Free Carrom Board

[Mellissa Sprock]

Carromis a tabletop game of Indian origin in which players flick discs, attempting to knock them to the corners of the board. In South Asia, many clubs and cafs hold regular tournaments. Carrom is commonly played by families, including children, and at social functions. Different standards and rules exist in different areas.

The game of carrom originated in Indian Subcontinent.[2] One carrom board with its surface made of glass is still available in one of the palaces in Patiala, India.[3] State-level competitions were being held in the different states of India during the early part of the 20th century. Serious carrom tournaments may have begun in Sri Lanka in 1935; by 1958, both India and Sri Lanka had formed official federations of carrom clubs, sponsoring tournaments and awarding prizes.[4]

The International Carrom Federation[5][6] (ICF) was formed in the year 1988 in Chennai, India. The formal rules for the Indian version of the game were published in 1988. In the same year the ICF officially codified the rules. The UKCF was formed in 1991 in London. The main work of this organisation is to promote the game of Carrom throughout the UK and ensure the participation of UK players in all major international championships.The UKCF have hosted 3 Euro cups in England and have had fantastic success in the tournament with UK players. UKCF organised national championships and league tournaments throughout the UK on annual basis.[7]

The Italian Carrom Federation was founded in 1995 by a group of Carrom enthusiasts and is responsible for the spread of the game throughout Italy. The federation is supported by a large number of volunteers who regularly run events throughout Italy to teach and educate about the game.

The Japan Carrom Federation was established in 1997. In 2001 they moved into their new headquarters in Tokyo from Hikone. Originally set up to allow players to compete in overseas tournament but held their first national championship in 2004 and now hold tournaments, demonstrations and training camps across Japan.

The board and pieces can be bought in UK, Europe, North America or Australia and are usually imported from India. The most expensive boards are made to a high standard with high quality wood and decorations though cheaper boards are available. Some of the largest exporters of carrom boards are in India, e.g. Precise, Surco, Syndicate Sports and Paul Traders.[9][10][11][12][13]

The game is usually played on a square board made of plywood, with a pocket in each corner. The International Carrom Federation says that the square playing surface must be between exactly 73.5 and 74 centimetres (28.9 and 29.1 in) along each side, that the edges be bounded by bumpers of wood, and the underside of each pocket be covered by a net capable of holding at least 10 carrom pieces.[14]

A carrom set contains 19 pieces (striker not included) in three distinct colours: one for each player, and another for the queen. The usual colours are white (or unstained) and black for the players and red for the queen.

ICF-approved pieces must have a diameter of no more than 3.18 cm and no less than 3.02 cm. The pieces must be between 7 and 9 mm thick. The pieces have a plain, rounded edge. The mass of the pieces must be between 5.0 and 5.5 g.

The red disk is called the queen; it is the most valuable piece. During board setup, it is placed at the centre of the circle. In accordance with the ICF rules, pocketing the queen adds 3 points to the player's total score. The dimensions of the queen must be the same as those of other carrom men.[15]

In the UK, many players use a version of anti-set-off spray powder from the printing industry[citation needed] which has specific electrostatic properties with particles of 50 micrometres in diameter. The powder is made from pure, food-grade vegetable starch.[citation needed]

The ICF promulgates International Rules of Carrom (also termed "The Laws of Carrom"). ICF acts as the governing body of carrom. The organisation also ranks players, sanctions tournaments and presents awards. ICF has many national affiliates such as the All-India Carrom Federation, Australian Carrom Federation, and United States Carrom Association.

The winner of the toss strikes first, which is called the opening break. The winner of the toss has the option to change sides from white to black and give up the opening break. The winner of the toss may not pass this decision to the other player. If the winner of the toss chooses to change sides then the loser must strike first.

The player taking the first shot (or break) plays white carrom men. The opponent plays black.If that player cannot score any points then that player loses the turn and their opponent can choose to play any carrom man, Black or White in favour.

A successful pot entitles the player to shoot again. This means that, as in pool and snooker, it is possible for a player to pot all his/her pieces and cover the queen from the start of the game without the opponent being given the chance to shoot.

