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 1 
 
 2 
 
 3 
 
 4 
 
 5 
 
 6 
 
Hand Book & Rules 
 
 — OF — 
 
 CROQUET 
 
 -ALSO 
 
 RULES FOR TOURNAMENTS. 
 
 W. Bryce, London. 
 
 f Miit -' > m 
 
a 
 
 [ 
 
 i 
 
il 
 
 I 
 
 NEW AND REVISED EDITION 
 
 -OF- 
 
 i 
 
 Id PUI Ciji! 
 
 A POCKET MANUAL 
 
 — OF — 
 
 Complete inatruotiona for all Playera, illuatrated 
 
 with Engraulnis and Diagrams, together with 
 
 the Rulea of the Qume, aa adopted by 
 
 Profetslonal and Amateur Civbe. 
 
 Hints on Floor and Table Croqust, 
 
 and Definitions oi* Technical Terms. 
 
 *-•■ 
 
 \Vm. Bbycb, Publishek, 123 OuiiDAa §It. 
 
 1883. 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 Field or Lawn Croquet is becoming in this country, 
 as in Europe, a national game, and one which our fair 
 countrywomen certainly, from its pleasurable excite- 
 ments and health-giving influences — it being the only 
 pastime which leads them into the open air— will not 
 easily relinquish. Information from all sections induces 
 the conclusion that Croquet once introduced into a 
 family is thereafter a permancy. 
 
 At the present reasonable rates no family should 
 be without this recreation, in which all its members 
 may join, and which tends so greatly to keep within 
 the " home circle " the younger members of the house- 
 hold. 
 
 In connection with the rules printed in our Hand 
 Book of last year, we have added many rules now in 
 general use, while obsolete rules have been elimi- 
 nated from the book as superfluous. The game of 
 Croquet is becoming more scientific each year, and 
 all players should conform as much as possible to 
 the rules as laid down and adopted by adepts in the 
 game. 
 
 The Rules for Tournaments will be found sufficient 
 for guidance in all matched p'ames, 
 
 ^lany of the croquet booics now in use contain so 
 many rules and suggestions that they tend rather to 
 confuse than enlighten. We have been strongly urged 
 to simplify them, and have concluded to undertake the 
 task, gathering our information from the most reliable 
 sources and the best players. 
 
 In regard to croquet, each household *'is a law unto 
 itself," but those unacquainted with the game need 
 some general instructions and rules, which it is the aim 
 of thi« book to«upply. 
 
HOW TO PLAY 
 
 CROQUET. 
 
 First Words. 
 
 HARMING ! " is the universal exclamation of 
 all who play or who witness the playing of 
 Croquet. Most persons suppose it to be a 
 new game, yet, although in some respects new, it is 
 little more than an old one revived. It used to be 
 played by the ancient Gauls so universally, that the 
 greater portion of the promenades adjoining large 
 towns consisted each of a long alley, the mail— 
 the name of the game being /<?« de mail. The later 
 French received it from their ancestors, the Gauls, 
 and it was introduced into England under Charles 
 II., at the time of the Restoration, after his sojourn 
 in France. The long Avenue in front of Bucking- 
 ham Palace, called the " Mall," or ** Mail," derived 
 its name from this game, which was played there. 
 The residents of Boston, a century ago, gave the 
 same name to the side avenues of their famous 
 Common. Very few of the present residents are 
 
aware that Beacon Street and Park Street Malls 
 derive their title from the game of Croquet. 
 
 One prime feature of Croquet is that it is an 
 out-door sport in which ladies and gentlemen, boys 
 and girls, may alike engage. Hitherto, while men 
 and boys have had their healthful recreation in the 
 open air, the women and children have been re- 
 stricted to less exhilarating sports of indoor life ; or, 
 if they ventured out, all the participation in the 
 healthful outdoor amusement and exercise they 
 could indulge in was the tame and unsatisfactory 
 position of mere lookers-on. 
 
 It is not to be wondered at, then, this being the 
 state of things, that Croquet, upon its introduc- 
 tion to American Society, should meet with so 
 warm and universal a welcome. It came as an out- 
 door sport for ladies, misses, and even little chil- 
 dren,— for the rich and for the poor ; the strong and 
 the weak, — easily learned, and always intensely in- 
 teresting and attractive to all. 
 
