Carrom or carroms is a family of tabletop games sharing a similarity in that their mechanics lie somewhere between billiards and table shuffleboard. The game has various other names around the world, including carrum, carum, karam, karom, karum, and "Indian finger billiards".


Equipment

The nineteen carrom men are set up in the "outer circle"
The game was played on a board of lacquered plywood, normally with a 29 inch (74 cm) square playing surface. The edges of the playing surface are bounded by bumpers of wood. Instead of the balls of billiards games, carrom uses disks (also known as pucks or coins). The object of the game is to strike or flick with a finger a comparatively heavy disk called a "striker" such that it contacts lighter object disks called "carrom men" (alternatively, "carrom seeds") and propels them into one of four corner pockets. The carrom men come in two colors denoting the two players (or, in doubles play, teams). Traditionally, these colors are white (or unstained) and black. The breaker always plays white.

An additional carrom man is colored red and called the "queen".Carrom men and two strikers, arranged at the start of a game.


Rules

The aim of the game is to pot one's own nine carrom men before one's opponent pots his/hers. However, before sinking one's final carrom man, the Queen must be pocketed and then "covered" by pocketing one of one's own carrom men on the same or subsequent stroke. Fouls, such as crossing the diagonal lines on the board with any part of one's body, or potting the striker, lead to carrom men being returned to the board. The back shot is allowed, which is called thumb shots or (thumbing) . The player is allowed to play with any finger.