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| A-Class player |
Players with the lowest handicaps, who tend
to play under the laws of advanced level play. |
| Address |
A term for the stance taken up before a stroke
is played. |
| Advanced play |
The version of Association Croquet played by
first-class players and at all major tournaments and championships. It
is distinguished from ordinary level play by special laws designed
to give the outplayer more of a chance. |
| Angle of split |
The angle at which the balls diverge in a split
croquet stroke |
| Approach stroke |
A croquet stroke in which the striker’s
ball is positioned in front of a hoop or close to a ball, to prepare for
a rush. |
| Association Croquet |
The official form of the game as administered
by the Croquet Association (CA). Strictly speaking the CA only administers
the game in the UK only but in practice the rules are International as
the Australian & New Zealand associations co-operate. The USA has it’s
own variation of the game (US Rules) administered by the United States
Croquet Association (USCA) and all American clubs play by the US rules
(except, I have read, for the Santa Barbara Croquet Club – not many
people know that!). |
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| Backward ball |
The ball of a side that has scored fewer hoops
(see also forward ball). |
| Backward take-off |
A form of hoop approach in which the pilot
ball is on the non-playing side before the stroke is played. |
| Ball in hand |
The term applied to a ball when the laws permit
the striker to alter its position manually rather than by using
his mallet directly or indirectly; for example: -
(i) any ball when it leaves the court has to be replaced on the yard-line,
(ii) the striker’s ball as soon as it comes to rest after making
a roquet, must be picked up and placed in contact with the roqueted
ball,
(iii) the striker’s ball when the striker is entitled to a lift. |
| Ball in play |
The term applied to a ball after
it has been played into the game. It only ceases to be a ball in play when
it is a ball in hand or at the end of the stroke in which it is pegged
out. |
| Basic stroke |
The single stroke to which the striker
is entitled at the start of a turn. He can only extend his turn if he earns bonus
strokes by either making a roquet or running a hoop in order |
| Baulk-lines |
Parts of the yard-line from which balls
may be played into the game |
| Bisque, half-bisque |
A bisque is a free turn awarded to the
weaker player in a handicap game. A half-bisque is a restricted
turn in which no point maybe scored. |
| Bonus strokes |
If the striker makes a roquet, this
earns one bonus stroke (the turn continues).
The first bonus stroke is a croquet stroke.
If the croquet stroke is successful (that is, no errors & faults are
committed), a second bonus stroke is earned.
This second bonus stroke is a continuation stroke.
The continuation stroke is used typically to roquet another
ball or to run a hoop in order.
If the striker runs a hoop in order, he earns one bonus stroke,
a continuation stroke.
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| Break, making a |
A break is a turn in which more than
one point is scored. The standard form of break is the 4-ball
break in which the striker makes use of all the other three balls to
help him conduct the striker’s ball through the hoops.
3-ball breaks and 2-ball breaks can be played but
are more difficult. While a break is in progress, the striker is
said to be making a break. |
| Breakdown, to |
To end a turn unintentionally by making a mistake. |
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| C.A. |
The Croquet Association. |
| Cannon |
Cannons are strokes in which more than two balls
are intentionally affected. They usually take the form of a croquet
stroke in which the striker’s ball makes a roquet and
arise when the Laws deem a group of three yard-line balls to be
in mutual contact. The striker places the striker’s ball in contact
with the roqueted ball for the croquet stroke in the usual way and then
places the third ball in contact with the roqueted ball but not in contact
with the striker’s ball. When the croquet stroke is played, the striker’s
ball will hit the third ball immediately. Cannons involving four balls
are also permitted. |
| Carrot |
The part of a hoop sunk mostly below
the ground. |
| Centre style |
The most popular style of play in which the
mallet is swung between the legs rather than to the side of the body (see side
style). |
| Condone, to |
To notice that an error has occurred
after the limit of claims has expired. The principal remedy no longer
applies but a restricted remedy may be available. |
| Contact |
In advanced play, if a player runs both
1-back and 4-back for one of his balls in the same turn and had not scored
1-back for his other ball before that turn began, his opponent is entitled
to begin his next turn by lifting either of his balls and placing it in
contact with any other ball and playing a croquet stroke. |
| Continuation stroke |
A continuation stroke is either (i) the bonus
stroke played after running a hoop in order or (ii) the second
bonus stroke played after making a roquet. A continuation stroke
is almost always a single ball stroke which is usually used to
make another roquet or to run a hoop in order. Rarely, a continuation
stroke can be a two-ball stroke. |
| Croquet Association |
The body which administers Croquet in the UK |
| Croquet stroke |
The croquet stroke is the first bonus shot played
after making a roquet. The striker ‘takes croquet’ by
placing the striker’s ball in contact with the roqueted
ball and strikes the striker’s ball so that both balls move.
