Cutthroat Croquet - Tournament Rules (2016 Ed)

Dear Croquet Enthusiasts:


My fiancée and I have been hosting an annual Croquet Tournament for 8 years now and 2016 will be our 9th year! And oh what fun we have had!


Over the years, we have come to learn that, no matter how many times one has played this game--be it their first, fifth or fiftieth time--everyone seems to forget the rules! As our tournament's hostess, it is my obligation to uphold the rules and even I, as the dubbed "Rule Nazi," find myself needing to consult our rulebook from time to time. You may have read my 2008 blog, sharing the rules that our tournament has officially adopted and, if you are looking to host your own croquet tournament, you, too, may find that those rules tend to render a rather long game with the 2 extra bonus strokes per roquet and also requiring players to run the gamut of the course both forward and back before becoming poison, and next thing you know, it's dark and your tournament is not yet over!


So, we have modified our 2008 rules to not only correct a few minor errors, but shorten the game somewhat, and also to add a brief overview for those players who, let's admit it, are there for the sun, cold drinks and fun and just want to glance over the rules to get a general idea of what they're getting into. Don't worry--this modified play still incorporates all your favorite parts of croquet and you will likely enjoy it more, as we have.


Alas, I share with you the updated, 2016 edition of Cutthroat Croquet - Tournament Rules. 
(Including the pamphlet layout!)


Let the Best Player Win!

RULES OVERVIEW

• Pass through front of all wickets.
• Earn ONE stroke for passing through a wicket.
• Earn ONE stroke for hitting another ball.
• If you strike a wicket, post or another ball with your mallet during play, balls must be returned to previous positions and your turn is over, you clumsy buggar.
• If you play the wrong ball, the ball must be returned to previous position and you lose your turn, because you are a dipshit.
• If you play out of your turn, return your (and any other) ball to its previous position and continue play in correct order. Don’t do it again, you bastard, wait your turn!
• If you hit another ball, either: play ball where it lies; move your ball a mallet head away from ball you struck, then play; place ball touching ball you struck, then play, moving both in same direction; or send ‘em!
• A Poison ball must directly strike you to eliminate you.
• If a Poison ball indirectly strikes you, thank your lucky stars, you’re safe.
• If you accidentally strike a Poison ball, directly OR indirectly, you’ve committed suicide—you’re out.
• If another ball pushes you into a Poison ball, you’re out via friendly fire. You should make that person do a horn.
• If a Poison ball passes through a wicket or touches any post, the ball will be eliminated. Touching a wicket, but not passing through, is not a fault.
• Balls must immediately be removed from course upon elimination.
• Last ball standing wins.

Cutthroat Croquet - Official Tournament Rules

 

Object

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

 

Starting

• Each player blindly picks his/her ball, so as not to see what color/order in which they will be playing.
• The sequence of colors on the starting post determines the order of play, with the top color being first to play.
• At the start of play, the ball must be placed between starting post and wicket 1, at a distance of one mallet-head away from starting post.
   
  Basic Rules
   

• At the beginning of a turn a player has only one stroke.
• Any part of the mallet will suffice for hitting the ball, but the ball must be struck, not pushed.
• The mallet may not hit another ball when striking the ball you are playing.
• The mallet may not hit a wicket or post at any time.
• 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.
• If a fault is committed, as in the above, all balls are replaced and the turn ends.
• If a player plays the wrong ball, it is returned to its original position and the erring player is deprived of a turn.
• If a ball is played out of turn it is not a fault. The ball(s) are replaced and the proper ball plays.
• A stroke counts, however slightly the ball is moved, even if the ball returns to its original position after the shot.
• If a player misses the ball completely, one may strike again.
• 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.)
• A ball must be at least 50% through a wicket for that wicket to be considered completed.
• The ball must be played from where it comes to rest after striking the end post or passing through a wicket.
   
  Roqueting & Bonus Strokes
  
  

• A player receives a single stroke after successfully passing through a wicket or striking the end or starting posts.
• If your ball hits another ball it is called a 'roquet' and you earn the right to take one bonus stroke, which may be used in any of the four following ways:

1. Take 1 where you lay: Take the bonus stroke from where the player’s ball has come to rest.
2. Take 1 a head away: Place the player’s ball one mallet head's length away from the struck ball in any direction and then take bonus stroke.
3. Roquet: 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 roquet shot. The striker does not earn another bonus stroke for “croqueting” another ball.
4. Send ‘em: Place the player’s ball in contact with the struck ball (where the struck ball 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. If the player’s ball moves from under the foot there is no penalty but the player must play the ball from where the ball has come to rest on the next turn.

• A ball must directly strike another ball to earn a bonus stroke.  If a ball indirectly strikes another ball as a result of a ricochet off of another object or another ball, a bonus stroke shall not be awarded. 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 bonus stroke, as long as the player’s ball does not hit any other object before striking the ball it intends to strike.
• A player may continuously strike each ball, one after another, but each ball struck may result in a bonus stroke only once in a turn (you do not earn a bonus stroke the second time you hit the same ball on the same turn). However, after the player successfully passes through a wicket, each ball may be struck again for bonus strokes. However, striking the same ball a second time in a turn is not considered a fault. Play proceeds from where each of the balls come to rest.
• If a player strikes more than one ball in a single stroke it will get a bonus stroke from only the first ball struck with the other balls remaining where they came to rest.  Play of the other balls is then permissible.
• If a player strikes multiple balls at the same time, the player will receive a bonus stroke from only one of the struck balls, but the player may choose which ball will be considered the ball struck. All other balls remain where they came to rest.
• If a player strikes another ball and then proceeds to pass through a wicket in the same stroke, the player shall have successfully passed through the wicket but is entitled to only 1 bonus stroke (the wicket stroke).
• If a player passes through a wicket, then directly strikes another ball in the same stroke, the player shall earn 2 bonus strokes (one for the wicket and one for the struck ball).
• If a struck ball is passed through the front side of a wicket as a result of being struck by another player’s ball, the struck ball shall have successfully completed that wicket, but the struck ball will not gain a bonus shot as a result.
• If a player successfully passes through the end wicket and strikes the end post in the same stroke, the player will earn 2 bonus strokes.
• Bonus strokes may not be accumulated through wickets. All previously earned bonus strokes are lost once a player passes through the front side of a wicket. Passing through a wicket in reverse has no effect on earned bonus strokes.
   
   
   
  Boundaries
  
  

• 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. Any earned bonus shots are lost if a ball is sent out of bounds.
• 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
   

• Each and every player to successfully pass through all wickets, strike the end post and pass back through the last wicket shall be deemed “Poison.” A ball is considered Poison immediately after successfully passing back through the end wicket and the Poison ball may then take 1 bonus stroke.
• A Poison ball must begin play where the ball comes to rest after successfully passing back through the end wicket.
• A Poison ball eliminates other balls by directly striking another (a “death blow”).
• A Poison ball can eliminate another Poison ball by a direct death blow.
• A Poison ball will earn 1 bonus shot after successfully eliminating any other ball, including other Poison balls.
• If a Poison ball passes through any wicket (50% or more) or touches any post, the ball will be eliminated. Touching a wicket, but not passing through, is not a fault.
• 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 post or wicket 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.
• 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 1 bonus shot.
• 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. Eliminated balls are to be removed from course immediately. 
   
  Winning
   
  The last remaining player in a game who has successfully passed through all wickets, successfully struck the end post and who has not been eliminated by another Poison ball shall be deemed the winner.