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 AC Fourth Eight (The Treasurer's Tankard), The AC Selectors' Weekend, AC Second Eight (The Chairman's Salver), AC Third Eight (The Spencer Ell Cup), and AC First Eight (The President's Cup) >>

Where are the top players?

July

26-27: Colchester The Eastern Championship (AC)
5-13: Surbiton The Association Croquet Open Championships (AC)
19-20: Balgreen The GC Home Internationals (GC)
14-19: Budleigh The AC National Seniors' (50+) Championship (AC)
22-24: Sussex County The GC Veterans' (60+) Championship (GC)
26-27: Oxford Uni. The AC Students' Championships (AC)
12-13: Nottingham The Nottingham Golf Croquet Championship (Championship Series) (GC)
19-20: East Dorset The Dorset Open Golf Croquet Championship (Championship Series) (GC)
26-27: Budleigh The GC English National Doubles Championship (GC)

What's on?

12-13: Hamptworth The Wiltshire Open Golf Croquet Open Series Tournament (GC)
12-13: Hunstanton Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament (GC)
13: Middlesbrough Golf Croquet B-Level & C-Level Tournament (GC)
12: Wrest Park One Day 14pt Tournament (AC)
12-13: Cheltenham B-Level (0-6) Advanced (AC) Tournament (AC)
12-13: Tunbridge Wells Pegasus Plate - Handicap Tournament (AC) (AC)
16: Bury Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
16: Cheltenham Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
17: Surbiton Don's Day Light (GC 0+) : Level Doubles (GC)
19: Northampton Golf Croquet D-Level (10+) Series Tournament (GC)
19: Newport (Essex) Golf Croquet Handicap Doubles (GC)
19-20: Ashby Golf Croquet A-Level (0+) Series Tournament (GC)
14-15: Peterborough Handicap Singles (AC) (AC)
19-20: Southport Super-B and B-Level Advanced (AC) Weekend (AC)
19-20: Roehampton Ranelagh Gold Cup (AC)
25: The Academy GC A Master Class with Stephen Custance-Baker (Ref:GC6) (Course)
23: Guildford G&G GC Level Doubles (GC)
24: Bath Golf Croquet C-Level (7+) Series Tournament (GC)
24: Surbiton Don's Day Light (GC 0+) : Level Singles (GC)
25: Compton (Eastbourne) GC- 10+ Event (GC)
26: Compton (Eastbourne) GC - 7+ Event (GC)
27: Compton (Eastbourne) GC - 3+ Event (GC)
23-24: Watford Midweek B-Level Advanced (AC) (AC)
25-27: Sidmouth B-Level Advanced (AC) Weekend (AC)
26-27: Blewbury AC - Advanced Weekend (AC)
26-27: Hamptworth Handicap Weekend (AC) (AC)
24: Online Board of Trustees Meeting
31: Online Executive Meeting