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

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

Availability closes soon for GC Test Match England v USA >>

Where are the top players?

May

10-11: East Dorset The Western Championship (AC)
15-18: Budleigh The ERC European Golf Croquet Championship (GC)
24-27: Sussex County Compton (Eastbourne) The AC Inter-County Championship (AC)
19-25: TBA National Croquet Week (Course)
10-11: Colchester The East Anglian Golf Croquet Championship (Championship Series) (GC)
18: Surbiton National Schools Championships (AC) (AC)

What's on?

10: High Wycombe AC - Improving Your Game for Intermediate Players Course (Course)
10: Northern Academy Classic Golf Croquet Skills and Tactics (Course)
11: Northern Academy Golf Croquet Skills and Tactics in Practice (Course)
10: Ashby One-Day Golf Croquet Open Tournament (GC)
10: Pendle & Craven Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
10: Sussex County Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament (GC)
10: Tunbridge Wells Montevideo Cup - GC Level Play (GC)
6-11: Budleigh BSCC Spring AC Tournament (AC)
8-11: Nottingham The AC Peel Memorials (Handicap Singles and Mixed Doubles) (AC)
10: Blewbury May One-Day Short Croquet Tournament (AC)
10-11: Surbiton B and Super-B Weekend (AC) (AC)
10-11: Southport The Carol Lewis Memorial Weekend (AC) (AC)
14: The Academy 'Up Your GC Game' - C to B-Level (Ref:GC4) (Course)
14: Northern Academy One-to-One Coaching with Stephen Custance-Baker (Course)
15: Northern Academy Every Shot is Tactical (Course)
16: Northern Academy GC Improvers Development Day (Course)
17: Ealing GC - Intermediate Improver Course (Course)
14: Guildford Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament (GC)
14: Ryde Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
14: Wrest Park Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
16-17: Compton (Eastbourne) Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament (GC)
17: Chester Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
17-18: East Dorset Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
17-18: Hunstanton Golf Croquet Open Series Tournament (GC)
18: Bury Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament (GC)
18: Chester Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament (GC)
14-15: Watford Midweek Advanced AC Tournament (AC)
16: Wrest Park May Handicap (AC) Tournament (AC)
17: Nottingham The Charity One-Ball Championship (Regional Final) (AC)
17: Surbiton The Charity One-Ball Championship (Regional Final) (AC)
17-18: Cheltenham Bernard Neal Advanced (AC) Tournament (AC)
17-18: Nailsea May Advanced Singles (AC) Class Tournament (AC)
17-18: Pendle & Craven B-Level/C-Level Advanced (AC) Weekend (AC)
17-18: Newport (Essex) Open Advanced (AC) Weekend (AC)
17-18: Roehampton Doubles Handicap AC (Combined 6+) (AC)
20: High Wycombe A Clinic with the Swing Doctor! (Course)
23: Eynsham GC - Advanced Improver Course (Course)
21: Wrest Park Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
24: Guildford Golf Croquet Handicap Doubles (Advantage) (GC)
24-25: Hamptworth Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament (GC)
20-22: Tyneside Midweek Handicap (AC) Tournament (AC)
21-22: Roehampton Handicap AC (Max 20) (AC)
24-25: Blewbury High-Bisquers' 14-Point Handicap Weekend (AC)
24-25: Meadows The Scottish Masters (AC)
24-25: Roehampton B-Level Advanced (1+) (AC) Weekend (AC)
14: Online Coaching Committee Meeting
15: Online Board of Trustees Meeting
29: Online Executive Meeting