History & Information

Carrom is one of the most entertaining indoor tabletop games that was played almost 200 years ago. Some believe that carrom is Indian-originated and played by the Indian Maharajas, and some believe that carrom was invented by the Portuguese. However, it was the most popular game in the Previous century.

People know this game by various names such as Carrom, Carum, Couronne, Karum, Karam, and Karom. Most people around the world know this game with the name Carrom and it wins the hearts of millions. It is widely played in south Asian countries like India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan, but most western nations also love to play carrom.

This became most famous after the establishment of the International Carrom Federation (ICF) in 1988. The International Carrom Federation made the rules and arranged events, championships & matches around the world to attract the attention of the peoples. In this article we will try to cover its history & information in details.

Carrom Federations & Associations

The carrom is played in more than 50 countries and most countries have their own carrom federations promoting the game.

All India Carrom Federation: All India Carrom Federation (AICF) was formed in 1956 in Chennai. It has affiliated offices in Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Saurashtra, and other cities. The vision of AICF is to promote the carrom in India and make India the world leader in carrom.
Korean Carrom Federation: The Korean Carrom Federation (KCF) was established in November 1999 with the purpose to spread the carrom widely in the nation, since then Korea has participated in many carrom tournaments and won many titles.
Swiss Carrom Association: SCA was farmed in 1985 as a result of the growing number of carrom clubs in the country. The purpose of SCA is to promote carrom and to run carrom championships in which anyone can participate through prior registration.
German Carrom Federation: The German Carrom Federation (GCF) was formed in 1986. The main purpose of the GCF was to maintain & support the game of carrom in the country. GCF conducts 6 tournaments every year and there are many championships around the country.
US Carrom Association: The US Carrom Association (USCA) was formed in 1995 to promote the carrom at the country level and to increase the participation of the US in International carrom tournaments organized by ICF.
United Kingdom Carrom Federation: UKCF was formed in 1991. The main purpose of the UKCF is to promote the carrom throughout the country and help the availability of UK players in International Carrom tournaments. The UKCF hosts many carrom tournaments.
Italian Carrom Federation: The Italian Carrom federation was founded by some enthusiasts in 1995 in order to promote this legendary game in Italy. ICF organizes the tournaments and helps the new players to ensure their availability in ICF tournaments.
Polish Carrom Association: In 2007 the first website was created by polish enthusiasts with the aim to popularize the game of carrom among the Polish nation. They held workshops and tournaments to promote the different variants of the game.
Czech Carrom Association: Czech carrom Association was formed in 2010 in order to promote carrom in the country. The carrom was introduced in 2006 when travelers brought the carrom equipment from India. CCA became a member of the European Carrom Confederation and is also a part of ICF.
Japan Carrom Federation: Japan Carrom Federation (JCF) was established in 1997. To interact with other Carrom-playing nations JCF held meetings & debates to educate the people about carrom games. It also conducts carrom tournaments throughout the country.
Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka: The Carrom Federation of Sri Lanka (SFS) was established in 1984. Carrom is the most popular and most-played game in Sri Lanka, and the main objective of the federation is to organize national & international competitions in the country.
National Carrom Federation of Pakistan: National Carrom Federation of Pakistan (NCFP) was founded in 1973. The main purpose of NCFP was to produce new talent and arrange carrom competitions on the national level.
Carrom Federation of Singapore: Carrom is also being played in Singapore, and the Carrom Federation of Singapore (CFS) was established in 2007 to promote the carrom across the country. The CFS also organizes tournaments & competitions in the country.
Carrom Federation of Canada: Carrom Federation of Canada (CFC) was founded in 1995 to promote carrom across the country. It also manages the carrom competitions in the country.
Carrom Federation of Australia: The Carrom Federation of Australia (CFA) was formed in 1991. CFE is the governing body of carrom in Australia. It organizes the carrom tournaments in the country and also manages the carrom national team of the country.
Carrom Federation of France: Carrom Federation of France (CFF) was established in 2007 to promote the game in France. French people love carrom and CFF manages the debates and other events in the country.

There are many other carrom federations working in the world to promote the game, Bangladesh Carrom Federation BCF, Carrom Association of Maldives, Swiss Carrom Association, Carrom Federation of Belgium, and Carrom Federation of Scotland.

Carrom Board Design & Size Information

Carrom is an Indian-originated multiplayer tabletop game. Carrom board sizes and shapes have varied over time. The playing surface of the carrom board is completely smooth, and normally it’s made with plywood with 8mm thickness.

The frames around the playing surface are made of wood and rise above the playing surface to a height of 1.90 cm to 2.54 cm. The frames’ width can be anywhere between 6.35 cm to 7.60 cm. The carrom board has a circle-centered decorated design on it.

There are baselines on four sides and arrows pointing toward the net holes located at the four corners. There are base circles at the end of each baseline. The disks, also called carrom men, are arranged in a circle & struck with a striker. There is a red-colored Center Circle at the center of the board and an Outer Circle around the Center Circle where carrom men are arranged.

Carrom Equipment

One must have the following equipment for playing the carrom pool board game.

Carrom men: The circular multiple color wooden pieces displayed in the center of the board are called carrom men. There are 18 black & white carrom men and One red (the queen) on a board.

Striker: A striker is also like a carrom man but in a bigger size, normally made with wood. The striker is used to hit the carrom men.

Net: A net is used to collect the carrom men. Each corner hole is covered with a net from beneath.

Powder: A special powder (usually made of boric acid) is sprayed at the carrom board to make it easier for the players to flick & pocket the carrom men.

Stand: A stand is used to hold the board at a comfortable height.

Light: A hanging light is used for better visibility & to produce heat which helps to prevent the powder from sticking to the surface.

Scope of Carrom Game

Carrom is not only a game for enjoyment but it’s a profession to adopt and the fame of carrom is rising day by day. You can adapt the game as a professional player and build your career in the same field. Carrom is an indoor sport and especially persons who are differently abled can build their careers in this game.

A. Maria Irudayam was a famous Indian carrom player who won the carrom championship 2 times & national championship 9 times. Also awarded a special Arjuna award in 1966 by the Government of India. In 2018 the Carrom world cup championship was held in Chuncheon South Korea and was won by a man Chamil Cooray from Sri Lanka and a woman S Apoorva from India.

Their achievements are great motivation and urge the players to participate in different tournaments and championships organized by ICF and different carrom federations and associations. This will help them to show off and test their skills by playing with different carrom legendary players around the world.

Offline to Online

Carrom is a famous tabletop game and is still played traditionally as offline. But now the world is shifting from offline to online because of technology making it convenient and easy. Our famous childhood game is also in the race to secure its space in the online world. Carrom is equally popular among people of every age and its online version makes it possible to play with ease and fun.

The online version offers you to play it anywhere anytime with or without having any physical player. It also introduces a lot of amazing features, just like online features you also participate in and play online tournaments and championships.

As in offline games, there are some issues in online versions. Some developers introduce paid versions or in-app purchases to claim the premium features of the game. But if you will play the game through a modified version you will get its all premium features for free.

Some Final Words

Carrom is an addictive game and is enjoyed by players of every age. Millions of people around the world play it in the office or through its online versions. You can play it offline to revive your childhood memories and play it online anytime anywhere. As a carrom enthusiast, you will prove your love for this game by sharing useful information about this game with your friends and family.

In this article, we tried to cover the history & information about the game but still if you think we miss something important. We are happy to have your suggestions and feedback.