 We shall endeavor, in this ** New Manual," to 
 make all its points clear to every understanding, so 
 that persons of every age, from, the youngest to the 
 oldest, may easily become proficient in a mode of 
 amusement which cannot fail to be to them an in- 
 exhaustible source of health and happiness. 
 
 Implements Requir*). 
 
 What is called a " Full Set," consists of Eight 
 
Balls, Eight Mallets, Ten Arches and Two Stakes ; 
 a '' Half Set " consists of Four Balls, Four Mallets, 
 Ten Arches and Two Stakes. 
 
 These may be simply constructed of ordinary 
 material ; but if the game is to be established as a 
 permanent institution, and the players wish to en- 
 gage in it correctly, and on what may be called ** sci- 
 entific principles," a good degree of attention should 
 be paid to the material, size, shape and proportion 
 of them. A nice, well-made set of these, kept in 
 good order, always at hand, we have no doubt will 
 soon be considered indispensible in every well or- 
 dered family. When one considers how much real 
 enjoyment and healthful exercise can be derived 
 from such a collection of simple articles, that they 
 are a protection from evil influences by keeping al^ 
 the members in the household ranks, and that with 
 rational amusements at home, no one will be in- 
 clined to seek irritable ones abroad, we think a 
 great inducement is presented for the general adop- 
 tion of Croquet. 
 
 The Balls. 
 
 Among foreign hard-woods, sound Turkey box- 
 wood is excellent for Croquet-balls, and is used by 
 those who wish and can aiford a tip-top article. 
 
 Various forms of mallet-heads have been used by 
 Croquet-players, rome of them rather fanciful than 
 otherwise ; but long experience has resulted in an 
 
4 
 
 adoption of the following as the most prac^ka) and 
 generally useful. It is the nearest perfection in 
 
 J 
 
 simple elegance, and almost indestructible. We 
 have seen those that have been ui constant use for 
 i.wo seasons without a fracture. Besides these in- 
 dispensable quaities for a good game, it balances 
 very nicely in th^'. hand \ and a true and scientific 
 blow can be struck, with perfect ease. 
 
 This shape is used largely by professional players ; 
 its long cylinder shape presents an accurate line to 
 gui'^e the eye in making *' line " shots. 
 
 The game cf Croquet is played on a lawn or a 
 piece of smooth turf, and possesses an important 
 advantage over most other out-door games, inas- 
 much as any piece of grass land of ordinary size 
 will serve its purpose; in fact, it maybe played al- 
 most anywhere. 
 
 <<jji 
 
8 
 
 Arrangement of Arches and Stakes. 
 The arrangement of arches and stakes shown in 
 the diagram on page 7 is accepted by all good 
 players as the original one, and as affording the best 
 game. It presents the distances adopted by the 
 majority of players, though the exact distances 
 between the 'arches are unimportant, and may^e 
 regulated according to the dimensions of the ground 
 on which the game is played. In every case, how- 
 ever, they should bear a relative proportion to the 
 table here given. 
 
 TABLE OF DISTANCES. 
 
 feet- 
 it 
 
 II 
 
 u 
 II 
 u 
 n 
 
 a 
 
 Variations from this plan of arrangement have 
 been introduced in some places, and new ones will 
 probably be devised by those who play the game. 
 Where the Croquet ground is small the following 
 plan, with nine hoops, always affords an interesting 
 game; the central arch presenting rather greater 
 difficulty to the player than any arch in the usual 
 
 S. A 
 
 to 
 
 I 
 
 axh 
 
 9 
 
 feet. 
 
 B to 7 
 
 arch 9 
 
 I 
 
 
 2 
 
 
 8 
 
 n 
 
 7 *' 6 
 
 8 
 
 1 2 
 
 
 3 
 
 
 i6 
 
 u 
 
 6 *' 8 
 
 ^* 16 
 
 3 
 
 
 4 
 
 
 8 
 
 It 
 
 8 " 9 
 
 8 
 
 4 
 
 
 5 
 
 
 8 
 
 a 
 
 9 " 10 
 
 8 
 
 5 
 
 
 6 
 
 
 16 
 
 i( 
 
 10 '* 2 
 
 *' 16 
 
 6 
 
 <; 
 
 7 
 
 
 8 
 
 n 
 
 2 '' I 
 
 8 
 
 7 
 
 (( 
 
 ff 
 
 B slake 
 
 9 
 
 (< 
 
 I " S A. stake 9 
 
IC 
 
 II, . I 
 
 GenIeral Directions for Playing. 
 
