How to Play Croquet

Most people will have played a version of croquet generally referred to as Garden Croquet. There are 2 other versions called Golf Croquet and Association Croquet.

At our events, we teach guests to play the Croquet & Cocktails 5 hoop rules. This is a quicker and more exciting version of garden croquet with games taking between 10-15 minutes.

How to Play - Five Hoop Croquet

Croquet & Cocktails would like to introduce you to our exciting version of croquet called Five Hoop Croquet.

- Play a singles match (two balls each) or a doubles match in teams of 2 (one ball each).

- Players / teams take alternating turns. The blue ball starts, followed by red, black, then yellow. Blue & Black play as a team, Red & Yellow play as a team. There are no additional turns.

- The first player or team to go through a hoop wins the hoop and receives 1 point! All players now proceed to the next hoop. No one else needs to go through the hoop that has been won.

- Once the fifth hoop has been won, the player or team with the most points wins the game!

- If a player has hit their ball to a position more than half way to the next hoop, at the moment when the current hoop is won, this ball would be offside. The opponent can choose which penalty spot (P) to place the offside ball, where the player then takes their turn from. They do not loose a turn, play continues in the normal sequence.

The 3 Official Types of Croquet

Garden Croquet

In garden croquet the aim is to be the first person to go through all 6 hoops then hit your ball against the centre post. If you hit your ball against another ball, you must now pick up your ball and place it beside the ball that you hit and then play your ball, after this shot, you have one additional turn. When you go through a hoop, you receive an additional shot. When you have no more shots left to take, play passes to the next player.

Golf Croquet

In golf croquet the aim is to be the first player to score 7 hoops in a best of 13 hoop game. The first person to go through a hoop, wins the hoop, play now moves to the next hoop in sequence. The order in which the balls are played is always Blue, Red, Black, Yellow. Player/team 1 used Blue and Black while player/team 2 uses Red and Yellow. There are no extra turns. If a player's ball is more than half way to the next hoop at the time that the current hoop is won, then that ball will be offside and should be taken to the penalty area.

Association Croquet

Its complicated...

Garden Croquet Lawn Setup

While the official size for a garden croquet lawn is 14m by 17.5m, most people will set up to the dimensions that suit their lawn. Sometimes, for added fun, players will arrange the hoops all over their garden to play what is referred to as crazy croquet.

Golf Croquet Lawn Setup

A full size croquet lawn for golf croquet and association croquet is 28 by 35 yards or 25.6 by 32 metres.

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