Editing Croquet (section)

==Variations==
In all forms of croquet, individual players or teams take turns striking the balls, scoring points by knocking them through a hoop. The game ends when a player or team reaches a predetermined number of points. Several variations exist that differ in when and how a stroke may be legally played, when points are scored, the layout of the lawn, and the target score. Commonly, social games adopt further non-standard variations to adapt play to the conditions. In all versions, players of all ages and genders compete on equal terms and are ranked together.

Two versions of the game are directly governed by the [[World Croquet Federation]], which organises individual and team World Championships.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://worldcroquet.org/world-championships |title=WCF World Championships|date=23 December 2021 |publisher=World Croquet Federation}}</ref> Other regional variants which developed in parallel remain common in parts of the world.

===Association croquet===
[[File:Croquetplayers.jpg|thumb|Croquet being played at a club in the UK; four balls are visible on the lawn black, green, red, and brown showing that two games are in progress (known as "double-banking"): red and black belong to one game, green and brown to the other]]
[[File:2014 BL Wetherby Yorkshire Prof 15.jpg|thumb|right|Croquet being played recreationally in [[Wetherby]], [[West Yorkshire]]]]

Association croquet is played between two individuals or teams, each playing with two balls. The object of the game is to be the first to strike each of one's balls through all six hoops in both directions, in a fixed order, and to strike the central peg. Each of these actions scores a point, with the maximum score being 26 points.

The first four turns must be taken to play the four balls onto the lawn from one of two "baulk lines" defined as one yard into the lawn on the western half of the south boundary and the eastern half of the north boundary. After this, a player elects at the start of each turn which of their two balls to play for the duration of that turn.

During a turn, a player may earn extra shots in two ways. A player earns a single extra shot by scoring a hoop point (hitting the striker's ball through a hoop), or two extra shots by causing their ball to contact another ball-an action called a "roquet". When a roquet is made, the player may pick up their ball and place it in contact with the roqueted ball. The next shot must move both the player's ball and the roqueted ball, and it is the "croquet" stroke that gives the game its name. After a successful croquet stroke, the player has a single further shot, known as the "continuation". During a turn, each of the other three balls may only be croqueted once between hoop points, but by stringing together a series of roquets, croquets, and scored hoops, several points may be scored in a single turn.

Advanced variants of association croquet give further penalties to dissuade skilled players from running every hoop with a ball on a single {{cuegloss|break}}, while handicap versions give weaker players chances to continue play after making an error. The extra turns, called "bisques" are effective in levelling the odds of winning.

===Golf croquet===
Golf croquet is played between two individuals or teams, each playing with two balls. The object of the game is to reach a certain number of points, typically seven, earned by being the first to run a hoop.

The game opens by playing each ball into the lawn from the fourth (south-eastern) corner of the lawn. Balls must be played in order (for the primary ball colours, this is blue, red, black, and yellow), and this order of play is maintained throughout the game. Hoops are contested in a fixed order, with a point awarded to the owner of the first ball to pass through the hoop in the correct direction. After a point is awarded, all players move on to contest the next hoop. Balls that are played more than halfway to the next hoop before a point is scored are considered offside, and are moved to penalty areas.

Golf croquet is the fastest-growing version of the game,<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url= http://www.croquet.org.uk/ca/survey/2007/survey.htm |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20101121030026/http://croquet.org.uk/ca/survey/2007/survey.htm | archive-date= 21 November 2010 | title=Older, Wealthier and with a bit to Think about |first= Kevin |last= Carter |year=2007 |publisher= The Croquet Association| access-date=5 November 2011}}</ref> owing largely to its simplicity and competitiveness. There is an especially large interest in competitive success among players in [[Egypt]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Egypt v Rest of World GC Event |url=https://www.croquet.org.uk/news/newsdb.asp?NewsID=2766 |first= Elizabeth |last= Williams |location= Roehampton Club |date=21 July 2008 |publisher=The Croquet Association}}</ref> By comparison with association croquet, golf croquet requires a smaller variety of shots and emphasises strategic skills and accurate shot-making. Games are shorter, balls are more likely to be hit harder, and 'jump' shots are more likely to be witnessed, where a ball is played to deliberately jump off the ground and over another ball.

===Five hoop croquet===
Five hoop croquet is a variation of Golf Croquet created to provide a simple introduction of Golf Croquet to new players. It follows the key principles of Golf Croquet but only plays the first 5 hoops. The winner is the player or team to reach a score of 3 hoops first. This version takes around 15 minutes to play and is normally played on a quarter size croquet lawn. It was originally created to be used for croquet events<ref>{{Cite web |title=How to Play Croquet |url=https://www.croquetandcocktails.com/how-to-play-croquet |access-date=2025-02-09 |website=www.croquetandcocktails.com |language=en-US}}</ref> but has grown in popularity and is now played by many clubs when introducing new members.

