Fact-checked and updated October 19, 2026.

Carom billiards is a family of games played on a pocketless table. This guide covers the shared framework of the UMB’s three-ball disciplines, including free game, balkline, one-cushion and three-cushion. Other games using carom equipment, such as five-pin, add different scoring and turn rules, so “general carom rules” should never be read as one complete rulebook for every variant.

Table, Balls, and Equipment

A full-size UMB match table has a 2.84 × 1.42 metre playing surface inside the cushions. Its three balls are not leather: modern competition sets use resin; Aramith describes its phenolic-resin construction and lists regular carom sets at 61.5 mm diameter. The UMB ball-weight range is 205–220 g. Table footprint and cue clearance must be added separately when planning a room.

Each player uses the same assigned cue ball throughout the match. During a turn, the other player’s cue ball becomes one of the two object balls. Sets use distinguishable cue balls, often white and yellow, plus red. Choosing the correct cue ball is a basic part of the pre-shot routine.

Deciding the Break and Starting Position

The opening choice is decided by a cushion draw, or lag, under the competition rules. The starting layout uses designated spots, with the first attack on the red. Follow UMB Scheme A rather than treating the whole starting line as an unrestricted placement area. The diagram is particularly useful for players arriving from pocket pool, where familiar terms can suggest a different setup.

What Makes a Scoring Carom?

In the ordinary three-ball disciplines, the striker’s cue ball must contact both other balls, satisfy that discipline’s conditions and avoid a foul. A successful carom scores one and the striker continues. Free game has corner restrictions; balkline adds marked-zone restrictions. One-cushion and three-cushion require the specified cushion contacts before the second object-ball contact. Sources: UMB Articles 24 and 51–83 and CEB cushion-game rules.

Stance, Stroke and Fouls

Wait for all balls to stop, identify your cue ball and check whether any balls are touching before addressing the shot. The UMB rules cover pushes, double hits, touching balls improperly, playing while balls move and other infringements. A foul ends the turn without a point for that stroke. Pool habits such as assuming a scratch always gives unrestricted ball-in-hand do not transfer to carom.

Frozen Balls and Balls Off the Table

These situations depend on the discipline. In UMB free game, a cue ball touching an object ball requires a reset to the starting position. Other disciplines allow specified alternatives. When a ball leaves the table, free game, balkline and one-cushion reset all three; three-cushion replaces only the ball or balls that left, on the prescribed spots. Use Articles 27–28 with the appropriate placement diagram.

Do not move a ball while discussing a ruling. First identify which game is being played and what happened, then consult the rule or referee. A photo or sketch made before any reset can help explain the question without replacing the official decision.

Choose the Discipline Before You Play

Before a match, agree the discipline, target score and any event-specific format. Keep three ideas separate: the conditions for scoring, the procedure after an infringement and the way the winner is determined. This prevents a remembered rule from another carom game from being applied to the current one.

For practice, begin with a simple legal carom and explain why it scores under your chosen rules. Then change one feature: add a cushion requirement, move the object balls into a marked zone, or inspect a touching-ball position with an experienced player. Seeing where the rule changes the decision is more useful than memorizing a loose list of “billiards fouls.”

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