Any player pocketing the queen is required to cover it immediately by pocketing one of their carrom men on the entitlement shot. If after potting the queen the player fails to cover it, then the queen is returned to the center of the table. It is illegal to pot the Queen after the last piece since the queen must always be covered.

Crossing the diagonal lines on the board by coming in touch with it, pocketing the striker is a foul. A player needs to ensure that his striking hand does not infringe/cross the diagonal lines aerially/physically. A player committing a foul must return one carrom man that was already pocketed.

A variant of the game called duboo is played mostly in Karachi, the largest city of Pakistan. In duboo, the size of the board is larger(2.50 x 2.50 feet) and the striker is slid instead of flicked.

North American carrom, played primarily in Canada and the northern United States, is a variant developed around 1890 by Christian missionaries to Asia, who brought the game back with them. Concerned with young boys loitering around pool halls (where gambling was common), an American Sunday school teacher named Henry L. Haskell altered the game for Western tastes. Much of the game is the same, but the striker's weight is reduced and the carrom men are smaller. Generally, instead of disks, carrom men (including the striker) are rings, originally of wood but today commercially made of light plastic. In addition, as an alternative to using the fingers to flick the striker, some of the American carrom boards use miniature cue sticks. American carrom boards also have pockets built into the corners, rather than circular holes in the board, to make pocketing easier. While traditionally made boards vary widely, current commercially produced American carrom boards, by the Carrom Company of Michigan, are squares measuring 28 inches (71 cm) to a side, are printed with checkerboard and backgammon patterns, among others, and are sold with dice, skittles, etc. to allow other games to be played on the same board. These boards may also be printed on the reverse with the circular pattern for playing crokinole.

Several companies made copies of Haskell's carrom game board. The Transogram Company made a version in the 1950s and called it Skooker.[21] Coleco made reproductions in the 1980s with names like "Carom-playing Games Board" with up to 202 derived replication games.[21] Some variants in the 1970s were called "101 Games Board" and "Carom-playing 166 Games Board".[21] An ice-box manufacturer made "Combinola" and "Crokinola" variants.[21]

Dive into the enchanting world of Carrom, a game that transcends time and borders, with its origins rooted in the heart of India. However, Carrom is not just a game; it's a legacy of family fun and thrilling competition.

In the case of Carrom, a session can last anywhere from half an hour to an hour, during which players must maintain focus and execute well-aimed shots to succeed. In comparison to other games such as Crokinole and Pitrush, this flicker game boasts the longest game history and the largest board size.

The rules of the game are straightforward and can be easily understood, initially appearing quite similar to billiards. However, the main objective of the game is to use a larger shooting disc to strike smaller discs (known as the Carrom men and the Queen) and skillfully aim them into the corner pockets of the court. This unique gameplay mechanic distinguishes the game from billiards and adds an exciting twist to the gameplay.

Carrom is a traditional board game hailing from India that demands exceptional dexterity, making it a game favored by skilled players. Unlike billiards, the game involves intricate details in its rules and requires the use of various flicking techniques, which ultimately sets it apart from the former.

The game uses coins that resemble checkers, and a striker, utilized as the cue ball used in pool-games, to sink coins in the pockets. It is exceptionally addictive once you build up the abilities. This is a game that is great for people of any age. STAG is one of the most respected and frequently purchased Carrom board brands for both the occasional as well as professional player.

I'm planning to build a Carrom board (or Carrom-like board) for my kids. We play a variation on Carrom, but with pool cues instead of using your finger(and a few variations on the rules). The playing surface is also much larger and we use a rubber strip to cause the striker/carrom men to bounce off the edges. We use strictly acrylic Carrom men/disks.

The playing surface will be 108cm x 108cm and is to be 3.2mm Hardboard ("Masonite" as some refer to it), with cut corners- a few millimeters larger than the striker to allow the striker to fit into it. (We have a penalizing mechanic similar to pool when the striker is shot accidentally into the hole.)The 4 sides is to be constructed from Pine and the whole board will get 3 coats of Polyutherane.

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