Rule card

How to play with a croquet set: backyard rules

A backyard croquet set has six mallets, six balls, nine wickets and two stakes, laid out in a double diamond. Six players, six balls, and one rule that causes every family argument: the croquet shot.

Laying out the course

On a lawn about 15 × 9 metres, push in a stake at each end. Place two wickets in front of each stake, one wicket on each side of the course in the middle, and one wicket in the centre — the double diamond. Shrink the layout for a smaller yard.

Our colourful arrow wickets make the course order easy to follow for new players.

Order of play

Players play in the colour order of the stripes painted on the stakes, top to bottom. Each player starts a mallet's length in front of the first wicket and gets one stroke per turn.

• Going through a wicket in order gives one bonus stroke.
• Hitting the turning stake gives one bonus stroke.
• Hitting another ball (a roquet) gives two bonus strokes.

The croquet shot

After a roquet, you may place your ball against the ball you hit, put your foot on your ball and strike it, sending the other ball away. That is the croquet shot. Then you take your one remaining bonus stroke.

Winning the game

Go through all the wickets out and back, then hit the finishing stake. The first player to stake out wins. Teams of two can play, with both balls on a team needing to finish.

Choosing a croquet set

28 inch mallets suit children and mixed-age families, 32 inch most adults, and 35 inch tall players who want a full swing. All three ApudArmis six-player croquet sets share the same balls and wickets, and each comes with a carrying case that holds the full set.

Look at the equipment as well as the price. Mallet heads should be solid hardwood or rubberwood rather than hollow plastic, the handles should be screwed in firmly, and the wickets should be steel. A durable croquet set built this way will give friends and family years of fun at every gathering.

Caring for your set

Wipe the mallets dry after play, store the croquet set in its carrying case indoors, and check that the handles are tight at the start of each year. Replacement wickets and balls are sold on their own, so a lost hoop never means buying a whole new set.