How to Play & Practice

Basic Rules of Golf Croquet

Start of the Game:

Teams of two (doubles game – pair against pair)
Four coloured balls per game – one for each player
If two games are being played on the same lawn then different balls are used for the second game
Order of play is Blue, Red, Black & Yellow (Second colours – Green, Pink, Brown & White)
Team who wins the toss pays the Blue & Black, opponents play Red & Yellow (Second colours – Green & Brown, opponents Pink & White)
Play begins within a one yard arc from corner 4 with balls playing towards hoop 1 Blue topped hoop)

Aim of the Game

Each player takes turns to hit their ball towards each hoop in the sequence shown on the map
The first payer to hit their ball through the hoop wins that hoop for their team and places a peg on the hoop
As soon as a hoop has been won, all players take turns to hit their ball to the next hoop
Only one ball can win a hoop – each player is not required to put their ball through each hoop
The objective is to get through a hoop before the opponent does, the first team to win seven hoops wins the game

Strategies

Basic strategies used to prevent the opponents winning the hoop before you do are:

Knock the opponents balls away
Put your ball between the opponent’s ball and the hoop
Protect your partner’s ball (from being hit away) if it is in a good position
Send your ball behind the hoop to be in a position to knock the opponents ball out of or away from the hoop
It is not necessary for a ball to go through a hoop in one shot, but an opponent is allowed to knock the ball out
If the ball is knocked through the hoop by an opponent, the team whose ball was knocked through wins the hoop

Links to rules

The full Rules of Golf Croquet.

Mallet selection

www.croquet.org.uk/shop/choosing-mallets.asp

Practice