Croquet Network is excited to release a new short-format instructional video designed especially for beginning players of nine-wicket croquet. In this video, we break down a real-life game scenario that showcases the opportunity and importance of setting a pioneer.
Read MoreBeginner's Guide to Croquet Variations
The sport of croquet is wonderfully accommodating in that it has variations intended to span casual social play all the way up to an ultra-elite level of play. And from another perspective, there are variations that work on normal household lawns (mowed short please) and then versions intended for true croquet courts that utilize grass similar to golf greens, but ideally able to achieve faster lawns speeds (and flatness).
Read MoreAssociation Croquet Rules Summary
Association Laws (Rules) Croquet has traditionally been considered the main form of competitive six-wicket croquet played internationally. It is commonly referred to as AC for Association Croquet.
The game is played on a standard six-wicket court 28 yards by 35 yards with one peg in the center. It is played with four balls with blue and black opposed to red and yellow. One player plays blue and black while the opponent would play red and yellow. The first side to play both balls through the entire 12 wicket pattern wins the game.
15 Winning Tips for the Backyard Croquet Game
Backyard croquet players, here are 15 winning tips to make sure you dominate that casual backyard game of double-diamond cutthroat croquet (six players, one ball each).
1. Choose the mallet with the heaviest head and the longest shaft (adult-sized mallet shafts are roughly 36”).
Read MoreNine to Six: Part 5 - Rover Balls
The Complex Rover Ball Situation
I saved this one for last because I've been dreading sitting down and reading the six-wicket rules on rover play. I can safely say that I'll probably retain that information just long enough to make this post.
Nine to Six: Part 4 - Wiring
A Clear-Cut Difference
Wiring is pretty simple -- six-wicket has it and nine-wicket does not. Of course, if you haven't played six-wicket, you likely have no familiarity with the wiring rule. For the full details, you can check out this page on the USCA website, but the essence is that when utilizing the opponent's balls, you must leave your opponent a shot when your turn ends.
Nine to Six: Part 3 - Boundary Play
After a month off due to a very busy website schedule in November, it was time to get the Nine to Six series back on track. This month, we are looking at the boundary rules for nine-wicket and the U.S. six-wicket games. At the USCA nine-wicket national championship, option two and three of the advanced rules are utilized which effectively means that boundary rules mimic the U.S. six-wicket rules with just one subtle exception. In the nine-wicket game, a ball is considered out of bounds once it touches the line as opposed to six wicket where a ball would not be ruled out of bounds until half of the ball crosses the line.
Read MoreNine to Six: Part 2 - Post Roquet Options
Probably the biggest adjustment when transitioning from nine-wicket croquet to the six-wicket game is the reduction of options after roqueting a live ball. The nine-wicket game offers a range of choices for your first bonus shot:
Read MoreNine to Six: Part 1 - Clearing Deadness
This month kicks off a new series that I'll call "Nine to Six" that endeavors to describe changes that nine wicket players will encounter when they try out the U.S. rules six wicket game. There's a lot of quality information on six-wicket on the internet, but some of it seems pretty complex and is presented all at once. The aim here is to slice this into smaller concepts to allow players to absorb as needed. Also, I need to clarify that I have been playing the six-wicket game for just one-year and have not attended tournaments. So, more experienced players should feel welcome to chime in using the comments and clarify if I am leading people astray. I do think my inexperience is useful in that the concepts are fresh in my mind.
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