Setup
Players
- 2-6 players, played by two sides.
Materials
- Six croquet mallets (1 mallet per player)
- Six colored croquet balls
- Nine wickets
- Two stakes
Additional Setup Notes
- Court Arrangement: a nine-wicket Croquet court is best set up on short grass in a wide double diamond pattern. The regulation size of a full-scale croquet court is 100 feet long by 50 feet wide, but feel free to tailor the game to your current landscape; just make sure the wickets and stakes are properly scaled down.
- Players will begin by choosing a matching colored mallet and ball.
- All players will start at the starting stake.
- The order of play follows the sequence of colors on the starting stake, with the top color going first, and so on.
Note: For this variation of Croquet, we’ll guide you through the casual rules for Garden Croquet, the most approachable of the game’s many variations. The more complex and traditional rules for playing can be found on the Croquet Association website, but trust us — in backgrounds worldwide, people are playing by the rules we lay out below!
Objective
The objective of croquet is to complete the croquet course and hit the starting stake before the opponent. Players win croquet by taking turns advancing their colored ball through the course wickets in the correct order.
Gameplay
After each player has chosen their mallet and ball, they will begin with the game at the starting stake, attempting to clear wickets #1 and #2.
Players can only make one shot per turn but earn extra shots based on their performance.
- Players earn one bonus any time they clear a wicket.
- If a player clears two wickets in one stroke, that player earns two extra shots.
- Players can also earn two extra shots by hitting an opponent’s ball.
- The maximum number of bonus shots is two; additional shots can’t be earned until the next wicket is cleared or until the start of your next turn.
Alternate between players, taking turns hitting balls through the wickets in the proper order and direction of the field while hitting the stakes at each end.
If a player knocks another player’s ball through a wicket, that player still receives credit. Aim carefully because you don’t want to give your competition an unfair advantage!
Endgame
Croquet ends when a player completes the entire course and hits the starting stake.
Garden Croquet Variations
Doubles Croquet: Croquet is often played in doubles and can be modified in several ways. In one popular variation, players can play doubles Croquet with each player “owning” one of the balls from their side, which they are constantly tasked with hitting. Alternatively, Croquet players can play doubles by simply alternating which player makes the stroke for their turn, keeping everyone engaged.
Six-Player Croquet: Croquet can be played with groups of six players by dividing into two teams of three. In this scenario, the game is won when all three balls of the side have run all their hoops and hit the starter peg.
Timed Croquet: Whichever side has scored the most points within a given time limit wins the game!
Garden Croquet Strategies
- Set Yourself Up for Success: Be careful when setting up your opponent’s shot. Do your best to position your ball so others can’t deliberately hit it to gain more turns.
- Upgrade Your Shot: Correctly aiming your croquet balls is integral to winning the game, and you can improve shot accuracy by standing over the ball and swinging the mallet between your legs.
- Survey the Competition: Whenever you go to shoot, never neglect to consider the opponent’s position on the court. Knocking other balls on the course is paramount to gaining extra shots in the game and deters their progress simultaneously.
FAQs
What happens if the Croquet ball is knocked out of the court?
Anytime more than half of the ball leaves the playing area, it’s considered out of bounds and brought back in, placed one mallet length into the court from where it went out of bounds.
