Croquet is set up and played with either 6 or 9 wickets arranged within a 46 x 57 foot rectangle for a 6 wicket game and a 50 x 100 foot rectangle for a 9 wicket game. In a 6 wicket setup, there are 4 wickets placed near the corners of the rectangle, along with the remaining 2 wickets near the center.
The wickets shall be of round iron, 5/8-inch diameter and of uniform thickness. They shall be 12 inches in height above the ground, measured from the ground to the top of the crown of the wicket, vertical and firmly fixed.
The international rules of association croquet state that the court must be 105′ long by 84′ wide. No wicket may be within 21′ of the outside boundaries of the court. Six wickets will be used in total, two set 21′ feet from the center stake, and the others 21 feet from either edge in the corners of the court.
Nine-wicket croquet, sometimes called "backyard croquet", is played mainly in Canada and the United States, and is the game most recreational players in those countries call simply "croquet". In this version of croquet, there are nine wickets, two stakes, and up to six balls.
If either occurs the blocking ball is lifted and replaced after the shot. A ball that has not scored the No 1 wicket may hit any other ball that has not scored the wicket but no roquet is made and the turn ends unless the striker's ball scores the wicket.
After a roquet is made, a player has two extra shots but the first of these is either a croquet or a normal shot at the player's discretion. When a ball passes through two wickets or passes through a wicket and then hits the returning stake in one stroke, two continuation strokes are allowed.
A full-size croquet court is much larger than people expect; 35 yards by 28 (32 x 25.6 m) - twice the size of a tennis court. Croquet however can be enjoyed on any size lawn, just scale the dimensions. The sides of the court are in the ratio of 5 : 4 with the unit of length being seven yards.
Court: The nine-wicket Croquet court plays best in short grass and is set up in a double diamond pattern (see diagram).
At the beginning of each turn, you are entitled to hit each of the other three balls once only in order to gain extra shots. However, if you score a hoop for your striker's ball not only do you score a point but you are again entitled to gain extra shots from each of the other three balls.
Replacement Croquet Hoops - Made in the USA. Features Sturdy 7 Gauge (3/16" Thick) Steel for Durability. Powder-Coated to Prevent Rusting. Croquet Arches are 11" High and Have a 5.5" Wide Opening.
A poison ball is one that has scored all the wickets but hasn't hit the finishing stake. A poison ball may hit any opponent ball and have it removed from the game. Conversely, if an opponent ball hits a poison ball, the poison ball is removed from the game.
A regulation croquet ball must be 35/8" diameter, and weigh 16 ounces, within specified tolerances. There are also regulations specifying the bounce height of the balls, and how much these parameters may differ within a set.
While croquet can be played on any lawn, the balls will travel faster and more smoothly over short grass. If possible, find a flat lawn without many slopes, patches of uneven ground, or other obstructions. This croquet setup is popular all around the world, and is used for tournaments in the U.K. and Commonwealth.
The COMPLETE RULES are maintained by the USCA, and are called "American Rules". In the United States, the game is also called "Six-Wicket Croquet".
Pall Mall was indeed a real game and was also known as paille-maille in French but it's now been rendered obsolete. The game was essentially a precursor to croquet and came from France with a mallet used to hit balls through a series of hoops.
Difference Between Golf Croquet and Croquet
One of the main differences between croquet and golf croquet is that in croquet, the player who maneuvers the ball into the peg, wins, while in golf croquet, the goal is to strike the ball into the last hoop (number 7).
You can play with teams of three players or more in a fun backyard game though. The typical set up for three player croquet, is to give one team the blue, black, and green balls, and the other team the red, orange, and yellow balls. You can work as a team to get all three balls through the wickets and around the court.
Bonus shots are awarded by scoring a wicket or stake, or by hitting another player's ball. After going through a wicket, or hitting a stake, the player will take another ordinary shot. If a player's ball hits another player's ball, two bonus shots are awarded.
To become a referee you should attend a training course and pass the relevant examination administered by an Examining Referee, separately for Association Croquet and Golf Croquet. Courses are run usually at the beginning of the season and various locations around the country.
The Chambers dictionary lists croquet as a northern French dialect form of crochet, meaning a little crook. It is generally agreed that the game croquet emerged from Ireland around 1850 where it was known as crookey, a word with its root meaning as a hooked stick.
Croquet is not a rich person sport. For under $100 anyone can get a decent croquet game set up in their backyard. Croquet is popular among a variety of people. At one time, croquet was a game for nobles and well-off individuals.
Each person continues through the croquet course, trying to hit their ball through each correct wicket in the correct order. If you overshoot a wicket, you can backtrack. However, you must hit the ball through the wicket in the direction the game is going. You can't hit the ball backwards through a wicket.
The cost of a new mallet ranges from around $150 to over $500.
The smallest recreational balls, the Newport weigh in at about 12 ounces and measure 3-5/16" diameter. These are typical of the balls found in backyard croquet sets priced under $300. From there, all other balls found here will measure 3-5/8" diameter, the official full size croquet ball.