How to Play: Rules, Coaching, Handicapping, Ranking, Refereeing

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What is croquet all about - and why should you give it a try?

Croquet: six hoops, four balls, two mallets and a patch of grass.

Sounds easy enough.

Croquet is a game of skill and strategy, angles, tactics, and guile. A bit like snooker on grass. Will your balls get through the hoops and peg out before your opponent's? It is played on equal terms by men and women and between young and old.

Croquet offers sport, friendships, fun, competition and a whole lot more.

To see what we mean, please watch the adjacent short video.

With over 200 croquet clubs nationwide to choose from, look up your nearest club to find out more about the outdoor sport that keeps you physically and mentally fit, providing a competitive yet sociable environment. Clubs belong to regional Federations.

Croquet is played on a 35 x 28 yards completely flat and closely-mown fine grass court.

Six cast-iron hoops and a peg set firmly into the ground, four balls weighing one pound (in top-class competition ¹/₃₂" smaller than a hoop), and mallets weighing around three pounds are used to play at club to international level.

Golf Croquet and Association Croquet are the two main variants of the game played in the UK:

Golf Croquet - one stroke per turn and when a hoop is scored all players move on to the next
Association Croquet - score many hoop points in a single turn by playing breaks
- Short Croquet - a handicap version of Association Croquet played on half-size lawns
- Garden Croquet - simplified Association Croquet suitable for playing in the garden
Just-for-fun games you can play on a croquet lawn
For background, see the introduction to croquet

The Coaching section will get you started through to international champion.

The Refereeing section tells you how to become or be a better referee.

The Handicapping system allows competitive games between players of different abilities.

The Ranking System ranks all croquet players in the world.

The Tournaments section tells you all about the competitive scene.

The Technical section tells everything else!

Coming Up

Where are the top players?

June

11-15: Nottingham The AC Men's, Women's and Mixed Doubles' Championships (AC)
7-8: Budleigh The AC Home Internationals (AC)
16-21: Cheltenham The AC National Veterans' (65+) Championship (AC)
7-8: Hunstanton The Hunstanton Golf Croquet Championship (Championship Series) (GC)
21-22: Roehampton The Roehampton Golf Croquet Championship (Championship Series) (GC)
21-22: Nottingham The National Schools', Clubs' and Juniors' Championships (GC)
21-22: Meadows The Scottish Open (AC)

What's on?

7-8: Cheltenham AC International Performance Development Squad: Mentored Match Weekend (Course)
7: High Wycombe Golf Croquet 4+ Level Play Tournament (GC)
7: Newport (Essex) C-Level Handicap GC Singles (GC)
7-8: Pendle & Craven Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament (GC)
8: Watford Golf Croquet Handicap Doubles (Advantage) (GC)
4-8: Sidmouth June Mid-Summer (AC) Tournament (AC)
6-8: Woking Advanced Open (AC) Tournament (AC)
7-8: Edgbaston B-Level Advanced (AC) (AC)
7-8: Surbiton Summer Handicap (AC) (AC)
7-8: York The Heart of Yorkshire Handicap Weekend (AC)
11: Eynsham GC - Basic Improver Course (Course)
9-10: Woking Golf Croquet Open Series Tournament (GC)
10: Camerton & Peasedown Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
10: Hamptworth Golf Croquet C2B Level (5+) Tournament (GC)
11: Ealing Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
11: Woking Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
12: Ealing Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
12: Woking Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
14: Ealing Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament (GC)
14: York Young Players' Charity Day (GC)
14-15: Woking Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament (GC)
15: Colchester Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
14: Watford One-Day AC Tournament (AC)
14-15: Guildford Advanced (AC) Open Weekend (AC)
14-15: Nailsea June Advanced Singles (AC) Class Tournament (AC)
14-15: Newport (Essex) B-Level (AC) Advanced Weekend (AC)
14-15: Pendle & Craven Advanced Weekend (AC) (AC)
14-15: Peterborough Advanced Weekend (AC) (AC)
14-15: Ashby Handicap (AC) Singles Weekend (AC)
21: Colchester Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
21: Hamptworth Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
21: Northampton Golf Croquet C-Level Tournament (GC)
21-22: Sidmouth Golf Croquet Open Series Tournament (GC)
22: Hamptworth Golf Croquet Hamptworth 3+ Tournament (GC)
22: Northampton Golf Croquet B-Level Tournament (GC)
22: Surbiton Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
17-18: Bowdon B-Level Advanced (AC) Midweek (AC)
17-18: Budleigh BSCC AC Class Midweek Tournament (AC)
19-22: East Dorset June Tournament - Handicap and Level Play Events (AC) (AC)
21-22: Compton (Eastbourne) Advanced Weekend (COWhorn) (AC)
21-22: Middlesbrough Advanced (AC) Weekend (AC)
26: Online Executive Meeting