Golf Croquet - A Synopsis
The opposing sides each have two balls: Black and Blue against Red and Yellow. A side may be one or two people (i.e. singles or doubles). Each side plays alternately in rotation: blue, red, black, yellow as shown on the centre peg.
Each turn consists of one stroke only: no extra turn is gained by running a hoop or hitting another ball as in Association Croquet To start the game, toss a coin. The winner of the toss plays black and blue and blue always starts.
The opening shots are played from within one yard of the corner nearest hoop 4. and the players aim to run the hoops in order from Hoop 1 to Rover (i.e. twelve hoops). A deciding hoop is run if the scores are equal at this point making thirteen in all. Some games may finish after 7 hoops and other after 19. The winner is the side that scores the most points out of the total hoops contested.
To score a point, a ball must run completely through the hoop. A ball has run a hoop if you can slide a straight edge down the front of the hoop without touching the ball. It may run the hoop in more than one go. If a ball should go through two hoops in order in the same stroke, both points are scored.
The side that first gets a ball through Hoop 1 scores that point and then all balls go for the next hoop in order (i.e. Hoop 2). All players must contest the same hoop. A player may proceed towards the next hoop before the previous hoop is run, however the opposing team may request that any ball which is more than halfway towards the next hoop, when the hoop is actually run, is brought back to specific half way points as specified in the detailed rules.
A ball that goes off the court is replaced on the boundary where it went off but will be temporarily moved if it interfereswith the playing of another ball.
Any striking of a player's ball as part of a player's turn must be a clean hit and there are a number of faults that a player may make as he strikes the ball. These are defined in the detailed rules and are called striking faults. If a player commits any such fault all balls are replaced in their position before the faulty stroke was made and the player loses his turn.
If a player plays out of sequence, no points may be scored, the balls replaced in their original position and the correct sequence is then played. There are no penalties for wrong sequence. If however a player plays the wrong ball, the balls are replaced in their original position and the player loses his turn.
