draw.
Ways to adapt
Older primary: introduction without the red queen. Adults: optionally progress to full rules.