A typical carrom board is a 70–74-centimetre plywood square with raised edges (also called bumpers) that not only keep the coins from sliding off the board, but are also used to create rebounds as the coins are struck. It features 4-centimetre circular cutouts at each corner, beneath which mesh or crochet fabric is attached to catch the pocketed coins. Manufacturers in northern India often use plywood faced with mango (Mangifera indica), or White meranti or makai (Shorea assamica), sourced from eastern India, for the playing surface owing to its relative smoothness. After the surface is smoothened and sealed to make it waterproof, it is provided with markings. Traditionally, the board was painted by hand, but since the late 1980s sports goods manufacturers and artisans have used the more efficient screen-printing technique to mark the carrom board. The board is mounted onto a grid frame of eucalyptus or teak wood to keep it flat and stable. The raised outer frame is made by assembling four wide strips of babool wood (Vachelia nilotica); coated with a paste of chalk powder and wood adhesive, to remove any irregularities and make it smooth; and finally painted.

The game begins with the black and white coins arranged in the medallion at the centre of the board, in an alternating pattern around the queen. One of the players takes the first shot to break this arrangement and commence gameplay. Players alternate turns unless one of them pockets a coin, in which case they continue with their turn until they fail to pocket any coins with a strike. Although various ‘grips’ are used to launch the striker, the rule is that it must be flicked rather than pushed; conventionally players lock the index finger behind the thumb, build pressure, and flick the striker with the nail of the index finger. 

There are two broad variations of carrom: the official game as defined by the International Carrom Federation (ICF), and a point-based one that is played more casually. The official version is a two-player game, with a doubles version with four players. Each player or team chooses either white or black carrom men, and aims to pocket all of their respective coins while leaving as many of their opponent’s coins on the board as possible. White takes the first shot. Additional points are conferred for pocketing the queen. In the points-based variation of the game, a player can pocket both black and white carrom men. In this version too, the queen is especially valuable, followed by the white and, lastly, the black carrom men. Such a game ends when one of the players has reached a target score, or once all the coins have been pocketed, with the winner determined by their total points. This version is common among children and beginners, and also allows the game to be played by three players. 

A number of additional rules and regulations control the gameplay, including special rules for pocketing the queen. While it is only possible to secure the queen after pocketing at least one other coin, it is only considered pocketed if the player pockets another of their own coins immediately after — otherwise the queen is returned to the board. According to another rule, pocketing the striker itself incurs a penalty for the shooting player. A variation of carrom popular in Pakistan, where it is sometimes called dubbo, is played on a larger board measuring 1 metre or more. It also uses a larger striker, with more lenient rules for flicking or pushing it.

Carrom gained popularity in the West, particularly the UK and USA, after the First World War. The ICF was founded in Madras (now Chennai), India, in 1988, with the aim of regularising the game’s rules and organising tournaments. At the time of writing, it is headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland. Other organisations with similar functions include the Asian Carrom Confederation, the European Carrom Confederation and the US Carrom Association. These in turn regulate activities of national-level carrom organisations, such as the All India Carrom Federation. India exports carrom boards widely, with the USA, the UK, Saudi Arabia and the UAE being the biggest importers during 2022–24.

The Indian government officially recognises carrom as a sport, and offers grants and support to organise state- and national-level competitions. Since 1991, professional carrom players in India are also eligible to be considered within the sports quota for recruitment in public sector organisations. Notable Indian carrom players include Anthony Maria Irudayam, who is a recipient of the 1997 Arjuna Award for sportsmanship, and the only athlete to win it for carrom; S Ilavazhagi, who has won three Carrom World Championships since 2008; and K Srinivas, who won the 2014 championship for India in singles and doubles.