3. EQUIPMENT AND ACCESSORIES

1. THE PEG
1. SPECIFICATION The peg is a rigid cylinder with a height and uniform diameter above the ground of 18 inches and 1 1/2 inches respectively. It must be vertical, firmly fixed, and painted white to a height of at least 6 inches above the ground.
2. EXTENSION The extension is ½ inch in diameter and 6 inches in length. It is designed to hold clips and to be fixed detachably to the top of the peg. The extension is not part of the peg for the purposes of Law 15 and may be temporarily removed at any time by the striker (see Law 35(c) if a ball hits the extension). When not attached to the peg the extension is an outside agency.
3. ADJUSTMENT Subject to Law 53(a) (regulations for tournaments), at any time during the game either player is entitled to require that a leaning peg be straightened. Such a request is treated as forestalling play for the purposes of Law 23(d). Any test required for the purpose of Law 13 must be carried out before any adjustment is carried out. Following any such adjustment, the position of the balls must be adjusted if necessary to ensure that the striker gains no advantage thereby (see also Law 15(b)(6)).
2. HOOPS
1. SPECIFICATION Each hoop is made of solid metal and consists of two uprights connected by a crown. A hoop must be 12 inches in height above the ground measured to the top of the crown and must be vertical and firmly fixed. The uprights and the crown must have a uniform diameter of 5/8 inch above the ground although minor deviations at the top and bottom are permitted. The inner surfaces of the uprights must be approximately parallel and not less than 3 ¾ inches or more than 4 inches apart (subject to Law 53(b) for tournament and match play). Each hoop on a court must have the same dimensions within a tolerance of 1/32 inch. The crown must be straight and at right angles to the uprights.
2. COLOURS The hoops may be left unpainted or coloured white and, in addition, the crown of the first hoop (hoop 1) is coloured blue and that of the last hoop (rover) is coloured red.
3. ADJUSTMENT Subject to Law 53(a) (regulations for tournaments), at any time during a game the striker is entitled to require that an incorrectly aligned hoop be adjusted and that the width and height of a hoop be checked and corrected if necessary. Any test required for the purposes of Laws 13, 14 or 17 must be carried out before any adjustment or checking is carried out. Following any such adjustment, the position of the balls must be adjusted if necessary to ensure that the striker gains no advantage thereby (see also Law 14(d)(5)).
3. BALLS
1. SPECIFICATION There are four balls, coloured blue, black, red and yellow respectively. Alternative colours, namely green, brown, pink and white, and other sets of colours or distinguishing marks are permitted. A ball must be 3 5/8 inches in diameter and must weigh 16 ounces. The rebound and playing characteristics of each ball in a set of balls to be used in a game must comply with the requirements of Appendix 2 and must be similar to each other within the specified tolerances.
2. TEMPORARY REMOVAL The striker is entitled at any time during the game to remove a ball between strokes in order to wipe it, avoid interference or exchange it when it is faulty or damaged. Before removal, he must mark the position of the ball accurately and consult the adversary if it is in a critical position. In addition, if the striker wishes to remove a ball immediately before attempting to peel it, he must note its rotational alignment so that the same rotational alignment will apply when the ball is replaced.
4. CLIPS
1. SPECIFICATION There are four clips made of plastic or metal, or any other suitable material, whose colours correspond with those of the balls used in a game. They are used to indicate the score.
2. USE At the start of each turn the hoop or peg next in order for each ball should carry a clip of the corresponding colour. When a ball scores that point the striker must remove the clip and, at the end of the turn, place it on the appropriate hoop or the peg. The clip is placed on the crown of the first 6 hoops and on an upright for the last 6. When a peg point is scored the clip is removed from the court. A clip may be temporarily removed at any time by the striker and must be removed if it is likely to influence the path of a ball in the next stroke (see Law 35(c) if a ball hits a clip). When not attached to a hoop or the peg a clip is an outside agency.
5. MALLETS
1. DESIGN A mallet consists of a head with a shaft firmly connected to its mid-point at right angles to it so that they function as one unit during play. If the head is detachable from the shaft, neither may be exchanged during a turn except as provided under Law 3(e)(6).
2. SHAFT The shaft may be made of any suitable materials. A grip of any material may be attached to the shaft, but neither it nor the shaft shall be moulded with an impression of any part of the hands.
3. HEAD The head must be rigid and may be made of any suitable materials, provided that they give no significant playing advantage over a head made entirely of wood. It must have essentially identical playing characteristics regardless of which end is used to strike the ball. Its end faces must be parallel, essentially identical and flat, though fine grooves are permitted. The edges of the faces should be of a shape or material unlikely to damage the balls and if they are bevelled they are not part of the end face.
4. ARTIFICIAL AIDS Subject to Law 3(e)(5), no mirrors, pointers or other devices intended to assist the aiming or playing of a stroke may be attached to any part of the mallet. However, the shaft need not be straight and the head may bear sighting lines.
5. DISABLED PLAYERS A disabled player may use a mallet with an appropriately modified shaft providing that he gains no advantage thereby compared to a player without that disability using a conventional mallet.
6. CHANGING A MALLET A mallet may not be exchanged for another during a turn unless it suffers accidental damage which significantly affects its use. A damaged mallet may only be used if the striker gains no advantage thereby and it must be exchanged for another if it ceases to comply with these laws. The playing characteristics of a mallet may never be changed during a turn.
6. CORNER FLAGS Flags coloured blue, red, black and yellow are optional accessories and may be placed in corners 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively. They should be mounted on posts about 12 inches high that should touch the corner but must not intrude or lean into the court. A corner flag may be temporarily removed at any time by the striker.
7. CORNER PEGS Eight white corner pegs, measuring about 3/4 inch in diameter and about 3 inches in height above the ground, are optional accessories and may be placed on the boundary one yard from each corner, measured to the further side of the corner pegs (see Diagram 2). The corner pegs should touch the boundary but must not intrude or lean into the court. A corner peg may be temporarily removed at any time by the striker.
8. TOLERANCES All the above dimensions are subject to tolerances as listed in Appendix 1.