Back Yard Croquet
Back yard croquet is a family friendly game that’s perfect for the back yard.  Up to six players can play, and it’s not so physically demanding that grandparents can’t play along as well.  Good back yard croquet sets are readily available and generally last a lifetime.  If you’ve lost your croquet rules I suppose you can just let the kids be creative by letting them arrange the pattern of wickets and stakes however they want - which can be fun.  If you need to determine croquet rules and game play a good basic set of rules can be found here.   

For a terrific selection of back yard croquet sets you can visit a website specializing in them by clicking <here>. For a croquet set that will be a hit with the little ones - see the set displayed to the right.

Even if it’s decided to be creative and make up your own back yard croquet rules, there are still some common sense rules worth mentioning specifically to children, like explaining what is and is not acceptable to whack with the mallet (i.e. each other).  Back yard croquet rules also rely on a unique terminology.  Roquet, for example, is actually a verb in croquet.  If you hit an opponent’s ball directly or indirectly it’s called roqueting and you get two additional strokes at it.  Croquet conversely is the act of putting your foot on your ball whenever it’s in contact with another player’s ball, for the purpose of whacking on your ball to send the opposing players ball in any direction.  Croquet rules also use a combination of the two terms called roquet croquet, which means essentially the same as croquet with the only difference being you don’t place your foot on your own ball.  The result of course is that both balls go in any direction. 

According to croquet rules a ricochet is the act of roqueting two or more balls by one strike of the mallet.  In team play, one can elect to become a ‘rover’ if his or her ball has made it through all the wickets except the starting stake.  They can instead then choose to use their turns to act as interference to opposing players and to aid their own side.  That was the most surprising croquet rule found.

Other back yard croquet rules that are often disregarded concern the order of play.  The colored bands on the start & finish stake determine the play order (which is by color).  Another often disregarded rule is that there are always six balls in play.  The red, yellow, and orange always play against the blue, black, and green balls.  Even with only two players, all six balls are to be played.  It gets even more interesting to note that with 3, 4, or 5 players the turns each player takes can be using any of the colors on ‘their’ side, not just the color they started with.  That adds an interesting twist, whereby anyone can win – not just the talented players.

All the back yard croquet rules aside, it really is a fun and enjoyable game for kids and adults alike.  It take little effort to play, is challenging, and allows a bit of drama (via the roquet maneuvers described above).  Above all back yard croquet is just plain fun.  Exercise normal caution with the little ones – particularly where the mallets are concerned.    In the end it’s far easier to play than it is to write out all the croquet rules – believe me.  There are few things as nostalgic and relaxing as playing some back yard croquet on a bright sunny day. 

Croquet Rules

    • The sequence of colors on the starting stake determines the order in which players shall play.  The top color is the first to start.
    • The starting ‘tee’ is one third the distance between the starting stake and the middle of the first wicket.
    • The ball must be struck and not pushed, and always with the full face of the mallet.
    • Every player has a right to an additional stroke after driving his ball through a wicket or hitting the turning stake.
    • Every player has a right to two additional strokes if the player’s ball strikes an opponent’s ball (roquet).
    • Players driving his/her ball through both the first and second or sixth and seventh wicket are entitled to two additional strokes.
    • Bonus strokes may not be accumulated.
    • Every stroke counts no matter how slightly the ball moves.
    • A player may, is he/she wholly misses the ball, to strike again. (PSA: Don’t drink and croquet)
    • In case a player plays out of turn, he/she is deprived of his/her next turn.
    • If a member of the game plays with the wrong ball, the player must replace the ball and loose a turn.
    • If your ball croquets an opponent’s ball and both balls pass through the wicket you can either croquet or continue.
    • You may not roquet (hit) an opponent’s ball a second time until your ball has either hit another ball, passed through a wicket, or hit a stake.
    • No ball can croquet or be croqueted until it passes through the first wicket.
    • A player roqueting a ball is not compelled to croquet it.
    • In case a ball is driven from the playground, it must be put on the edge of the arena where it went off.
    • A ball has not passed the wicket if the handle of the mallet can touch the ball when laid across the wicket from the side the ball came out.
    • If a roqueting ball touches one or more balls, it may croquet as many balls as it strikes, but this allows for only one additional stroke.  If one of the several balls hit is croqueted, all of the balls must be croqueted. 
Questions, Comments, or Concerns:  gking@backyardsteward.com

Last Updated 1/04/09