“Differences”

Association Rules v. USCA Rules

A quick guide to the differences between Association Croquet and American croquet, written from the point of view of a USCA player upgrading to the international game. This is written in an idiosyncratic style by a Brit who is a long term resident in the US and these days, regrettably, mostly plays the US game.

History. When the USCA was founded, the Americans involved decided to change the rules of Association Croquet primarily for the sole purpose, as far as one can tell, of making them different, (possibly so they could say they were not simply adopting the existing sport from the rest of the English-speaking world?). Naturally because they were Americans, they decided to make their game much more complicated than the traditional version, and therefore introduced a number of concepts that were alien to the existing game, like rotation and deadness. The problem with this for a USCA player today, is that reverting to simplicity can actually appear complex because of the problem of 'unlearning' the extra rules of the US game.

Terminology. Please note there is no such thing as “International Rules” croquet. There is Association Croquet, played everywhere in the world except the US, and USCA or American croquet. Association Croquet has Laws, not rules.

Rules. Below we look at a few of the laws/rules and the differences between them in USCA and Association croquet. Please note that this is not definitive, and not even necessarily correct — so everything is always subject to the rulebook of whichever form of croquet you are playing at the time.

Feel free to suggest any changes or improvements to this to Mark Blundell (mark@interbizusa.com).

Croquet Concept
USCA Rules
Association Laws

Rotation Balls always played in the order Blue, Red, Black, Yellow Either ball in a partnership may play as the player chooses. Obvious Consequence: you may play the same ball consecutively as often as you wish—so can your opponent. There is NO spent ball! Or—another way of saying the same thing—both the enemy balls are danger ball.

Deadness In the US game deadness persists from turn to turn unless 'cleared' by going through another wicket, or when an opponent's ball passes through 1-back for the first time. You need extra equipment (a deadness board) in order to play the US game. In the Association game you are only dead on a ball after you have hit it until you make a wicket or the turn ends, whichever is quicker. (Also, if you do hit a ball you are dead on, it is not a fault, it is simply not a roquet). Obvious Consequence: your deadness will be swiftly forgotten, so go for it. You cannot get a ball for your partner, so make the break now—yes, that means every turn.

Out of bounds The ball is out of bounds when it is more than half-way over the string. The ball is out of bounds if it breaks the plane of the innermost edge of the boundary marker (in other countries more usually paint than string). Obvious Consequence: An Association Croquet court only feels bigger—because of the style of play—it is actually smaller than for a USCA game played on the same court!

Placing of boundary balls Balls are placed 9 inches from the boundary when they are either out of bounds or closer to the boundary than 9 inches (except for striker's ball in the middle of a turn). If another ball interferes, the ball is placed NOT in contact. Balls are replaced 3 feet (the length of a standard mallet) from the boundary under the same circumstances. If another ball interferes the ball is placed IN contact with the interfering ball. Obvious Consequence: it is much easier to get behind a ball to bring it into the game and create a break, or bring in a fourth ball.

Starting a turn with a ball in contact You may hit away from a ball you are in contact with, and therefore not hit that ball. When your turn begins and the ball you choose to play is in contact with another, you are ball in hand with that ball.

Cannons To Americans, cannons are weapons used to throw the British out of America. In the Association game, if a roqueted ball creates a group of two or three balls, all of which would be touching, (and that can include after placing the striker's ball for taking croquet) then you have a cannon. Three-ball cannon: in this case the roqueted ball is placed first and the striker then places the other balls in contact with the roqueted ball in any way that he desires, as long as the striker ball is not touching the third ball. Four-ball cannon: after placing the balls as for a three-ball cannon, the fourth ball is then placed on the ground not in contact with the striker ball, but in contact with one or both of the other balls. Obvious Consequence: a cannon is a really useful shot, practiced a lot by proficient Association Croquet players.

Croquet out of bounds Fault, turn ends Fault, turn ends—this is just about the only time you can't send a ball out of bounds with impunity.

