How to play croquet: a beginner's guide

Croquet has a reputation for being complicated. It isn't. At its heart it's a simple idea: use a mallet to knock a ball through a series of hoops, before your opponent does the same. Everything else is just detail you pick up as you play.

We play golf croquet — the quick, sociable version that almost everyone starts with. The rules are short, the game moves fast, and you'll be competitive in your very first session. Here's everything you need to know.

The aim of the game

In golf croquet, every player aims for the same hoop at the same time. The first ball to pass cleanly through that hoop wins the point, and then everyone moves on to the next hoop. The winner is the player or team that wins the most hoops — usually a game of 7 or 13.

It sounds simple, and it is — but golf croquet rewards a bit of tactical thinking, which is why skill and cleverness beat brute strength. That's also why it's one of the very few sports where players of any ability can compete as genuine equals.

What you need (spoiler: nothing, to start)

When you come to one of our taster sessions you don't need to bring a thing. We provide the mallets, balls and hoops, and someone will show you the ropes. For the record, a standard set-up uses:

• Mallets — one per player, used to strike the ball.
• Balls — traditionally four: blue, red, black and yellow.
• Hoops — metal arches set into the lawn that you aim to pass your ball through.
• A centre peg — the post in the middle of the lawn; the colour order of play is printed on it so nobody loses track.

Golf croquet rules (the version we play)

Golf croquet is quick to learn because the rules are short:

• Everyone plays for the same hoop. All players aim at the same hoop at the same time.
• One shot per turn. Players take turns in the colour order (blue, red, black, yellow) — one stroke each, no extra shots.
• First through the hoop wins it. The first ball to pass cleanly through scores that point, and then everyone moves on to the next hoop.
• You can block and clear. Because you only get one shot, a lot of the fun is in positioning — knocking an opponent's ball away from the hoop, or guarding your own line.
• The winner is the player or team that wins the most hoops (typically 7 or 13).

That's genuinely the whole game. It's quick, sociable, and you'll be playing within minutes.

Key croquet terms

• Running a hoop — successfully passing your ball through a hoop in the right direction.
• Clearing — knocking an opponent's ball away from the hoop so they can't score it.
• Blocking — positioning your ball to guard the hoop or your own line of play.
• Jump shot — lifting your ball over another to clear the hoop (one for later, but fun to watch!).

A few quick tips for your first game

• Stand square to your shot. Line your body up behind the ball, facing where you want it to go.
• Swing, don't jab. A smooth, gentle pendulum swing controls the ball far better than a hard hit.
• Think one shot ahead. Where does this shot leave you for the next hoop?
• Don't worry about getting it wrong. Everyone misses hoops. It's a friendly game and good company is the whole point.

That really is enough to enjoy your first game. The rest you'll pick up on the lawn — and we'll be there to help.