CUTTHROAT CROQUET RULES - THE COMPLETE VERSION

Hey, Croquet enthusiasts! :) If you're like me, you've played croquet a couple times, you like the game, but somehow it never fails that the rules are always different depending on who you're playing with or you're used to some extra rules that most basic rule books don't give you or are incomplete. I have compiled a complete set of rules derived mostly from official rules I've gathered all over the internet and, for your convenience, thought I would share them with you for use in your own backyard tournament! These rules are unique and are meant for what some call "cutthroat croquet". It includes the real basic rules, bonus strokes rules, and, what I believe it the funnest part of croquet, Poison ball rules. Hope you find this useful.
GAME ON!

Cutthroat Croquet Official Rules

Starting

1. Each player blindly picks his/her ball, so as not to see what color/order in which they will be playing.
2. The sequence of colors on the starting post determines the order in which players shall play. The top color shall be first to play, etc.

At the start of play, the ball must be placed in a direct line between starting post and wicket 1, and one-third of the distance from starting post to wicket 1.

Object

Each player’s ball must successfully pass through each wicket on the course, strike the turning post and return back through each wicket in reverse order, until finally striking the starting post and becoming poison, after which time the object is to eliminate the other remaining players and be the last player standing.

Basic Rules

1 At the beginning of a turn a player has only one stroke.
2 Any part of the mallet will suffice for hitting the ball, but the ball must be struck, not pushed.
3 The mallet may not hit another ball when striking the ball you are playing.
4 The mallet may not hit a wicket or post at any time.
5 A player may mat down only one mallet head’s length of grass in any direction of his or her ball prior to taking a turn.
6 If a fault is committed, as in the above, all balls are replaced and the turn ends.
7 If a player plays the wrong ball, it is returned to its original position and the erring player is deprived of a turn.
8 If a ball is played out of turn it is not a fault. The ball(s) are replaced and the proper ball plays.
9 A stroke counts, however slightly the ball is moved, even if the ball returns to its original position after the shot.
10 If a player misses the ball completely, one may strike again.
11 A ball must pass through the front side of each wicket for that wicket to be considered completed. (The front side of the wicket is the side primarily facing the starting post/previous wicket.)
12 A ball must be at least 50% through a wicket for that wicket to be considered completed.
13 The ball must be played from where is comes to rest after striking the turning post or passing through a wicket.

Roqueting & Bonus Strokes

1 A player receives a single stroke after successfully passing through a wicket or striking the turning or starting posts.
2 If your ball hits another ball it is called a 'roquet' and you earn the right to take two bonus strokes, which may be used in any of the four following ways:
a. Take 2 where you lay: Take the two bonus strokes from where the player’s ball has come to rest.
b. Take 2 a head away: Place the player’s ball one mallet head's length away from the struck ball in any direction and then take two bonus strokes.
c. Croquet: Place the player’s ball in contact with the struck ball (where it has come to rest) then strike the player's ball so as to send both balls in the desired direction. This is called a croquet shot. The striker then has one bonus stroke remaining.
d. Send ‘em: Place the player’s ball in contact with the struck ball (where it has come to rest) and placing the player's foot on his own ball so as to render it immobile, strike the player's own ball so as to send the other ball off in the desired direction while the player's ball remains where it is. 3 The player then has one more bonus stroke remaining. If the player’s ball moves from under the foot there is no penalty but the player must take the remaining bonus stroke from where the ball has come to rest.
4 A ball must directly strike another ball for a roquet to be valid. If a ball indirectly strikes another ball as a result of a ricochet off of another object or another ball, the roquet shall not be considered valid. However, use of the course’s topography (i.e. a hill or slant) may be strategically used to directly strike another ball and gain a valid roquet, as long as the player’s ball does not hit any other object before striking the ball it intends to roquet.
5 A player may continuously roquet each ball one after another, but each ball may be roqueted by the player’s ball only once in a turn to earn bonus strokes. However, after the player scores a wicket each ball may be roqueted again for bonus strokes.
6 Roqueting the same ball a second time in a turn with not yet having scored a wicket point is not considered a fault. However, the player does not receive additional bonus strokes as a result of the second roquet. Play proceeds from where the balls came to rest.
7 If a player roquets (hits) more than one ball in a single stroke it will get bonus strokes from only the first ball roqueted with the other balls remaining where they came to rest. Play of the other balls is then permissible.
8 If a player roquets multiple balls at the same time, the player will receive bonus strokes from only one of the struck balls, but they player may choose which struck ball will be considered the roqueted ball. All other balls remain where they came to rest.
9 If a player roquets another ball and then passes through a wicket in the same stroke, the player shall have successfully passed through the wicket but is entitled to only one bonus stroke. 10 If a struck ball is passed through the front side of a wicket as a result of being roqueted, the struck ball shall have successfully completed that wicket, but the struck ball will not gain a bonus shot as a result.
11 Bonus strokes may not be accumulated. Only the last earned bonus strokes may be played. This includes adding wicket bonus strokes to roquet bonus strokes, which is impermissible. The exception to this rule occurs if you successfully pass through a wicket and strike the turning or starting post in the same stroke, in which case the player will earn two bonus strokes.

Boundaries

1 A ball sent out of bounds should be placed on the boundary margin one mallet length inside the boundary line at the point of exit. If the player has a remaining bonus shot he/she then plays it. 2 There is no penalty for going out of bounds.
3 All balls that come to rest within the boundary margin closer than one mallet head’s length to the boundary may, at the player’s discretion, be placed one mallet head’s length inside the boundary margin.

Poison

1 Each and every player to successfully pass through all wickets, forward and reverse and strike the starting post shall be deemed “Poison”. A ball is considered Poison immediately after successfully striking the starting post and the Poison ball may then take any earned bonus strokes.
2 A Poison ball must begin play where the ball comes to rest after successfully striking the starting post.
3 A Poison ball eliminates other balls by directly striking them (a “death blow”).
4 A Poison ball can eliminate other Poison balls only by a direct death blow.
5 A Poison ball will earn one bonus shot after successfully eliminating another ball.
6 If a Poison ball passes through any wicket (50% or more) or touches any turning or starting post, the ball will be eliminated.
7 If any ball is indirectly struck by a Poison ball in play (the Poison ball ricochets off of another ball or any other obstacle, including any turning or starting post while in play), the strike shall be considered invalid, the ball will not be eliminated, the Poison ball will not earn a bonus strike and the player’s turn shall be over.
8 If a Poison ball strikes more than one ball at the same time, any and all balls simultaneously struck will be eliminated but the Poison ball will receive only one bonus shot.
9 If a player’s non-Poison ball strikes any Poison ball, directly or indirectly from a ricochet, roquet, or any other means, that player will be eliminated by suicide (from that of the player’s own doing) or friendly fire (from another player’s doing).

Elimination

Any person who has directly been struck by a Poison ball or who directly or indirectly strikes another Poison ball shall be eliminated. The first ball to be eliminated shall be deemed the “biggest loser”.

Winning

The last remaining player in a game who has successfully passed through all wickets, successfully struck the starting post and who has not been eliminated by another Poison ball shall be deemed the winner.