 The game can be played by eight persons, four 
 on each side. Six or Four, however, make a better 
 game ; and, if there are only two players, each can 
 use two balls and have a capital game. It is gen- 
 erally conCeeded that four is the best number ; eight 
 players may be divided into two sets, both playing 
 on the same ground. At the commencement the 
 players divide into two sides, which, if not even, 
 may be made so by one of the players taking two 
 balls. Each player takes a mallet and ball of the 
 same color. 
 
 The game commences by the leader of one side 
 placing his ball about a mallet's length in front of 
 the starting-stake, and endeavcring, by striking it 
 with the head of his mallet, to drive it through the 
 first arch. If he succeeds, he then tries to drive it 
 through the next arch, and so on. As soon as 
 he misses going through an arch, his turn is over. 
 If, however, at the first turn he does not send his 
 ball through the first arch, he gives place to the next 
 player. The leader of the other side then plays ; 
 and the others in the order of the colors on the 
 starting-stake. 
 
 The aim of each playe- is to drive the balls from 
 the starting-stake, which must be struck. This is 
 called " pegging," or " staking." The balls are then 
 
r I 
 
 to the turn and back lo be in the direction indicated 
 by the arrows on our diagrams. 
 
 The player who reaches the turning-stake first has 
 great advantages ; for, as soon as he commences his 
 return journey, and meeting the other players, he 
 is able to croquet them, considerably impeding their 
 progi -ss. 
 
 The side whose balls are first driven round, and 
 hit the starting-stake, wins the game. 
 
 The requisites of a correct position are these: — ^a 
 firm footing, the body brought into an easy position 
 for striking, and finally a good sight of the line of 
 projection. 
 
 Place the feet firmly on the ground about fifteen 
 inches apart,so that the line from toe to toe is about 
 an inch from your ball. Now stoop slightly over 
 the ball, taking care to keep the knees straight and 
 the feet firmly planted, until your mallet-head is 
 almost touching the ball, and just clear of the 
 ground. In this way not only is an easy and 
 natural position secured, but the eye is brought just 
 over and thoroughly commands the line of projec- 
 tion. 
 
 Having satisfactorily posed yourself, the next 
 thing is to deliver the stroke ; but first determine 
 7vher6 to strike your ball. It is evident, that in 
 standing as before described,to drive the ball in the 
 direction of a line parallel with that from the toe of 
 vour right boot to the toe of the left, the mallet: 
 
tf 
 
 must stiike it fairly upon the centre of its right-hand 
 side, or on a line passing through the centre of the 
 mallet-head and of the ball. Having got this nghtly, 
 swing back your mallet with an easy action of the 
 wrist moving the arm as little as is compatible with 
 freedom, and let it fall on the ball exactly on the 
 point indicated. The mallet should be allowed to 
 fall by its own weight, rather than by any muscular- 
 ly imparted impetus, as that has a tendency to im- 
 pare the steadiness of the stroke. Great care must 
 be taken, too, that the mallet-head's larger axis is 
 exactly in the line of projection; a very slight 
 deviation from this line will suffice to divert the ball 
 from its true course. If the mallet be nqt allowed 
 to swing perpendicularly, or very nearly so, there 
 will be always a tendency to pull the ball— a very 
 common cause of failure with many players. 
 
 Another very common cause of failure is the 
 twisting of the mallet-head to one side just as the 
 stroke is given, and this is specially observable with 
 nervous people ; the remedy— an mfallable one— 
 is to hold the mallet tight. Let the wrist play as 
 loose as you like, but the hand must keep a firm 
 orip of the mallet ; a loose grasp is not only a 
 fertile source of erratic play, but fatal to crisp, clean 
 
 hittings. , .„ . ^ • U4. 
 
 To drive your own ball where you will m a straight 
 line is comparatively easy, but to be able to place 
 
 ,.., Kaiic PYnrtlv where most wanted, each going ott 
 
 
at a different angie, and having to traverse a differ- 
 ent distance, is indeed a triumph of skill and dex- 
 terity. This cannot, of course, be acquired without 
 a knowledge of the natural laws which govern the 
 motions ot spherical bodies when brought into con- 
 tact with one another. If one ball be driven by 
 another ball coming in contact with it, the former 
 will fly off from the latter in the direction of the 
 straight line joining their centres. This rule holds 
 good also when the two balls are in contact at rest, 
 and one is struck as in the Croquet Get this line 
 correctly, and it matters not how you strike your 
 own ball ; the croquetted ball must take the right 
 direction. 
 
