The game of croquet

A brief introduction to croquet

Croquet is one of the very few games which is played on equal terms by men and women. It appeals to people of all ages from teenagers to those in their 80s and even 90s.

The game can be enjoyed with very little experience but it can also be played at all levels up to world championships. Playing is the best way to learn.

There are two versions of croquet, Golf Croquet and Association Croquet. Both can be played as singles or doubles. Both use the same lawn and the same equipment. In Golf Croquet the players are on the lawn for the whole game and each side takes alternate shots. In Association Croquet each side takes it in turn to try to make a break while the other side is sitting out.

Players are handicapped according to their ability at the game and matches are played either handicap or level. 

The club has stocks of leaflets on both games produced by Croquet England ( formerly known as the Croquet Association )and information can also be obtained from the Croquet England website www.croquetengland.org.uk.  Copies of the Laws for both games can also be obtained from the Croquet England.

Layout of the lawn

Golf Croquet – a simplified summary

There are four balls – blue, red, black and yellow – and they are played in that order. Blue and black are a side and red and yellow are the other side. In singles one player plays both balls of the side; in doubles each player only plays one ball.

A normal game is a 13-point game so the first side to run 7 hoops wins the game. Hoops have to be run in order and from the correct direction in order to score a point. 

The game starts with a coin toss and the winning side plays first with blue. 

The game starts in Corner IV – see diagram – and the players play to Hoop 1. As soon as that hoop has been run by a ball all the players move on to Hoop 2 and so on.

Each turn consists of a single stroke. The player will attempt to run a hoop, position his/her ball in order to run the hoop on their next turn or use their ball to hit away an opponent’s ball from a favourable position or to block an opponent’s ball.  

Golf croquet requires mastery of a limited range of strokes. The drive shot is used to move the ball any distance from a few inches to 30 yards. The stop shot is used to hit away an opponent’s ball while moving your ball as short a distance as possible. The jump shot is used to make your ball jump over another ball – it is not a shot for beginners.

Association Croquet  - a simplified summary

As with Golf Croquet, blue and black play as a side and red and yellow are the opposing side. A normal game is a 26-point game which means that the first side to take each of its balls through 12 hoops and then hit the peg is the winner.

At the start of the game a coin is tossed and the winner decides either to play first or second or which pair of balls to use. If the winner decides to choose the balls, the loser chooses whether to start first or second. Each ball is played into the game from the baulk line at either end of the lawn.

At the start of each turn the player decides which of their balls to play during that turn. Each turn is only a single shot but unlike Golf Croquet the player can earn extra shots. If the player runs a hoop they earn an extra turn; if the player uses their ball to hit another ball (known as a roquet) the player then takes croquet which means their ball is placed touching the roqueted ball and played so that the roqueted ball moves or at least shakes. 

The player then has a third shot (called a continuation shot) with which to run a hoop or roquet a ball. In a turn the player can roquet each of the other three balls without running a hoop. When a hoop is run the player can roquet the other three balls again. In this way a good player can run a number of hoops in a single break. During this time the opponent can only watch (as in snooker).

Association Croquet requires the mastery of a greater range of shots than in Golf Croquet as the player will often be trying to move two balls to precise positions with the one stroke. 

The player’s turn may end because of an error but if it is a controlled ending the player will try to leave the balls so that the opponent has a difficult shot to get their break under way.