A wide range of croquet strokes can be played and these contribute
significantly to building breaks and the tactical richness
of the game.
The croquet stroke is unique to croquet, hence the name.
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| Croqueted ball |
The term used to describe the roqueted ball after
the croquet stroke has been played. |
| Cross-wire, to |
To position both enemy balls on each
side of the same hoop, usually the next hoop for one of the striker’s
balls. |
| Cut rush |
A rush in which the striker’s ball hits
the object ball off-centre so that it is sent at an angle to the
line joining the two balls before the stroke is played. |
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| Distance ratio |
The ratio of the distance travelled by the croqueted
ball and that travelled by the striker’s ball in a croquet
stroke. It can vary from 10:1 in a stop-shot to 1:100 in a take-off |
| Double tap |
An example of a fault in which the mallet
makes more than one audible sound when it strikes the striker’s
ball. |
| Double-banking |
The term applied when two separate games are
in progress on one court at the same time. One game uses the first colours and
the other uses the second colours. |
| Double target |
Two balls separated by one ball's diameter.
A double is equivalent to a single ball target at half the distance. |
| Doubles play |
The version of the game when there are two players
on each side. At the start of the game each side must nominate which player
will play with which ball throughout the game. If a player strikes his
partner’s ball, a penalty is imposed. |
| Drive |
A type of croquet stroke in which the
degree of follow-through is neither exaggerated nor restricted. In a straight-drive, the croqueted
ball will typically travel three to four times as far as the striker’s
ball. |
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| Enemy ball |
A ball of the opposing side. If you are playing
red and yellow, then blue and black are the enemy balls. |
| Error |
An event that requires the application of the
Laws. Some errors result in the immediate end of the striker’s turn.
Others require replacement of the balls and cancellation of points scored
but the striker is then allowed to continue. |
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| Fault |
An error made in striking the striker’s
ball that causes the turn to end immediately and the replacement
of any ball affected by the stroke. |
| First colours |
The traditional colours used in croquet, namely
blue, red, black and yellow Also referred to as Primary colours. (See also second
colours). |
| Forward ball |
The ball of a side which has scored more hoops
(see backward ball). |
| Forward rush |
A rush obtained by running a hoop under control
so that the striker can rush the object ball in the desired
direction, usually towards the next hoop. |
| Free shot |
A shot which is unlikely to give the opponent
a break if it is missed. |
| Full roll |
A type of croquet stroke in which the striker’s
ball and the croqueted ball travel approximately equal distances
and in approximately the same direction. |
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| Guard the boundary, to |
To leave your balls near a boundary. If he opponent
shoots and fails roquet his ball, his ball will be left near yours
(most likely replaced on the yard-line) and use. This may
deter the opponent from shooting at you. |
| Golf croquet |
A simplified version of croquet where the croquet-stroke is
not played. It is basically a race through the hoops. The Croquet Association administers
the laws. |
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| Half roll |
A type of croquet stroke in which the striker’s ball
travels approximately half as far as the croqueted ball and in approximately
the same direction. |
| Hammer stroke |
A stroke played with the striker’s back
to the direction in which the striker’s ball is to travel.