 The movements of the croquetting ball depend 
 entirely upon the handling of the mallet. Short, 
 sharp strokes produce gre^ * angles ; longy sweeping 
 strokes^ fine angles. The lormer drive the croquet- 
 ted ball, and hardly stir the other ; the latter drive 
 the croquetting ball, and, unless the angle be fine, 
 scarcely move the croquetted. 
 
 The short, sharp stroke must be given with a 
 loose wrist, the mallet not being held too tight, but 
 rather allowed to play in the hand. Care must be 
 taken to arrest the mallet^s motion at the very in- 
 stant of delivery ; if it be allowed to follow the ball 
 in the least, it will not only modify the angle, but 
 will impart to the ball more or less of its own for- 
 
ward impetus. To avoid this, the mallet should 
 be brought up sharp, with a kind of jerk. 
 
 In making the sweeping or driving stroke, the 
 mallet must be grasped with a rigid hand and wrist 
 as firmly as possible, and quite low down, and must 
 be made to follow w^ell after the ball. 
 
 At the beginning of the game, and before making 
 each stroke, look w^ell around and see the exact 
 position of affairs ; then, having made up your mind 
 what to do, make your stroke deliberately and care- 
 fully. Watch the game attentively throughout, 
 studying each player's style, both friend and foe. 
 You will thus learn the capabilities of others, and 
 learn points which may be consequently of great 
 
 service; 
 
 Do not play a se'^ish game — that is, do not be 
 in too big a hurry to make your own arches. You 
 may otten do more service to your side by going 
 back, or lying by to help a friend, than by running 
 your own ball through half a dozen arches. Remem- 
 ber, you cannot win the ganie by your own ball 
 
 alone. 
 
 Do not hesitate, either, where you can do real 
 injury to your opponents, to abandon your own 
 game, in order to go down and break up theirs. 
 
 When two or more balls are in friendly proximity, 
 rush down and break up their union at all hazards, 
 for such a gathering always denotes mischief ahead. 
 
 IN ever iry a aimcuii svruKc, iivwwvt wii»»«»"v, 
 
'V' 
 
 15 
 
 when circumstances do not imperatively demand 
 it. It is the safe game that wms. 
 
 Take every opportunity of practising the various 
 strokes, particularly the more simple ones. 
 
 Especially study and perfect yourself in long 
 shots ; make everything within twenty yards a dead 
 certainty on level ground. This may seem a long 
 stroke, but is perfectly attainable with good mallets 
 and balls on a good ground. 
 
 When a player strikes his own ball so as to hit 
 another, however lightly, at a distance, he is said to 
 roquet it Having thus hit a ball, he can "take the 
 croquet " before proceeding further in the game, or 
 not, at his option. 
 
 As soon as the ball has gone through the first 
 arch, the player may, with it, croquet any ball that 
 has also passed through the same arch. It is done 
 as follows: when a ball has hit another at a distance, 
 —that is, " roquetted it,"— the player lays his own 
 ball against the other so that it touches it. At this 
 point two different methods of playing come in. 
 One is called " Tight Croquet," the other " Loose 
 Croquet. " In the former, the player places his foot 
 on his own ball, and strikes his ball with the mal- 
 let. 
 
i6 
 
 H^i* 
 
 i 
 
 I 
 
 IN POSITION FOR " LOOSE CROQUET." 
 
 The effect of this will be to drive the other ball 
 in any direction the player may choose, which, of 
 course, will be governed by whether the ball thus 
 croquet'. ed belongs to a player on his own side or 
 not. If the player adopts the " Loose Croquet," he 
 does not place his foot on the ball, but merely plac- 
 
 U 
 
i 
 
 y 
 
 '7 
 
 ing the two balls in contact, he drives them both to- 
 gether by striking his ball The result is that they 
 fly oflF at different angles. 
 