Roquet out of bounds Fault, turn ends No fault, object ball is replaced on the yard line and striker is ball in hand. Obvious Consequence; again it makes building and continuing breaks much easier (rush the boundary ball closer to where you want it to be).

Running a hoop and then going out of bounds Fault, turn ends No fault, ball is replaced on the yard line, and the turn continues with the continuation shot. Obvious Consequence: running a hoop to reach a boundary ball is much easier—just blast away.

Running a hoop and hitting a ball This is, perhaps, the most illogical of all the complexities introduced by the perpetrators of the US game. For some reason, if a ball passes through a wicket it loses its ability to roquet another ball until it is struck again with the mallet. If you hit another ball after passing through a wicket, obviously you are ball in hand on that ball. Obvious Consequence: this difference is very annoying and much appreciated in roughly equal proportions throughout a game. It is important not to put the object ball directly behind the wicket if you hope to rush it somewhere after making the wicket.

Coin toss Winner decides who goes first, and therefore which colors. Winner decides either who goes first, or which colours—loser gets the other choice. Obvious Consequence: any ball can be the first to play.
Starting the game Balls start three feet in front of wicket one (give or take a bit of left-right wriggle room) Balls start from either “Baulk line”. The first baulk line runs along the South boundary from the mid-point to the first corner, and the second runs along the North boundary from the mind-point to the third corner— diagonally opposite it. Obvious Consequence: it is unusual to shoot the first wicket on the first turn, making 26-0 the most common score.
1-back stuff In the American game, because of deadness, the rules provide that after 1-back is made by your opponent's ball you can clear the deadness on one of your balls. In the Association game, at the start of your next turn after a turn in which the opponent makes 1-back, you may lift either of your balls to either baulk line and shoot from there. If your opponent makes both 1- back and 4-back in the same turn with one of his balls before his other ball has passed 1-back, you get a lift to contact (see lifts below). Obvious Consequence: You don't hide in the wrong corner after your wonderful break!
Wiring and Lifts In the US game if you are wired, you can “lift to contact“ i.e. take your striker ball and move it to be ball in hand with any ball you are live on. In the Association game you may lift any wired ball to either baulk line and shoot from there. Obvious Consequence: it is much more useful to wire your opponent if all you give him is a chance to hit in, instead of a guaranteed croquet shot. (Unless he's a really good shot, of course).

Lawn damage In the US game, obviously with a rule written sitting by the indestructible lawns of Florida, it is perfectly OK to take a divot out of the grass on a jump shot. When you spend 300 years developing your lawn, you take good care of it, so in the Association game, if you leave any visible damage on the lawn after a jump shot it is a fault and the balls are replaced, and the turn ends. (You may also be arrested for vandalism and detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.) Obvious Consequence: although this appears to make a jump shot harder, it isn't, it just forces you to play it correctly in the first place. It also means you must have all jump shots watched (as you should anyway).

Second colours Stripes (causing the balls to move strangely if the white stripe is painted on too thick). Green, Pink, Brown and White (the dark balls play together— brown & green, as do the light ones, white & pink). Obvious Consequence: less confusion in double banking.

Game length Typically 70 to 90 minutes. 2-½ hours is the minimum time limit permitted (for weekend tournaments), 3 hours at all other times. Obvious Consequence: you are supposed to peg out!

Last turn When time expires, the striker finishes his turn and each other ball gets one more turn (four turns total). When time expires, the striker completes his turn, and his opponent gets only one turn (two turns total).

Tied game If the score is tied after the end of the last turn, turns continue until one side is ahead after all four balls have played in rotation. Sudden death - if the score is tied after the last turn, the first wicket scored wins the game. (You've played long enough already.)

Rover deadness Rover clears deadness in a complicated set of rules to do with who you hit last, being dead on at least two balls, etc. etc. No special rules.

Rover wicket Peculiarly (again probably just to be different) after making penult the ball has to go beyond the rover wicket and reverse direction to pass through rover towards the peg, thus passing that wicket in the same direction twice in a game, whereas all the other wickets you go through first in one direction and then in the other. In Association Croquet you continue in the logical order and to make rover you go through wicket five in the reverse direction than you did the first time.

