1. AN OUTLINE OF THE GAME

1. SCOPE This law gives a brief outline of the game and the Laws of Association Croquet. Its provisions are subject to the more detailed laws that follow.
2. THE SIDES The game is played between two sides, of which one plays the blue and black and the other the red and yellow balls (or green and brown versus pink and white). A game may be either singles, in which each player plays both balls of the side, or doubles, in which each player of the side plays one ball and may strike only that ball.
3. THE OBJECT OF THE GAME The object is for each side to make both its balls score 12 hoop points and a peg point, a total of 26 points, before the other side. A ball scores a hoop point (see Law 14) by passing through the correct hoop in the order 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, then 1-back, 2-back, 3-back, 4-back, penultimate and rover in the direction shown in Diagram 1. This is also known as running a hoop in order. A ball that has scored all 12 hoop points is known as a rover. It may then score a peg point (see Law 15 and, for handicap play, Law 38) by hitting the peg and is then said to be pegged out and is removed from the game.
   
   
   
4. PLAYING THE GAME The game is played by striking a ball with a mallet. The player whose turn it is to play is known as the striker, the ball that he strikes during the turn as the striker's ball and the other ball of his side as the partner ball. The striker must never strike the partner ball or a ball of the other side. By striking the striker's ball, the striker may cause it and other balls to move and score hoop or peg points although only if the striker's ball is a rover may it cause another rover to score a peg point.
5. THE TURN
   1. The sides play alternate turns. Each turn may be played with either ball of the side. The striker is initially entitled to play one stroke, after which the turn ends unless in that stroke the striker's ball scores a hoop point for itself or hits another ball.
   2. If the striker's ball scores a hoop point for itself, the striker becomes entitled to play one extra stroke which is known as a continuation stroke (see Law 21).
   3. If the striker's ball hits another ball, it is said to roquet that other ball and the striker becomes entitled to play a croquet stroke (see Law 20).
   4. A croquet stroke is played by placing the striker's ball in contact with the roqueted ball (see Law 19) and then striking it so that both balls move or at least shake.
   5. After playing a croquet stroke the striker becomes entitled to play a continuation stroke.
   6. At the start of each turn the striker's ball may roquet and take croquet from each of the other three balls once. However, every time the striker's ball scores a hoop point for itself, it may roquet and take croquet from each of the other three balls again. It is therefore possible for the striker to become entitled to play a series of strokes in a turn in which the striker's ball may score one or more points for itself.
6. HANDICAP GAMES In handicap play, the weaker side receives a number of extra turns or bisques (see Law 37).
7. DOUBLE-BANKED GAMES In double-banked play, two games are played simultaneously on the same court using differently coloured sets of balls (see Law 52).
8. TOURNAMENT AND MATCH PLAY In tournament and match play, additional laws and regulations apply (see Law 53).