===American six-wicket===
The American-rules version of croquet is the dominant version of the game in the United States and is also widely played in [[Canada]]. It is [[Sports governing body|governed]] by the [[United States Croquet Association]]. Its genesis is mostly in association croquet, but it differs in a number of important ways that reflect the home-grown traditions of American "backyard" croquet. Official rules were first published in 1894 by the Spalding Athletic Library, as adopted by the National American Croquet Association.<ref>Buffalo Sunday Morning News, NY, July 1, 1894. [https://www.newspapers.com/image/354197622/?terms=Spalding%20Athletic%20Library&match=1] Retrieved Dec 16, 2020</ref>

American six-wicket uses the same six-wicket layout as both association croquet and golf croquet, and is also played by two individuals or teams, each owning two balls.

Like association croquet, the object of the game is to be the first to pass each of their balls through all six hoops in both directions and to strike the central peg, for a total of 26 points. Unlike association croquet, balls are always played in the same sequence (blue, red, black, yellow). The limitation of roqueting each ball once between hoop points is, unlike in association croquet, carried over from turn to turn until the ball scores the next hoop. In American six-wicket, this is termed "deadness", and a separate board is required to keep track of the deadness for all four balls.<ref name="Ian Plummer">{{cite web |url=http://www.oxfordcroquet.com/laws/usca/index.asp |title=Association vs US (6-wicket) Rules Croquet |first= Ian |last= Plummer |date=1 January 2011 |publisher=Oxford Croquet}}</ref> A further difference is the more restrictive boundary-line rules of American croquet. In the American game, roqueting a ball [[out of bounds]] or running a hoop so that the ball goes out of bounds causes the turn to end, and balls that go out of bounds are replaced only {{convert|9|in|spell=in|cm}} from the boundary rather than {{Convert|1|yd|cm|spell=in}} as in association croquet.<ref name="Ian Plummer" /> "Attacking" balls on the boundary line to bring them into play is thus far more challenging.

===Nine-wicket===
Nine-wicket croquet, sometimes called "backyard croquet", is played mainly in Canada and the United States and is the game most recreational players in those countries call simply "croquet". In this version of croquet, there are nine wickets, two stakes, and up to six balls. The course is arranged in a double-diamond pattern, with one stake at each end of the course. Players start at one stake, navigate one side of the double diamond, hit the turning stake, then navigate the opposite side of the double diamond and hit the starting stake to end. If playing individually (''Cutthroat''), the first player to stake out is the winner. In partnership play, all members of a team must stake out, and a player might choose to avoid staking out (becoming a ''Rover'') in order to help a lagging teammate.<ref name="9-wicket rules"/>

Each time a ball is roqueted, the striker gets two bonus shots.
For the first bonus shot, the player has four options:<ref name="9-wicket rules">{{cite web|url=http://www.9wicketcroquet.com/rules/26/backyard-croquet-basic-rules|title=9-Wicket Croquet: Backyard Croquet: Basic Rules|website=www.9wicketcroquet.com|access-date=31 October 2014|archive-date=19 July 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140719110428/http://www.9wicketcroquet.com/rules/26/backyard-croquet-basic-rules|url-status=dead}}</ref>
* From a mallet-head distance or less away from the ball that was hit ("taking a mallet-head")
* From a position in contact with the ball that was hit, with the striker's ball held steady by the striker's foot or hand (a "foot shot" or "hand shot")
* From a position in contact with the ball that was hit, with the striker's ball not held by foot or hand (a "croquet shot")
* From where the striker ball stopped after the roquet
The second bonus shot ("continuation shot") is an ordinary shot played from where the striker ball came to rest.

An alternative endgame is "poison": in this variant, a player who has scored the last wicket but not hit the starting stake becomes a "poison ball", which may eliminate other balls from the game by roqueting them. A non-poison ball that roquets a poison ball has the normal options. A poison ball that hits a stake or passes through any wicket (possibly through the action of a non-poison player) is eliminated. The last person remaining is the winner.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.9wicketcroquet.com/rules/28/backyard-croquet-challenging-options#option6|title=9-Wicket Croquet: Backyard Croquet: Challenging Options|website=www.9wicketcroquet.com|access-date=31 October 2014|archive-date=2 March 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150302102307/http://www.9wicketcroquet.com/rules/28/backyard-croquet-challenging-options#option6|url-status=dead}}</ref>