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Club O Croquet Rules of Play
Date: December 21, 2004

Equipment
Each player chooses a ball and mallet. Good players have their own mallets. Players without mallets receive the leftovers. As croquet can be a thirsty game, players should bring ample supplies of the beverage of their choice.

Course

The course should be laid out similar to the traditional course (see appendix A) Care should be taken to put natural obstacles between consecutive wickets and the course should be spread out to as much of the playing field as practicable. Out of bounds areas should be determined before play begins and should include ditches, roads and wooded areas. An “out of bounds” designation does not rule out play in that area.

Play

Once the course is laid out and agreed upon, the player who won the previous game begins. The rest of the players will shoot in whatever order is agreed upon. On their first shot a player’s ball will be placed between starting post and the first wicket.

A player gets one shot per turn except:

A. If a player's ball passes more than half way through one or more wickets (in the correct order and direction), the player is awarded one extra shot.
B. A player will be awarded an extra shot the first time his ball strikes the “Turnaround” post after passing through the first seven wickets.

Only one of the above options is available for each shot. If the ball passes through two or more wickets on one shot, only one shot is awarded. If a player passes through one or more wickets and hits the middle post, only one shot is awarded. If on the player’s extra shot he passes through one or more wickets or hits the post, he is again awarded a one extra shot. Credit is awarded for going through extra wickets or striking the post and an additional free shot will not be received for doing it a second time.

C. If during a player's turn their ball strikes another player's ball, the player whose turn it is will have the following options:

a.) Take an extra shot from the spot where his ball comes to rest.
b.) “Send” the opponent's ball. The player will place the opponent’s ball next to his ball, placing his foot on his own ball, and striking his own ball so as to “send” the opponent's ball while leaving his ball in place. (If the player's ball also travels then on his next turn he will play the ball from where it came to rest) If the opponents ball stops out of bounds, the opponent’s ball shall be placed at the edge of where it last went out of bounds. A player may play off of each opponent’s ball a total of three times in any one turn. If a player's ball strikes more than one of his opponents then the first ball that he struck shall be considered the only ball he struck on that shot. The player will choose which option to take for the first ball with the hit counting only on the first ball.

If a player hits his own ball out of bounds he shall play it from where it stopped with the exception of an “unfavorable lie”. An “unfavorable lie” shall be taken if the player’s ball is in an unplayable state. An “unfavorable lie” is not a decision made by the player but agreed to by all player’s ( preferably before the game started). A submerged ball or a ball wedged in a tree or bush does not necessarily count as unplayable. The place chosen for an “unfavorable lie” shall be as near to where the ball stopped as possible while in as difficult a place as possible. It is recommended that it be out of bounds.

Players maneuver through the course following the wickets in their proper order. After completing wicket #7, the ball must then strike the post and play continues through the second half of the course. Upon striking the middle post the player may pick up his ball and place it between the post and the # 8 wicket.

The player completes the rest of the course by going through the rest of the wickets in order. After passing through the #14 wicket the player becomes “poison”. If a poison player hits the starting wicket (including on the shot that passes through #14) he loses the game. The poison player is free to roam the course and “kills” the other players by hitting them with his ball. If the “poison” player strikes an opponent’s ball, the opponent is out of the game, his ball is removed from play and the “poison” player receives a free shot. A player is free to hit a “poison” player and either “send” him or take a free shot. A “poison” player can only be “killed” by either being struck by another “poison” player or hitting himself into the starting post.

The last surviving player on the course wins.

Croquet Etiquette

Beer Fetching:
When needing another beer, it is proper to get a woman spectator to fetch beers for the athletes. This serves to keep the play moving along as well as giving the girl a sense of purpose. If there are no agreeable women in attendance, (I’ve noticed that married women will often embarrass their husbands by refusing) it may be necessary to get them yourselves. In that case:
1. Wait until you have just shot (so that you minimize the game delay).
2. Ask other players if they would like one.
Although Croquet is a blood thirsty and vicious sport it is also a game played by gentlemen. There is a famous saying in the world of Croquet:
“You can cheat on your wife, you can cheat on your taxes but don’t ever cheat in croquet.”

Announcing your shot: As the course is often large and the lessor players will be far behind the leaders, it is considered appropriate to announce the results of each and every shot you take. By announcing your shots quickly and loudly the tempo of the game can be maintained. The more players in a game the more important this is. Some examples are:

Done - This is called when your turn is over and you do not expect to go through a wicket on your immediate next shot.

Set - This is called when your turn is over and you expect to go through a wicket on your immediate next shot. Strictly speaking there is no difference between a “Set” and a “Done”. The call is however a courtesy and can speed up the game by saving an opponent time by looking for himself.

1 (or 2 or 3) “Opponents Name” i.e.: (2 Bob) - This is used to announce that you have shot and struck an opponent’s ball. Since you have struck his ball you are entitled to another shot. This call will prevent the next player from shooting out of turn. It will also be useful in avoiding controversy in how many times you have struck a particular ball on that turn.

Through - This is called when you pass through a wicket (and receive another shot).

Through 2 - This is called when you pass through 2 wickets on one shot (and receive one additional shot).

