Croquet

1 Game Overview

Croquet is a classic lawn game where players use wooden mallets to hit balls through a series of wire hoops (wickets) in a set order. A standard backyard set uses 6 wickets and 2 stakes. Complete the course in order (through all wickets and back) and strike the center stake to "peg out" and win.

2 What You Need

• 4 wooden balls (different colors)
• 4 mallets
• 6 wickets (wire hoops)
• 2 wooden stakes

3 Setup

1. Drive stakes at opposite ends of the playing area (typically 100 feet apart for a full court, shorter for backyard).
2. Set wickets in the standard course pattern: 2 wickets near each stake (forming a "crown") and 2 in the center.
3. Each player or team chooses a ball color. Order of play: Blue, Red, Black, Yellow.
4. Starting stake is the south stake.

4 How to Play

1. On your turn, you hit your ball through wickets in the correct order (following the course).
2. You start with 1 stroke per turn. Each time you pass through a wicket correctly, you earn 1 extra stroke.
3. Roquet: If you hit another player's ball, you earn 2 bonus strokes. Place your ball against the struck ball and hit again.
4. Continue until you've used all your strokes or committed an error (hitting out of order, going through a wicket the wrong way, etc.).
5. Play rotates through all players.

Turns

You always start with 1 stroke. Earn extras by running wickets (going through correctly) or roqueting (hitting another ball). You can only roquet the same ball once per turn unless you've run a wicket since the last time.

5 Winning

The first player (or team in doubles) to run all wickets in the correct sequence AND hit the final peg wins. In team play (2v2), both partners must complete the course, or the first partner to finish becomes a "rover" helping their partner complete.

6 Tips

• Plan your path. Think 2-3 shots ahead. Position yourself to make the next wicket, not just the current one.
• Use roquets strategically. Hitting an opponent's ball near a wicket gives you bonus strokes AND moves their ball away from their position.
• The break. A "break" is a sequence of roquets and wickets that lets one player run multiple wickets in a single turn. Setting one up is an advanced technique that wins games.
• Send opponents away. After roqueting, you can "send" the opponent's ball far from where they want to be, using your croquet stroke.