 In Position for " Tight Croquet/' 
 
 A friend can by croquetting send a partner through 
 the arch he wishes to pass, or else drive an enemy 
 
i8 
 
 who has obtained a good position, exactly in the op- 
 posite direction to that in which he wishes to travel. 
 Great care must be taken with regard to the way in 
 which the ball is driven. Many thoughtless player* 
 think nothing of driving a foe close to a friend, or, 
 in the hope of assisting their side, send a friend in 
 the immediate neighborhood of a foe, thus improv- 
 ing the position of the adverse side, and damaging 
 that of their own. 
 
 When a player has gone the rounds and reached 
 the starting-stake, he may either " peg," and retire, 
 or not strike it, and ' j a " rover," with the privilege 
 of travelling over the ground to assist players on 
 his own side, or damage the prospects of those on 
 the other. 
 
^9 
 
 Rules and Regulations. 
 
 1. The players on each side arc to play altern- 
 ately, according to the colors on the starting-stake ; 
 and the order in which they pl'iy shall remain un- 
 changed during the game. 
 
 2. A player continues to play until he 
 fails in an attempt to pass an arch, strike the turn- 
 ing-post, or any other point in the game. 
 
 3. On commencing, each player must place his 
 ball at a distance from the starting-stake not ex- 
 ceeding the 'ength of the mallet. 
 
 4. The first stroke must be to pass the ball 
 through the first arch. 
 
 5. The ball must be struck with one of the faces 
 of the mallet-head, and never with its side. 
 
 6. The ball roust be fairly struck, and never 
 pushed. A ball is considered to be fairly struck 
 when the sound of the stroke is heard. A ball is 
 pushed when the face of the mallet is allowed to 
 rest against it, and the ball is propelled without the 
 mallet beinsr drawn back. 
 
20 
 
 7. If a ball be struck othevwise than with the 
 face of the mallet, if it be pushed, or if in striking 
 at his own ball a player hits another, it is a foul 
 stroke, and the player loses his turn ; and any balls 
 disturbed shall be replaced or suffered to remain, 
 at the option of the opposite side. 
 
 8. A player may play in any attitude, and use 
 his mallet with his hands in any way he pleases, pro- 
 vided he strikes the ball with the face of the mallet. 
 
 9. If, in making a strike, a ball is driven beyond 
 the limits ot the Croquet-ground, it may be taken 
 up and placed at a point where it crossed the 
 boundary line. 
 
 10. When the ball is by accident driven from 
 its resting-place, it is to be returned to the spot 
 from which it was started. 
 
 11. It is allowable for a player to rest the head 
 of his mallet on the ground at a distance from the 
 ball, and strike it by sharply advancing the mal- 
 let from its resting-place. 
 
 1 2. Instead of aiming at his arch or at another 
 ball, a player may strike his ball towards any part 
 of the ground he pleases 
 
 13. The balls are to pass through the course in 
 the regular order of the arches. If a ball passes 
 through an arch other than the arch next in its turn, 
 from the wrong side, the passing-through is of no 
 account. 
 
14 If a ball is struck through its right arch by 
 a blow from another ball, or is roquetted or cro- 
 quetted through it, it is considered to have gone 
 through its arch. 
 
 15. Any player missing the first arch takes his 
 ball up, and, when his turn comes, plays from the 
 starting-place, as at first. 
 
 16. If, by a single stroke, a ball passes through 
 two arches, its owner can claim ground one niallet's 
 length in any direction from the place on which the 
 ball stopped ; if three arches, two snch lengths. 
 
 I , . A ball has fairly passed through an arch 
 when it passes within and beyond it to any extent, 
 
■i<i ^ MiiTiiw '« i f M i i ffUr ' ■riiiTiiii-fiifiT 
 
 9§ 
 
 ■ i 
 
 I 
 
 or when, if the handle of the mallet is laid across 
 the two sides of the arch whence the ball came, the 
 ball does not touch the handle, as shown on page 21. 
 
 18. Hitting the turning-stake is equivalent in 
 its privileges to the passage of an arch. 
 
 19. When the ball of a player hits the starting, 
 place, after he has been through all the 
 arches, whether by his own play or by being ro- 
 quetted or croquetted, he is out of the game, and 
 it proceeds without him. 
 
