The game of croquet is played by two sides, as singles or
doubles, on a court measuring 28 x 35 yards with four coloured balls weighing 1
lb each. One side plays the blue and black balls, the other side red and yellow,
the player striking one or other ball with a mallet. In doubles, the two
partners on either side play with different balls. There are six hoops and a
winning peg. The clearance between ball and hoop is only one eighth or sixteenth
of an inch, so aim is critical.
There are two main varieties of the game, 
Association Croquet and 
Golf Croquet, with
different sets of rules. They are commonly abbreviated as 'AC' and 'GC'.
Why not try a coaching course to see for yourself?
Association Croquet ("AC") is the
more complex game. The winner is the side that first
propels both its balls through the six hoops, first clockwise, then
counter-clockwise, in a prescribed order, and finally onto the peg.
The two
sides play alternate turns, each turn being played with one or other ball at the
player's (or players') discretion. When the striker's ball 'roquets'
(hits) another ball, he or she places it in contact with the roqueted ball and
plays it again so that both balls move. This is called the 'croquet' stroke.
Extra strokes are also allowed on 'running' a hoop and on completing a
croquet stroke, so a turn may consist of several strokes (a 'break'), the
striker scoring up to 13 'hoop points' with his or her own ball. Points may
also be scored for the striker's partner ball and for an opponent's ball by
'peeling' the other ball through its next hoop in order.
The striker's
turn ends when he or she fails to run a hoop or otherwise forfeits his or her
entitlement to proceed further, or chooses to end his or her 'innings'
(turn) with a defensive 'leave'.
At the start of a game the four balls are played into court
from anywhere along two alternative 'baulk' lines at either end of the
court. At the start of every turn thereafter the striker's ball is played from
where it lies. Exceptionally, however, the striker may 'lift' his or her
ball and play it from baulk if the peg or any hoop lies in a straight line
between it and every other ball. And, when the game is played according to
Advanced Laws, the incoming player may also play from baulk if the outgoing
player has advanced his or her ball beyond a certain hoop.
A full 26-point AC game typically takes quite a while
to complete - 3 hours per game is not uncommon. However, there are also various shortened versions of the
AC game which are quite often played:
- The 22-point game. All players start at hoop 3 instead of hoop 1.
- The 18-point game. There is more than one version, but the commonest is one in which as soon as one player runs
hoop 1 with one of his two balls the next hoop target for his partner ball becomes hoop 9, or '3-back'.
- The 14-point game. All player only run each hoop once instead of twice, i.e. just the first 6 hoops clockwise,
before the peg.
- The One-Ball game. Each player only has one ball instead of two (so the winner scores 13 points instead of 26).
This changes the tactics significantly because breaks become much harder to sustain, and the character of the game
becomes much more like Golf Croquet (see below), though the rules remain the same as for regular AC.
See Croquet Explained for a
more detailed description of how to play Association Croquet. You can also find
a discussion of tactics for all levels of player from beginner to expert on the Oxford
Croquet website.
All players in member clubs of Croquet England
receive handicaps regulated by an Automatic Handicapping System. In handicap
play, the weaker side receives 'bisques' which entitle it to extra turns so
as to create an even contest.
Played at whatever level, Association Croquet demands both
physical skill and tactical awareness. As in billiards or snooker, the player's
every stroke has to be finely measured to achieve its desired effect; and, as in
chess or golf, every turn must be calculated to secure maximum competitive
advantage. The popular notion that players simply spend their time trying to
despatch their opponent's balls off the lawn is entirely wrong - in fact the
opposite is actually more true, as all the balls are needed in play to build a
good break.
You can find more information about the game and a full set of the official Laws of Association
Croquet on the Croquet
England website.
Golf Croquet ("GC")
is the easier game to learn, so it is often the first choice for beginners. The
players take single strokes in rotation and contest each hoop in order,
proceeding from hoop to hoop as each hoop is run. The winner is the first side
to run seven hoops (or sometimes ten hoops for an extended game). The laws are quite simple, the games quite short, and every
stroke presents a tactical challenge.
Black and blue balls play against red and yellow with only one
ball having to pass through the hoop to score a point, before moving onto the
next hoop. All players remain on the court at all times throughout the game. It
is just as important to prevent your opponents from scoring a hoop! The more
this intriguing game is played the more you realise the logistics, deviousness
and forward thinking there is to it.
You can find more information about the game and a full set of
the official Laws of
Golf Croquet on the Croquet
England website.
DHD
21.2.05
and later updated