It is normally used to make a roquet when a conventional stroke
is prevented by the proximity of a hoop. |
| Hampered stroke |
A stroke played with special care because of
the proximity of a hoop, the peg or another ball. The striker commits
a fault if he hits the striker’s ball with the edge
of the mallet-face in a hampered stroke. |
| Handicap |
A number assigned to a player to indicate his
ability. Handicaps range from – 2 (the best) to 18 or higher (the
weakest). Special doubles handicaps are sometimes awarded. |
| Handicap play |
The version of the game in which the weaker
player receives a number of free turns, called bisques, to give
him a better chance. |
| Hit in, to |
To successfully make a long roquet. |
| Hoop approach |
A croquet stroke used to place the striker’s
ball in front of a hoop in order so that the striker can run
the hoop in the continuation stroke. |
| Hoop in order |
he next hoop that a ball has to run. Thus, once
a ball has run or scored hoop 1, its hoop in order is
hoop 2. If achieved, the striker earns one bonus stroke, a continuation
stroke, and the right to roquet the other three balls again. |
| Hoop shot or stroke |
A single ball stroke in which the striker attempts
to send the striker’s ball through its hoop in order. |
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| Innings, to have the |
To be the player who is more likely to earn bonus
strokes in his next turn.
If red and yellow are joined up close together and blue and black
are each positioned over 2O yards (18 metres) apart and over 2O
yards from red and yellow, the player of red and yellow has the innings no
matter whose turn is next. If it is the turn of the player of blue
and black, it is unlikely that he will make a roquet at
that distance and so he does not have the innings although he is
the striker.
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| Inplayer |
A name usually applied to the striker when he
has the innings and is in the process of making a break. |
| Irish peel |
A croquet stroke in which both the croqueted
ball and the striker’s ball are sent through the same hoop
in order. See to peel also. |
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| Jaws of a hoop |
The space between the uprights of a hoop. |
| Jump shot |
A stroke in which the striker hits down
on the striker’s ball in order to make it rise into the air
and jump another ball, a hoop or even the peg. Jump strokes can also used
to run very angled hoops |
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| Laying a break |
The act of arranging the balls at the end of
a turn so that the striker has a good chance of picking
up and making a break at the start of his next turn. |
| Leave |
The arrangement of balls at the end of a turn. |
| Level play |
Games where no bisques are used (players
compete on level terms, without handicapping). |
| Lift |
In certain circumstances, the laws entitle the striker to
lift either of his balls at the start of a turn and play it from any point
on either baulk-line. See also progress lift and wiring
lift. |
| Limit of claims |
The period within which an error must be noticed
if the full remedy given by the Laws is to apply. If an error is noticed
after the end of the period, but before the end of the game, a restricted
remedy may be available. |
| Line of centres |
The line joining the centres of the striker’s
ball and the croqueted ball before the croquet stroke is
played. The croqueted ball should travel in the direction of the line
of centres. |
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| Next hoop |
The hoop that a particular ball has to run next
in order. Usually employed in the context of the strikers ball. |
| Non-playing side |
The non-playing side of a hoop is the side to
which a ball must pass in order to run a hoop. |
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| Object ball |
The name given to a ball to be rushed before
the stroke is played. |
| One ball |
A variation of Association Croquet, usually
singles, where each player has one ball only, so there are only two balls
on the court. The rules are standard but it changes the game, as only two-ball breaks are
possible thus increasing the difficulty. If one player gets ahead, it can
be difficult to catch up, so a hit in to stop the leaders progress
is essential. |
| Opening |
The first four turns of a game. In advanced
play, the opening is a tactical exchange in which both players attempt
to obtain the innings without giving the other a good chance of
a break. |
| Ordinary level play |
The standard form of Association Croquet as
played in clubs.