 20. A ball is a rover when it has gone through 
 all the arches, and has not hit the starting-stake. 
 
 21. A rover has liberty to croquet consecutively 
 all the balls during any one of his turns, but can- 
 not croquet the same ball twice in a single turn. 
 
 f 2 If a person play out of his turn, and the error 
 be discovered before the turn is completed, the 
 ball must be replaced where it stood before, as well 
 as any ball it may have moved. If, however, the 
 turn is completed, the player looses his next turn 
 altogether. The error, however, must be discovered 
 before the commencement of the next turn, or else 
 no penalty i> attached. 
 
 23. A ball is roquetted when it is struck by an- 
 other, whether the ball striking it proceeds from a 
 stroke of a mallet or is rebounded from an arch, 
 stake, or ball which it has previously struck. 
 
 24, When a ball roquets two or more balls by one 
 
 
«3 
 
 stroke of the mallet, he is said to ricochet^ and can 
 croquet one or all, at his option. 
 
 25. As soon as a player has gone through the first 
 arch, he is at liberty to croquet any ball which has 
 also gone through the arch, 
 
 26. A player cannot croquet a ball which he has 
 not roquetted. 
 
 27. A booby cannot croquet another ball, nor be 
 
 croquetted. 
 
 28. A player is forced to move the «roquetted 
 ball at least six inches, and cannot croquet the same 
 ball a second time until he has passed through an 
 
 arch. 
 
 29. If a player ricochet, and wishes to croquet, 
 he must do so in the order in which they were 
 roquetted, but the striker has only one additional 
 stroke when he has croquetted the lot 
 
 30. If a ball hit another ball that is a rover, ai:d 
 by the blow drives it against the w inning-stake, he is 
 allowed another turn, but cannot croquet the ball, as 
 the moment it touches the stake it is dead 
 
 31. If, in ** tight " croquetting, the ball slip from 
 the foot and go through an arch,or strike the stake, 
 the stroke does not count 
 
 32. If, in an attempt to croquet a ball,the player*s 
 ball flinches, the ball on which the Croquet was to 
 be executed is free, and can be struck in its turn by 
 its owner. 
 
 33. In the act of croquetting, v/hen the player 
 
24 
 
 makes a splitting or following stroke, the foot may 
 be held lightly on his own ball, but it is not obliga- 
 tory to put the foot on at all. 
 
 34. A player, after striking a ball, is not neces- 
 sarily compelled to croquet it, but is allowed to 
 play in any direction he pleases. He must, how- 
 ever, play from the place where his ball is, and not, 
 since he abnegates the privilege of it, as after a 
 Croquet from a position touching the ball he has 
 struck. 
 
 35. If a player croquet a ball^illegally, he loses 
 his next turn. 
 
 36. If a ball, when croquetted through its arch in 
 a wrong direction, roll back through the arch, it has 
 net to pass through the same arch in the same di- 
 rection again. 
 
 37. Should the course of a ball be interrupted by 
 any person, the player can allow it to remain at the 
 the point where interrupted, or it can be moved to 
 where he supposes it would have reached. 
 
 38. If a player play with a wrong ball, he has to 
 replace the ball and lose his turn. This is not en- 
 forced unless the error is discovered before the ar- 
 rival of the playc . 's second turn. 
 
 39. If a ball be moved by a player when it should 
 not have been touched, it must be restored to its 
 former position, even if the stroke has sent it against 
 a stake or through an arch. 
 
 40. When all the players on one side have passed 
 
 H 
 
^5 
 
 through the arches and struck both stakes, the side 
 that first accomplishes this wins the game. 
 
 Suggestions to Beginners. 
 
 1. In defeat or victory, be master of yourself. 
 
 2. Keep your ball as far from your antagonist's 
 and as near your associate's as possible. 
 
 3. If you are in advance, help your associate ; if 
 you are behind, have your associate help you. 
 
 4. Recollect that a position directly under the 
 arch of your proper bridge enables you to command 
 all the field in front of it. 
 
 5. Make good use of the privileges of croquet. 
 Do not consider it the sole object to run the bridges. 
 
 6. The roquet croquet is susceptible of more 
 scientific playing than any other stroke. 
 
 7. Always strike fairly and luUy, and do not per- 
 suade yourself that a kind of push amounts to this. 
 
 8. Avoid the habit of standing behind the ball 
 when making a stroke. 
 
 9. If you are a rover, keep yourself close to your 
 associate, to enable him, among other things, to 
 croquet you toward your antagonist who played 
 last, that you may have a chance of roqueting him. 
 