Post - Post is called when your ball hits the post and you either get a free shot or you just knocked yourself out of the game.

Poison - When you become poison, you should announce it.

Sending “Opponents Name” - After hitting an opponent if in lieu of your free shot you elect to send your opponent you announce it. This has the added benefit of warning the other players to get out of the way.

These calls are recommendations. The can be combined or modified as necessary. A player, for example, has played off of Bob once before, hits him a second time knocking both Bob and himself through a wicket. He could call this as
“2 Bob, Through, Bob is also through”.
At this point the player would either take his free shot or call a “Sending Bob” and send Bob. Because “Bob” did not send himself through he does not receive an extra shot.

Infractions:

Going out of turn:
The most common infraction is shooting out of turn. If a player shoots before his turn, the player whose turn was skipped shall have the option of allowing the shot to count or requiring the player to place the ball back where it started. The player whose turn was skipped shall then shoot. If it is decided that the shot shall count and the player who went out of turn went through a wicket, he shall not receive his free shot until it is his turn. If a player goes out of turn but it is not noticed until after the next player has shot, the ball shall remain where he hit it but he shall skip his next turn.

Intentionally Cheating:
Disqualified from game with the potential of being suspended.

Cowardly and Despicably behavior, The so called “Stew Rule”:
In the 1997 Stone Mountain Open the last three contestants were Matt Kaczmarek, Larry LaLonde and Stewart Ogilvie. All were poison. As Larry and Kaz tried to kill each other Stew hid in the yard next door waiting for one of his opponents to be killed. After Kaz eliminated Larry, Stew finally came back on the course and Kaz quickly killed him. As a result of this cowardly act the “Stew Rule” was passed.

The “Stew Rule”: If a player behaves in a cowardly and despicable manner by consistently hiding from his competition and is not attempting to advance around the course or defeat his competitors any past winner of the Stone Mountain Open shall be allowed to warn him that he is in violation of the “Stew rule”. If the player continues to violate the “Stew Rule” he shall be disqualified from the game.

Game Variation:

Tag Team Croquet:
A tag team match is a game between four players where each team has two players. In general the rules are the same with the following exceptions:
At the start of the game the members of one team shall shoot first and third and the players of the second team shall shoot second and fourth.
If a player goes out of turn the next player on the opposing team whose turn it should have been shall determine if the shot shall count or not.
The winning team is the last team to have at least one player not knocked out of the game.

Stone Mountain Open Rules:

In the Stone Mountain Open there are three preliminaries followed by a final.
The first two players to complete the course and do not hit the post from each preliminary advance to the final.
In the preliminaries players may not send an opponents ball but may play off each opponents ball as many as three times per turn.
There is no poison in the preliminary rounds.
If a player completes the course but hits the post he is out of the game.
A player who hits the post shall only advance if less then two players complete the course without hitting the post in his preliminary.
In the Stone Mountain Open Finals sending will be allowed and players can become poison.

Appendix A

Course outline

Appendix B
Rule Clarifications

To determine if the ball is more than half way through a wicket, stand over and to the side of the wicket. If the wicket is not straight, do not straighten it. If necessary a vote of the other players may determine if a ball is through.

The correct order is # 1 through #14.

The correct direction is away from the starting post for wickets #1 through #7, towards the starting post for wickets #8 through #14.

If a player knocks an opponents ball out of bounds by send or ricochet the ball shall be placed back in bounds where it last left the course. The ball will not be placed back in bounds until the player who struck the ball’s turn is over. If a ball goes out of bounds and back on the course it shall not be moved.

If a player sends or knocks an opponent’s ball through the wicket or hitting the post and that wicket or post was the next objective of that opponent, the opponent receives credit for the wicket or post. On the opponent’s next shot he shall NOT receive a free shot nor be allowed to place his ball between the middle post and wicket #8.

If a player hits an opponent’s ball that was already out of bounds and moves it (by ricochet or send) the ball will be moved back upon completion of the player’s turn. The ball shall be returned to it’s initial out of bounds spot when the player first hit it. The exception to this is if the player knocked it out of bounds on an earlier shot in the same turn in which case it will go back in bounds.

If a player has already struck an opponent’s ball three times in that turn he will not receive an additional shot for hitting it a fourth time. Going through a wicket, hitting the post, hitting another player or becoming poison does not reset the count. If a player becomes poison and than hits an opponent’s ball for the fourth time that turn, the opponent is dead. The poison player does NOT receive an extra turn.

A “Royal Send” is a send where the opponent’s ball strikes another opponent’s ball. The sender has the option of taking a free shot or sending the second opponent’s ball. The normal 3-count limit for extra shots does not apply.

A player becomes poison immediately upon passing through more than half of the 14th wicket. A player can kill an opponent on the same shot as he becomes poison. A player can become poison, kill an opponent and hit the post (killing himself) in the same shot. Since a poison player is dead as soon he hits the post, if the poison player hits the post before hitting the opponents ball the opponent is NOT dead.

If a poison player strikes two or more opponents on the same shot both opponents are dead and the poison player receives one extra shot.

Players may use any surface of the mallet to strike the ball. This includes; the handle, top of handle, the end of the mallet head and the side of the mallet head.