Most tournament play is either advanced play or handicap play. |
| Outplayer |
The player who is not the in player or striker. |
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| Partner ball |
The ball of a side that is not the striker’s ball
during a turn. |
| Pass roll |
A type of croquet stroke in which the strikers ball
travels further than the croqueted ball and in approximately the
same direction. |
| Peg out, to |
To cause a rover ball to strike
the peg and thus complete its circuit and b removed from the game. |
| Peel, to |
To send a ball other than the striker’s ball
through its hoop in order by means of a croquet stroke or,
occasionally, roquet. See also triple peel. |
| Peelee |
The ball that is peeled or to be peeled. |
| Penult hoop |
The next to last hoop. |
| Pick up |
The act of creating a break, usually
from an unpromising position. |
| Pilot ball |
The ball used to 'pilot' or 'navigate'
a ball through a hoop - usually the Pioneer for
that hoop and the subsequent reception ball. Not a much used term. |
| Pioneer ball |
A ball sent to the next hoop but one by the striker’s
ball. If blue, the striker’s- ball, is for hoop 2 and,
before making hoop 2, the striker sends red to hoop 3, red is
called a pioneer. If blue runs hoop 2, then red becomes
the pilot for hoop 3. |
| Pivot ball |
A ball positioned usually but not invariably
near the middle of the court during a 4-ball break. Its function
is to shorten the stoke distances when progressing from one hoop to the
next - it acts as a stepping stone. In more advanced play the pivot
is moved around more, for example, being used as a third "escape" ball
when performing triple-peels and running Rover. |
| Plain hit |
A single ball stroke in which the striker is
neither attempting to make a roquet or run a hoop. It is
usually played in the context of a positional shot. |
| Playing side of a hoop |
The side from which a ball enters the hoop in
order to run it. |
| Positional shot |
A plain hit in which the striker’s
ball is sent to a particular and tactically significant position
on the court, often on the yard-line or in a corner |
| Progress lift |
A lift given in advanced play to
the opponent of a player who has run I-back or 4-back in his previous turn. |
| Push |
A fault in which the mallet remains in
contact with the striker’s ball for too long. |
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| Roquet |
The striker is said to make a roquet
when he strikes the striker’s ball so that it travels across
the court and hits a ball that he is entitled to roquet. At the start of
a turn, the striker is entitled to roquet all the other three balls. If
Andrew plays blue and blue hits black, one might say that ‘Andrew
roqueted black’ or ‘Andrew hit black’ or ‘Blue hit
black’.
‘Roquet’, and ‘croquet’, are pronounced to
rhyme with ‘okay’.
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| Roqueted ball |
The term used to describe a ball after it has
been hit by the striker’s ball and before the croquet stroke has
been played. Once the stroke is played, the roqueted ball is called the croqueted
ball. |
| Rover ball |
A ball that has run all twelve hoops and can
be pegged out. |
| Rover hoop |
The last hoop (indicated by a red top bar) |
| Run a hoop, to |
To send the striker’s ball through
a hoop. If the hoop is the hoop in order for the striker’s
ball, the striker earns a bonus stroke.
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| Rush |
A short roquet in which the roqueted
ball is sent to a specific position on the court, such as the next
hoop for the striker’s ball or close to a ball that the striker wishes
to roquet next. |
| Rush-line |
An imaginary line connecting the centre of the
ball which is to be rushed and its destination, extended in both directions.
It is desirable to play the approach stroke in which the striker’s
ball will take position for the rush from a position on the
rush-line. |
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| Scatter shot |
A continuation stroke used to hit a ball
which may not be roqueted in order to send it to a less dangerous position.
Often used as a form of damage limitation when a bad hoop approach makes
it impossible to run the hoop and continue the turn. |
| Score a point, to |
The striker scores one point for every hoop
in order and one point for causing each of his balls to hit the peg.
