Croquet is a sport played using mallets, balls and hoops. It encompasses a variety of games, most of which are played on a standard croquet court. A full-size court measures 35 yards by 28 yards. Smaller courts may be used, preferably using the same ratio of length to width (5 units long by 4 units wide).
The court is furnished with 6 metal hoops, usually of cast iron or steel, and a wooden peg. The peg is at the centre point of the court and the hoops are in specified standard positions, as shown.
There are many games that can be played on a croquet court, either at a club or on a court marked out in your garden:
- Golf Croquet
- Association Croquet
- One-ball Association Croquet
- Short Croquet
- Garden Croquet
plus some shorter, fun, games such as:
- Pirates
- Racing Croquet
- Croquet Bowls
Links to the last five in the list may be found at:
https://www.croquet.org.uk/?p=games
In this introduction, we give a brief account of the types of croquet played by most people: Golf Croquet and Association Croquet. It should be noted that each game has a handicap system.