TYPES OF CROQUET

DIFFERENT TYPES OF CROQUET

At Nelson Bay Croquet Club we mostly play Golf Croquet, but also some games of Association and Ricochet, depending on demand. Good summaries (and the detailed rules) of the above, plus the variants of Gateball and Aussie Croquet, can be found on the Croquet NSW website.

Types of croquet

Golf Croquet

The opposing sides each have two balls: Blue and Black against Red and Yellow. Each side may be one or two people (i.e. singles or doubles). Each side plays alternately in rotation: blue, red, black, yellow, as shown by the sequence of colours from the top of the centre peg.

Each turn consists of one stroke only: no extra turn is gained by running a hoop or hitting another ball. To start the game, toss a coin. The winner of the toss plays blue and black, and blue always starts.

The opening strokes are played from within one yard of Corner IV (nearest hoop 4), and the players aim to run the hoops in order from 1 to 12. The winner is the first to reach 7 points. A deciding hoop (hoop 3 again) is run if the scores are equal after 12 hoops, making 13 in all.

To score a point, a ball must run completely through the hoop in the correct direction. A ball has run a hoop if you can slide a straight edge down the front of the hoop without touching the ball. It may run the hoop in more than one turn, or be knocked through by another ball. If a ball should go through two hoops in order in the same stroke, both points are scored.

The side that first gets a ball through Hoop 1 scores that point and then all balls go for the next hoop in order (i.e. Hoop 2). All players contest the same hoop. A player may play towards the next hoop before the previous hoop is run. However the opponents may ask that any ball more than halfway towards the next hoop when the current hoop is actually run, is brought back to a penalty spot halfway down the east or west boundaries.

A ball that goes off the court is replaced on the boundary where it went off but may be temporarily moved if it interferes with the playing of another ball.

Ricochet Croquet

The opposing sides each have two balls: Blue and Black against Red and Yellow. The Game can be played as singles or doubles, the sides take alternate turns. In the first four turns the four balls are played from one of the starting lines ('baulk lines') at each end of the court. There is no strict order of playing the balls. Once the four balls are on the court a side chooses which of its two balls it shall play in each turn.

Each ball must run a set course, as shown in the diagrams above, going through each hoop in a specific order and direction and then hitting the peg. The side which first completes this course with both its balls wins the game. Thus the winning side has 14 points to score (6 hoop points and the peg point with each ball).

A ball scores a hoop point when it passes right through a hoop in its correct order ('runs a hoop') in one or more strokes. The point is scored whether the ball is struck directly by the player or by another ball. Clips coloured to match the balls are placed on the hoops or peg to indicate the next point for each ball.

A turn consists initially of one stroke only, but extra strokes can be earned in two ways:

If the player's ball runs a hoop, they are entitled to another stroke.
If the player's ball hits another ball ('makes a roquet'), they are entitled to two further strokes.

The player may roquet each of the other three balls in succession in any turn; each time their ball runs a hoop they may repeat this process. Thus, by a combination of taking roquet and running hoops, a series of points can be scored in a turn ('making a break'). A turn ends when the player has made all the strokes to which they are entitled, or if they send a ball off court when taking the first additional stroke after a roquet, or if they make a fault as defined in the Laws. A turn does not necessarily end if a ball is sent off court in any stroke other than when taking the additional stroke after a roquet.

Association Croquet

The game of Association Croquet is in essence a tactical struggle with each player trying to manoeuvre both their own and their opponent's balls to make points for their side whilst restricting their opponent's chances of doing the same by careful positioning of the balls at the end of their turn.

The game is played with four balls, Blue and Black versus Red and Yellow. The Game can be played as singles or doubles, each player in doubles playing with a particular ball throughout the game. The sides take alternate turns. In the first four turns the four balls are played from one of the starting lines ('baulk lines') at each end of the court. There is no strict order of playing the balls. Once the four balls are on the court a side chooses which of its two balls it shall play in each turn.

Each ball must run a set course, as shown in the diagrams above, going through each hoop twice in a specific order and direction and then hitting the peg. The side which first completes this course with both its balls wins the game. Thus the winning side has 26 points to score (12 hoop points and the peg point with each ball).

A turn consists initially of one stroke only, but extra strokes can be earned in two ways:

If the player's ball runs a hoop, they are entitled to another stroke.
If the player's ball hits another ball ('makes a roquet'), they place their own ball in contact with the other ball and then strike their ball so that the other ball moves or shakes ('takes croquet'). After this the player is entitled to one further stroke.

The player may roquet and thus take croquet from each of the other three balls in succession in any turn; each time their ball runs a hoop they may repeat this process. Thus, by a combination of taking croquet and running hoops, a series of points can be scored in a turn ('making a break'). A turn ends when the player has made all the strokes to which they are entitled, or if they send a ball off court when taking croquet, or if they make a fault as defined in the Laws. A turn does not necessarily end if a ball is sent off court in any stroke other than when taking croquet.