As there are 12 hoops to be run by each ball, the winner will score a
total of 26 points (12 hoop points and one peg point for each of two
balls) |
| Second colours |
The colours of the balls used in the second
game played on the same court in double-banking, namely green and
brown, pink and white. Also referred to as Secondary colours. (See also First
colours) |
| Shoot, to |
To attempt a long roquet. |
| Shot |
An attempt at a roquet of more than a
few yards. A long shot is typically over 13 yards (12 metres). A lift
shot is a shot taken after the striker has exercised his right
to lift the striker’s ball at the start of the turn. |
| Side |
A game of croquet is contested
between two sides, each of which is responsible for two balls, either blue & black
or red & yellow.
In singles, each side consists of one player.
In doubles, there are two players on each side and each
player plays only one of the balls of a side during a game and
either player may play at their next turn (partners do not have
to take alternate turns).
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| Single ball stroke |
A stroke in which the striker’s ball does
not start in contact with another ball. |
| Split |
A croquet stroke in which the mallet
is swung at an angle to the line joining the centres of the striker’s
ball and the croqueted ball with the result that the striker’s
ball diverges from the path of the croqueted ball. |
| Stab roll |
A form of hoop approach in which the striker hits
down on the striker’s ball but restricts the follow-through. |
| Straight croquet stroke |
A croquet stroke in which the mallet is swung
along the line joining the centres of the striker’s ball and
the croqueted ball with the result that the striker’s ball
travels in the same direction as the croqueted ball. |
| Stop-shot |
A type of croquet stroke in which the
striker restricts the degree of follow-through in order to maximise the distance
ratio. In a well-played straight stop-shot the croqueted ball can travel
up to ten times as far as the striker’s ball. |
| Striker |
The player whose turn is in progress. |
| Striker’s ball |
The ball which the striker chooses to
play with at the start of a turn. During that turn he may not strike his partner
ball with his mallet. |
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| Take-off |
A type of croquet stroke in which the croqueted
ball moves a very short distance. |
| Tice |
A ball sent to a position on a boundary close
enough to an opponent ball to induce the opponent to shoot at it
and, hopefully, far enough away to be missed. A tice is a standard feature
of many opening strategies. |
| Triple peel |
An expert procedure which can win a game played
under advanced play in two turns.
In the first break, one ball is taken round to 4-back and
a good leave made.
If the opponent misses the lift shot, the expert will make
an all-round break with the backward ball in which he will
peel the forward ball through it’s last three hoops
(4-back, penult and rover) and peg out both
halls to win the game.
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| Turn |
The basic unit of play which consists initially
of only one stroke but can be extended by bonus strokes to a maximum
of 91 strokes in level play.
Sides take alternate turns.
The winning side is invariably the side that best develops its
turns into breaks
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| Uprights |
The vertical sections of a hoop. Also described
as the wires. |
| United States Croquet Association |
Administers the game in the USA (US Rules
Croquet) |
| U.S.C.A |
The United States Croquet Association. |
| US Rules Croquet |
The official rules for Croquet played in the
USA. |
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| W.C.F. |
The World Croquet Federation. |
| Wire, a |
A term for a hoop upright. |
| Wire, to |
To interpose a hoop or the peg between an opponent
ball and its likely target in the opponent’s next turn, often
the striker’s ball or its partner ball. (a bit like
a snooker). |
| Wired |
A ball is said to be wired from another ball
if a hoop or the peg impedes the path of any part of the first ball to
any part of the target ball or if a hoop or the peg prevents a free swing
of the mallet. |
| Wiring lift |
A lift given in all forms of play whenever
the striker finds that one of his balls is wired from all
three balls and was placed in its position by his opponent. |
| World Croquet Federation. |
This body, administered from England, attempts
to co-ordinate and promote croquet on a world wide basis. It produces a
world-ranking list of players and promotes events in the UK and abroad. |
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| Yard-line |
The imaginary line running l yard inside the
boundary to which balls sent off the court are immediately returned (striker’s
ball only at end of turn). |
| Yard-line area |
The area between the yard-line and the
boundary. |
| Yard-line ball |
A ball that is placed on the yard-line after
going off the court or coming to rest in the yard-line area. |
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