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Carrom: board, legal striking, queen & cover, and clear patterns

Understand the setup, safe and legal strikes, queen timing, common fouls, and practical table patterns. Finish with a deep knowledge check.

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For regional or federation variations, see Disclaimer.

Rules & basics

Board • Setup • Turns • Queen & cover • Fouls

Board & setup

  • Square board with four corner pockets; baselines and striking circles on each player’s side.
  • Carrommen: typically 9 light, 9 dark, and 1 red queen, arranged around the center.
  • Striker is placed within the baseline circles when taking a turn.

Turn & legal striking

  1. Place the striker on your baseline within the allowed circles/lines.
  2. Flick with one finger or thumb; hands stay behind the baseline (competition rules may vary slightly).
  3. A strike begins a turn; if you pocket a piece legally, your turn usually continues.

Queen & cover

  • The queen (red) must be “covered” by pocketing one of your own pieces in the same turn after the queen.
  • If cover isn’t made in that turn, the queen is returned to the center as per standard practice.
  • Attempt the queen only when a high-certainty cover shot is available.

Common fouls

  • Pocketing the striker.
  • Striking before pieces come to rest.
  • Crossing the baseline with a hand or moving pieces illegally.
  • Double-touching the striker or using auxiliary objects.

Safety & etiquette

  • Hands clear of the board when it’s not your turn.
  • Wait for stillness before the next strike.
  • Keep powder use minimal and tidy (if used where allowed).

Notes

Event or federation rules can differ slightly. This page focuses on neutral, learner-friendly fundamentals.

Strategy & table patterns

Break options • Lanes & angles • Queen timing • Defensive play

Break & early layout

  • Centered break: Safe, spreads pieces evenly; useful for beginners.
  • Edge break: Targets a side pocket angle; can free the queen’s lane.
  • Priority: Clear a simple finish path on your side—avoid random scatters.
Tip

Before the strike, trace a line from striker to target to pocket. If the rebound angle is crowded, pick another target.

Lanes, rebounds, and blocks

  • Prefer straight or single-rebound paths to reduce deviation.
  • Move blockers with a gentle nudge before attempting a finish line.
  • Leave your last few pieces near simple pockets—avoid tough angles late.
Pattern idea

Create a “ladder”: three easy lanes from near to far. Clear the furthest first to prevent future traffic.

Queen timing

  • Attempt the queen only when a high-certainty cover shot is next.
  • Open the queen’s lane first—nudge blocks with small force.
  • If the cover fails in practice, reset and rebuild the lane before trying again.

Defensive choices

  • Park a piece near an opponent’s pocket mouth to complicate their finish.
  • Clear your own crowded side to deny easy rebounds to the opponent.
  • When behind in position, play a gentle block rather than a risky cannon.

Scenario 1: Opening

  1. Do: Centered break with medium force.
  2. Why: Reduces clusters; leaves more single-rebound lanes.
  3. How: Align striker center → target front piece → follow through level.

Scenario 2: Queen & cover

  1. Do: Free queen’s lane first; identify a next-shot cover.
  2. Why: Avoids returning the queen to center.
  3. How: Pocket queen → immediate simple own-piece pocket for cover.

Scenario 3: Blocker near pocket

  1. Do: Soft nudge to move blocker past the mouth.
  2. Why: Keeps your lane while denying an opponent’s easy take.
  3. How: Half-ball hit → short travel → check new angle before next strike.

Technique checklist

  • Stable elbow, smooth flick; follow through level.
  • Pre-visualize path and rebound before each strike.
  • Start with the furthest easy lane; avoid late-round crowding.
  • Dial down force—precision beats power in carrom.

Decision checklist

  • Is the target a straight or single-rebound path?
  • Does a gentle nudge first improve the finish route?
  • Is a cover shot ready before attempting the queen?
  • Would a block deny the opponent an easy lane?

Knowledge check (advanced)

Instant feedback • Per-question explanations • Progress & pass indicator
Answered 0/20 • Score 0/20
1) Where must the striker be placed to begin a legal strike?
2) After pocketing the queen, when must you cover it?
3) Which action is a common foul?
4) Which lane choice is usually safest?
5) Best time to attempt the queen is when…
6) During the strike, where should your non-striking hand be?
7) When pieces are moving, you should…
8) A gentle “nudge” shot is mainly used to…
9) Late in a round, the safest layout is to have…
10) A simple defensive idea is to…
11) A centered break with medium force tends to…
12) Using maximum power on most shots is…
13) Which is NOT allowed during a strike?
14) To clear traffic before a finish, you should first…
15) A “ladder” pattern means…
16) If your cover shot for the queen isn’t ready, you should…
17) Before each strike, the best habit is to…
18) If your opponent has an easy lane, a low-risk response is to…
19) If you foul by pocketing the striker, you should expect…
20) Powder (if allowed) should be used…
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