Pegging Out Consistent with the policy of always ignoring the logical approach in favor of greater complexity, if you rush a rover into the peg with a rover, that ball is out of the game, but you pretend the ball is still there and take imaginary croquet from it 9 inches from the peg! In the Association game, if a rover rushes another rover into the peg, that ball (logically) is pegged out, and the turn ends (unless in the same stroke the striker ball roquets another ball).

Send inquiries to Ben Morehead at "info (at sign) greenwichcroquet.com".

Croquet Concept	USCA Rules	Association Laws
Rotation	Balls always played in the order Blue, Red, Black, Yellow	Either ball in a partnership may play as the player chooses. Obvious Consequence: you may play the same ball consecutively as often as you wish—so can your opponent. There is NO spent ball! Or—another way of saying the same thing—both the enemy balls are danger ball.

Deadness	In the US game deadness persists from turn to turn unless 'cleared' by going through another wicket, or when an opponent's ball passes through 1-back for the first time. You need extra equipment (a deadness board) in order to play the US game.	In the Association game you are only dead on a ball after you have hit it until you make a wicket or the turn ends, whichever is quicker. (Also, if you do hit a ball you are dead on, it is not a fault, it is simply not a roquet). Obvious Consequence: your deadness will be swiftly forgotten, so go for it. You cannot get a ball for your partner, so make the break now—yes, that means every turn.
Out of bounds	The ball is out of bounds when it is more than half-way over the string.	The ball is out of bounds if it breaks the plane of the innermost edge of the boundary marker (in other countries more usually paint than string). Obvious Consequence: An Association Croquet court only feels bigger—because of the style of play—it is actually smaller than for a USCA game played on the same court!
Placing of boundary balls	Balls are placed 9 inches from the boundary when they are either out of bounds or closer to the boundary than 9 inches (except for striker's ball in the middle of a turn). If another ball interferes, the ball is placed NOT in contact.	Balls are replaced 3 feet (the length of a standard mallet) from the boundary under the same circumstances. If another ball interferes the ball is placed IN contact with the interfering ball. Obvious Consequence: it is much easier to get behind a ball to bring it into the game and create a break, or bring in a fourth ball.
Starting a turn with a ball in contact	You may hit away from a ball you are in contact with, and therefore not hit that ball.	When your turn begins and the ball you choose to play is in contact with another, you are ball in hand with that ball.
Cannons	To Americans, cannons are weapons used to throw the British out of America.	In the Association game, if a roqueted ball creates a group of two or three balls, all of which would be touching, (and that can include after placing the striker's ball for taking croquet) then you have a cannon. Three-ball cannon: in this case the roqueted ball is placed first and the striker then places the other balls in contact with the roqueted ball in any way that he desires, as long as the striker ball is not touching the third ball. Four-ball cannon: after placing the balls as for a three-ball cannon, the fourth ball is then placed on the ground not in contact with the striker ball, but in contact with one or both of the other balls. Obvious Consequence: a cannon is a really useful shot, practiced a lot by proficient Association Croquet players.
Croquet out of bounds	Fault, turn ends	Fault, turn ends—this is just about the only time you can't send a ball out of bounds with impunity.
Roquet out of bounds	Fault, turn ends	No fault, object ball is replaced on the yard line and striker is ball in hand. Obvious Consequence; again it makes building and continuing breaks much easier (rush the boundary ball closer to where you want it to be).
Running a hoop and then going out of bounds	Fault, turn ends	No fault, ball is replaced on the yard line, and the turn continues with the continuation shot. Obvious Consequence: running a hoop to reach a boundary ball is much easier—just blast away.
Running a hoop and hitting a ball	This is, perhaps, the most illogical of all the complexities introduced by the perpetrators of the US game. For some reason, if a ball passes through a wicket it loses its ability to roquet another ball until it is struck again with the mallet.	If you hit another ball after passing through a wicket, obviously you are ball in hand on that ball. Obvious Consequence: this difference is very annoying and much appreciated in roughly equal proportions throughout a game. It is important not to put the object ball directly behind the wicket if you hope to rush it somewhere after making the wicket.
