These are the official rules used by the referees of the Annual Robotics Insitute Croquet Tournament. These rules are a modified version of the Rules of Backyard Croquet written by the United States Croquet Association.
The game of croquet (pronounced "crow-KAY") is a tradition of backyard recreation in America, as well as a sport that can be enjoyed by young and old alike. Whether you are a novice who plays the occasional friendly game or a determined competitor who gives opponents no quarter, you need to know the rules and have them handy for reference during a game. This special edition of the rules was prepared by the sport's governing body, the United States Croquet Association, as a guide for informal backyard play. More detailed tournament rules for the American six-wicket game can be ordered from the USCA headquarters and are sent free to all USCA six-wicket members.
A backyard croquet court doesn't have to be a perfectly manicured lawn, but short grass provides the best playing surface. If you have room, a full-size court is a rectangle, 100 feet long by 50 feet wide. You can adjust the size and shape of the court to fit the available space. For matches during the RI croquet tournament, referees will determine the size of the court.
The nine wickets and two stakes are arranged in a double-diamond pattern as shown in the diagram. If you are playing on a smaller court, the distances shown should be scaled down in proportion to the length and width of the court. The wickets should be firmly planted in the ground, and the width of the wickets should be uniform throughout the court.
Games in the RI croquet tournament are "one-ball" games, where there is one ball per player and there are no teams. The color of the balls determines the order of play as marked on the stakes.
Each player uses a mallet. Only the striking (end) face may be used to strike a ball.
The object of the game is to advance your ball through the course by hitting it with a mallet, going through each wicket and hitting each stake in the proper order and direction as indicated in the court diagram. The winner is the first player to complete the course.
The players take turns, and only one plays at a time. At the beginning of a turn the player (called the "striker") has one shot. After that shot the turn ends, unless a bonus shot is earned by scoring a wicket or stake or by hitting another ball. The turn ends when the player has no more bonus shots to play or has finished the course by scoring the finishing stake. The striker may directly hit with the mallet only the ball he or she is playing in that turn (the "striker ball").
All balls are played into the game from a spot halfway between the finishing stake and wicket #1. Order of play is determined by ball color and the order of colors on the stakes. Ball color may be chosen randomly.
If a player plays out of turn, there is no penalty. Any ball moved during the out-of-turn play is replaced to its position prior to the error and play recommences properly.
Each ball can score a wicket or a stake only by going through a wicket or hitting a stake in the proper order and direction.
Each ball can score wicket and stake points for its side only by going through a wicket or hitting a stake in the proper order and direction.
Going through a wicket out of order or in the wrong direction has no effect on the game.
A ball can only score a wicket during its own turn. If a ball scores a wicket during another ball's turn, the player must still score that wicket in the proper direction and order during that player's turn.
A ball scores a wicket point only if it comes to rest clear of the playing side of the wicket. If a ball passes through a wicket but rolls back, it has not scored the wicket.
The striker earns one bonus shot if the striker ball scores a wicket or hits the turning stake. The striker earns two bonus shots if the striker ball hits another ball (a "roquet") (but see the Exceptions below).
The first of these two shots may be taken in any of four ways:
The second bonus shot after a roquet is an ordinary shot played from where the striker ball came to rest, called a "continuation shot". Bonus shots may not be accumulated. Upon earning a bonus shot by scoring a wicket, hitting the turning stake, or roqueting another ball, any bonus shot previously earned is forfeited. If a ball roquets a ball and in that same stroke the striker ball hits another ball, the second ball hit is not a roquet and remains where it comes to rest (with no deadness incurred on that ball).
Deadness occurs after a roquet is made and the striker is unable to score his/her wicket. The consequences are that the striker is not allowed to roquet the ball(s) again until scoring the wicket. Once the wicket is scored, the striker becomes 'alive' and is able to roquet the ball(s) again. If a striker roquets a ball he/she is dead on, no bonus shots are awarded. Deadness carries over from turn to turn.
EXCEPTIONS: Two extra shots are earned when the striker ball scores two wickets in one shot. If the ball also hits the turning stake after scoring two wickkets, two strokes are earned, not three. Conversely, if the striker ball scores the seventh wicket and hits the turning stake in the same shot, it earns two shots. After the striker ball roquets another ball, it does not earn any extra shots for hitting it again in the same turn before scoring the next wicket in order. However, there is no penalty for hitting the ball again.
When the striker ball scores a wicket and then in the same shot hits another ball, only the wicket counts and the striker has earned only the one extra shot for scoring the wicket. The striker may then roquet any ball to earn two extra shots. When the striker ball roquets another ball and then goes through a wicket, the wicket has not been scored but the striker earns two extra shots for the roquet.
In more traditional rules, balls that cross the boundary are brought back inbounds. In our tournament rules, boundary rules are at the discretion of the referee. Typically, no boundaries are enforced, unless hitting a ball beyond certain boundaries (stairs, extremely large hills, water hazards, etc) makes continued play impossible. Penalties for certain hazards are at the discretion of the referee.
A: No, sending a ball out of bounds never ends your turn. If the striker has another shot, the turn continues.
A: If your ball hits another ball, you immediately earn two extra shots (unless you have hit that ball in that turn since making your last wicket). In this situation, the wicket doesn't count, and you must take the extra shots earned.
A: In this case, you have earned one extra shot for the wicket, but the hit is ignored. You may choose to hit that ball again on the continuation shot to earn two extra shots, but you aren't required to do so.
A: A miss counts as a shot, and if you had only one shot when you missed, your turn ends.
A: No, but once the out-of-turn play is discovered, you must put the ball(s) back in the position they were in before the misplay, and any points scored do not count. The player who first played out of turn should then play the correct ball.
A: Yes, once you hit a ball and earn the two extra shots for the roquet, you cannot earn any extra shots for hitting it again until you make your next wicket.
A: The shot must be replayed correctly with no loss of turn.
A: If something occurs that is not in these rules, the referee will be the final authority.
A: There is no penalty. Replace the ball(s) and commence in the correct order.