 10. Never drive an antagonist near an associate, 
 unless the latter plays first. 
 
 1 1. Accustom yourself as much as possible to 
 
\ 
 
 26 
 
 strike with one hand, as it is much more graceful, 
 and tends more to the expansion of the chest. 
 
 12. To the ladies we would say, avoid long 
 dresses ; to the gentlemen, don't swing your mallets 
 so as to give too hard a blow ; an easy, skillful 
 stroke will send a ball anywhere within the bounds. 
 " Sledge hammering" injures- the implements, irri- 
 tates the players, and delays the game. 
 
 13. Exercise judgment and care; do not attempt 
 difficult shots, except in desperate circumstance. 
 
 14. Never dispair because you are behind. The 
 game is never out until it is played out. 
 
 15. Be liberal, and exercise great good nature in 
 settling disputed question of fact. 
 
 16. Be guided strictly according to established 
 rules and allow them to be applied rigidly. 
 
 Rules for Tournam jnts. 
 
 The following rules were adopted by several 
 Croquet Clubs for use at tournaments, and with the 
 general rules, contain all that is necessary for the 
 playing of matched games: 
 
 I. There must be an umpire of each game, 
 chosen by the players of the g^me. All questions 
 must be settled by the umpire. 
 
i7 
 
 I. The players of each game must determine by 
 lots which side shall make the first play. 
 
 3. A player must start his ball midway between 
 the stake and first arch. 
 
 4. A player has only one stroke for making two 
 arches at one stroke. 
 
 5. If a player bo^oies, his ball remains where it 
 stops ; his ball is entered, and at his next play he 
 has rights on other balls. After making the first 
 arch, player's have rights on a booby's ball. 
 
 6. When a player roquets a ball, he cannot 
 roquet the same ball again till he makes another 
 point. 
 
 7. Tight croquet and striking a ball on which 
 the players have no right are not allowed. If the 
 player, after striking a dead ball, makes a point or 
 roquets a live ball, the play counts, but the dead 
 ball must in all cases be replaced. 
 
 8. When a player roquets a ball, and then makes 
 a point in the same play only the roquet counts. 
 
 9. When a player makes a point and then 
 roquets a ball in the same play, both plays count. 
 
 10. Putting out an opponent is not allowed. If 
 a rover roquets a ball and then strikes the stake in 
 the same play, the rover can take the roquet and is 
 not out. 
 
 II. If a pla r makes a mistake in his arch, or 
 by mistake roquets a ball on which he has no right, 
 he looses his play, and the players ball remains 
 
dS 
 
 where it stops, but the other ball is replaced. If 
 the player's opponents do not notice his mistake 
 until he makes another point, he may continue his 
 play. If a rover's mistake is not noticed till the 
 next player plays, the rover's play counts. 
 
 12. A ball cannot be moved out from the 
 cushion, but must be played from where it rests. If 
 a ball jumps the cushion, it must be placed on the 
 ground eighteen inches from the cushion, on a line 
 at right angles to the cushion, at the point where it 
 jumped* 
 
 Technical Terms Defined. 
 
 Arena. The space included for the Croquet 
 ground. 
 
 Arch. The curved iron rod set in the ground ; 
 the Bridge. 
 
 Attacking. Playing at an enemy's ball for the 
 purpose of putting it out of position. 
 
 Bridging. Passing a bridge. 
 
 BooBYe A ball that has failed in an attempt to 
 pass through the first Arch. 
 
 Carom. To strike and bound back. 
 
 Concussion. The displacement of a ball by an- 
 other placed against it by roquet, croquet, ricochet, 
 
 
19 
 
 
 roquet-croquet, and not strucl directly by the mallet 
 or ball that may be in play. 
 
 Croquet. To strike one's own ball when in 
 contact with a roquetted ball. (Set " Tight Cro- 
 (luet," and " Loose Croquet.") 
 
 Dead Ball. A Rover which having struck the 
 starting-stake is for that reason thrown out of the 
 game ; any ball that cannot play. 
 
 Dismiss. To dismiss a ball is to croquet it to a 
 distance. 
 
 Double Point. Running two arches with one 
 stroke of the mallet. 
 
 Flinch. When a ball with which a player is 
 about to take the Croquet slips from beneath his 
 foot. 
 