Coin toss	Winner decides who goes first, and therefore which colors.	Winner decides either who goes first, or which colours—loser gets the other choice. Obvious Consequence: any ball can be the first to play.
Starting the game	Balls start three feet in front of wicket one (give or take a bit of left-right wriggle room)	Balls start from either “Baulk line”. The first baulk line runs along the South boundary from the mid-point to the first corner, and the second runs along the North boundary from the mind-point to the third corner— diagonally opposite it. Obvious Consequence: it is unusual to shoot the first wicket on the first turn, making 26-0 the most common score.
1-back stuff	In the American game, because of deadness, the rules provide that after 1-back is made by your opponent's ball you can clear the deadness on one of your balls.	In the Association game, at the start of your next turn after a turn in which the opponent makes 1-back, you may lift either of your balls to either baulk line and shoot from there. If your opponent makes both 1- back and 4-back in the same turn with one of his balls before his other ball has passed 1-back, you get a lift to contact (see lifts below). Obvious Consequence: You don't hide in the wrong corner after your wonderful break!
Wiring and Lifts	In the US game if you are wired, you can “lift to contact“ i.e. take your striker ball and move it to be ball in hand with any ball you are live on.	In the Association game you may lift any wired ball to either baulk line and shoot from there. Obvious Consequence: it is much more useful to wire your opponent if all you give him is a chance to hit in, instead of a guaranteed croquet shot. (Unless he's a really good shot, of course).
Lawn damage	In the US game, obviously with a rule written sitting by the indestructible lawns of Florida, it is perfectly OK to take a divot out of the grass on a jump shot.	When you spend 300 years developing your lawn, you take good care of it, so in the Association game, if you leave any visible damage on the lawn after a jump shot it is a fault and the balls are replaced, and the turn ends. (You may also be arrested for vandalism and detained at Her Majesty's pleasure.) Obvious Consequence: although this appears to make a jump shot harder, it isn't, it just forces you to play it correctly in the first place. It also means you must have all jump shots watched (as you should anyway).
Second colours	Stripes (causing the balls to move strangely if the white stripe is painted on too thick).	Green, Pink, Brown and White (the dark balls play together— brown & green, as do the light ones, white & pink). Obvious Consequence: less confusion in double banking.
Game length	Typically 70 to 90 minutes.	2-½ hours is the minimum time limit permitted (for weekend tournaments), 3 hours at all other times. Obvious Consequence: you are supposed to peg out!
Last turn	When time expires, the striker finishes his turn and each other ball gets one more turn (four turns total).	When time expires, the striker completes his turn, and his opponent gets only one turn (two turns total).
Tied game	If the score is tied after the end of the last turn, turns continue until one side is ahead after all four balls have played in rotation.	Sudden death - if the score is tied after the last turn, the first wicket scored wins the game. (You've played long enough already.)
Rover deadness	Rover clears deadness in a complicated set of rules to do with who you hit last, being dead on at least two balls, etc. etc.	No special rules.
Rover wicket	Peculiarly (again probably just to be different) after making penult the ball has to go beyond the rover wicket and reverse direction to pass through rover towards the peg, thus passing that wicket in the same direction twice in a game, whereas all the other wickets you go through first in one direction and then in the other.	In Association Croquet you continue in the logical order and to make rover you go through wicket five in the reverse direction than you did the first time.
Pegging Out	Consistent with the policy of always ignoring the logical approach in favor of greater complexity, if you rush a rover into the peg with a rover, that ball is out of the game, but you pretend the ball is still there and take imaginary croquet from it 9 inches from the peg!	In the Association game, if a rover rushes another rover into the peg, that ball (logically) is pegged out, and the turn ends (unless in the same stroke the striker ball roquets another ball).