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Book A Lawn

Croquet

Get a ball through nine wickets. Sounds simple but victory requires cunning, skill and ruthlessness. It’s called the “Queen of Games” for a reason.

Croquet equipment

Equipment

  • 7 wickets
  • 6 balls
  • 6 mallets
  • 2 stakes

Setup

  • Wickets are placed in double diamond pattern with a stake at each end
  • Play 1 to 6 players per game
  • Each player takes a mallet and ball of matching color

Objective

  • Be the first to navigate your ball through the course

House Rules

Start

  • Player with blue mallet begins; order then follows descending mallet colors

Play

  • Players must hit their ball through each wicket in the designated order
  • Players get one shot each turn, but extra shots can be earned as follows:
    • Clear a wicket: 2 bonus shots
    • Hit an opponent’s ball: 1 bonus shot
    • Max bonus shots at any time: 2
  • Bonus shots are not awarded for hitting the same opponent’s ball twice in the same turn
  • At the turn stake, players must hit the stake; when the stake is hit, they get another shot
  • First player to navigate the course and hit the final stake wins the game

Wicket Rules

  • Balls must go through the wicket in the correct direction to be counted as through
  • Balls must be completely through a wicket to be counted as through
  • If a wicket is knocked over, reset it and move any balls affected back to previous position
  • If player A pushes player B’s ball through a wicket, player B is considered through that wicket. Player B does not get another shot.