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Croquet England Logo

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:

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 First Eight (The Ricki Savage Memorial), GC Second Eight (The Kate Jones Memorial), and GC Third Eight (The Suzanne Roberts Memorial) >>

Where are the top players?

July

  • 5-13: Surbiton The Association Croquet Open Championships View details (AC)
  • 14-19: Budleigh The AC National Seniors' (50+) Championship View details (AC)
  • 5-6: Nailsea The Nailsea Golf Croquet Championship (Championship Series) View details (GC)
  • 12-13: Nottingham The Nottingham Golf Croquet Championship (Championship Series) View details (GC)

What's on?

  • 2-3: Crake Valley Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 3: Bath Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 5: Compton (Eastbourne) Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 5-6: Colchester Colchester Ladies' Open GC Singles Tournament View details (GC)
  • 6: Compton (Eastbourne) Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 1: Hamptworth Short Croquet One-Day Midweek (SC) Tournament View details (AC)
  • 2-3: Letchworth July Midweek Tournament B-Level Advanced (AC) View details (AC)
  • 5-6: Guildford B-Level Advanced (AC) Weekend View details (AC)
  • 5-6: Nottingham C-Level Singles Weekend (AC) View details (AC)
  • 5-6: Roehampton B-Level Advanced (0+) View details (AC)
  • 5-6: Ramsgate AC Team Event - Croquet England vs Croquet Association of Ireland (McWeeney Trophy) View details (AC)
  • 8: Camerton & Peasedown Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 8: Nottingham Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 9: Nottingham Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 10: Nottingham Golf Croquet B-Level (4+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 10: Watford Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 12-13: Hamptworth The Wiltshire Open Golf Croquet Open Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 12-13: Hunstanton Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 13: Middlesbrough Golf Croquet B-Level & C-Level Tournament View details (GC)
  • 8-11: Pendle & Craven Midweek Tournament (AC) View details (AC)
  • 9-10: Phyllis Court High Wycombe AC C-Level (7+) Advanced Tournament View details (AC)
  • 12: Wrest Park One Day 14pt Tournament View details (AC)
  • 12-13: Cheltenham B-Level (0-6) Advanced (AC) Tournament View details (AC)
  • 12-13: Tunbridge Wells Pegasus Plate - Handicap Tournament (AC) View details (AC)
  • 16: Bury Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 16: Cheltenham Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament View details (GC)
  • 14-15: Peterborough Handicap Singles (AC) View details (AC)
  • 24: Online Board of Trustees Meeting View details
  • 31: Online Executive Meeting View details