Claremont Societe’ Croquet
GOLF CROQUET RULES
- OBJECT OF THE GAME. The object of Golf Croquet is to go through each wicket in the proper order and direction. Each wicket and the end-stake count as 1 point, for a total of 7 points that can be scored in a game. The first team scoring 4 points wins the game (best out of 7 points).
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TEAMS. The game is played by two teams. A team consists of one player (singles) or two players (doubles). One team plays the blue and black balls, while the other plays the red and yellow balls. All balls are always used in a game.
- START OF PLAY. Each player takes one shot at the center stake from a point near one corner of the court. The ball stopping the closest to the center stake determines which player (rather than blue, etc) begins the play of the game. The player whose ball is closest to the center stake starts the play from that spot and chooses the beginning corner wicket (the other players follow based on the ball color & order (blue, red, black, yellow & repeat). The ‘direction-of-flow’ begins from the side of the chosen wicket closest to the end boundary line.
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ORDER OF PLAY. The balls are always played in order of blue, red, black, yellow (the order of the colors on the middle stake, top to bottom), beginning with the color of the ball that was hit closest to the pin, which starts the play of the game.
- SCORING WICKETS. Once the correct wicket has been made by a players ball (scoring 1 point), no other ball has to make that wicket, and all balls head towards the next wicket. A ball is considered to be successfully through a wicket when the entire ball has cleared the wicket. A simple test would be running the mallet head down both sides of the wicket – and none of the mallet touches the ball. If the ball does not clear the wicket, there is no score, all balls stay where they are and play proceeds with the next person’s turn. The first team scoring 4 points wins the game (best out of 7 points).
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MALLET POSITION. During regular play the ball and mallet come together on either circular end of the mallet. Spread your feet apart, facing the ball to be hit, and back-swing the mallet back through your legs – hitting the ball when you move the mallet forward.
- STROKES PER TURN. Each turn consists of one stroke. There are NO extra shots for hitting other balls before making wickets. You may Not put your foot on your ball to knock another ball away.
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OUT OF BOUNDS. When a ball crosses over the boundary line, that ball is brought back inside the boundary line, one mallet-head length, at the point it crossed over the line. In the next turn the ball is played from there.
- LENGTH OF GAME. Each games lasts 30 minutes.
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TACTICS. A tactic of the game is to knock the opponent’s ball out of position so he can’t score the point. Here are some instances – and what the outcome is:
A. A player may shoot for position at the next wicket before the wicket being contested is made, but cannot earn a point there until the contested wicket is scored (e.g. shoot for position at #3 before #2 has been scored, thereby gaining a head start for the point at #3).
B. The player shoots for the next wicket and happens to make it through or is knocked through before the contested wicket is scored.C. Hitting the center stake with any player’s ball prior to the end of the game.
C. The game is down to the last wicket and the game could be decided by hitting the center stake. You hit the stake in your attempt to ‘get your ball into position’ before the last wicket has been scored.
The answer to these four tactical questions is the same. There is NO fault, NO disqualification and play continues as usual with the ball staying where it ended up.