 Following Stroke. When a player strikes his 
 own ball so that follows the ball he is croquetting. 
 
 Foot. The starting-stake. 
 
 Front. That side of an arch from which a player 
 must proceed in passing through it. 
 
 Head. The turning-stake. 
 
 Home, The starting-stake. 
 
 Home Strike. The last strike of the play. 
 
 In Position. A ball when it rests opposite its 
 arch, so that by one stroke of the mallet it may be 
 driven through it. 
 
 Leading Ball. The first ball from home. 
 
 Loose Croquet. Croquetting a ball (after hav- 
 ing placed the two balls in contact) by striking your 
 
own ball without placing your foot on it, causing 
 both balls to fly off at different angles. 
 
 Made its Arch. A term applied to a ball 
 when it has passed through an arch. 
 
 Making a Point. Running an arch ; tolling 
 the turning-stake, or roquetting a ball — each in its 
 proper place or turn. 
 
 Making Position. Roquetting or ricocheting a 
 ball already in position. 
 
 Out of Position. A ball whose locality is such 
 that the player cannot drive it through its proper 
 arch by a single stroke of the mallet. 
 
 Overrunning an Arch. Driving a ball out- 
 side and beyond the arch intended to be passed 
 through. 
 
 Pegging. The same as staking. 
 
 Pushed. A ball, wh^n the face of the mallet 
 is allowed to rest against it, and it is propelled with- 
 out the mallet being drawn back. 
 
 Ricochet (ri-ko-sha). The act of roquetting 
 two or more balls by one stroke of the mallet. 
 
 Roquet (ro-ka\ To roquet a ball is to cause 
 your ball, by a stroke of the mallet, to come in 
 contact with it, either directly or indirectly. 
 
 Roquet-Croquet. Taking a ball that has ro- 
 quetted another, and placing it near the roquetted 
 ball ; then, with placing the foot on the ball, strik- 
 ing it with the mallet, driving both balls to any 
 point or points that may best serve the player. 
 
3» 
 
 ' 
 
 
 RoQUETTED (rchkadt). A ball is roquetted when 
 it is struck by another ball. 
 
 Rover. One who has been through all the arch- 
 es, and struck the turning-stake, but, instead of 
 striking the starting-stake and going out, prefers to 
 continue in the play. 
 
 Running an Arch. Driving a ball through an 
 arch, either by a single blow of the mallet, by ro- 
 quet, croqeut, ricochet, concussion, or roquet-cro- 
 quet. 
 
 Side Stroke. Holding the mallet in one or 
 both hands, and hitting the ball with it at the side 
 or across the body. 
 
 Splitting Stroke. Striking a ball so that it 
 takes a different direction from that of the cro- 
 quetted ball. 
 
 Spoiling an Enemy. Striking an opponent's 
 ball out of position. 
 
 Staking. Striking the stake with a ball ; pegg- 
 ing. 
 
 Starting-Stake. The stake at which each 
 player commences his tour or play ; the foo^ ^f the 
 arena. 
 
 Straight Stroke. Striking by holding tne 
 mallet perpendicularly in front of the body. 
 
 Striking Home; or Striking Out. Striking a 
 ball against the starting-stake after its having run all 
 the bridges and tolled the turning-stake. 
 
 Take a Stroke off. Placing a ball to touch 
 
,v 
 
 the roquetted ball very lightly, so as t* leave it, 
 when croquetted, in nearly the same position. 
 
 Take the Croquet. Placing your own ball 
 against a roquetted ball, so that it touches it ; then 
 striking it, and thus driving one or both balls in 
 any direction you wish. 
 
 Tight Croquet. Croquetting a ball by plac- 
 ing your foot on your own ball, and by striking it 
 with your mallet, driving the other away and taking 
 another turn with your own. 
 
 Tolling the Stake. Striking your ball against 
 the turning-stake, after having run the central and 
 left flank arches upwards. 
 
 Tour of Play. The turn given each player, 
 and continuing as long as points are gained. 
 
 Tupning-Stake. The stake directly opposite 
 the starting-stake. 
 
 Winning-Stake. The starting-stake is so called, 
 because when it is struck by a returning ball the 
 game is won. 
 
 Wired. Having your ball in such a position 
 that an arch prevents the stroke you wish to make. 
 
 IT