Standard Lake Erie Ice Croquet Rules

Based upon (but likely Disavowed by) United States Croquet Association
1. Croquet Field
1.1. Select a large area of ice, at least 50 x 50 feet. Test the safety of the ice repeatedly by jumping up and down before game play. Ice should be at least 4 inches thick. 1.2. Before placing wickets and stakes, review the surface to determine how much friction will be impact gameplay. On a surface thick with wet snow, it is best to keep the field to a square of 50 x 50 foot square, on a smooth slick surface the game could be played in a 200 x 200 foot square. Determine size of field and natural bounds for wicket and stake placement based upon participant consensus.

2. The Wickets and Stakes

2.1. Select one player to determine the direction of game play that players will be given the two stakes. The nine remaining wickets are to be distributed (as evenly as possible) to the remaining players. 2.2. The wickets are to be distributed across the course with the confines of the field; upon completion of wicket placement, the player with the stakes will place the stakes and determine the order of the course and direction of play from one stake to the other. A review of the course should be made with all players. 2.3. Try to keep the distance between the stake and a wicket at 3 feet minimum and up to 10 feet on particularly slick courses.

3. The Players
3.1. Scarves, hats, and mittens or gloves are strongly recommend. 3.2. Be on alert for cracking sounds and share observations with other players. 3.3. Each player should have an extra pair of socks and towel in case the ice is breached.

4. The Balls
4.1. Each player or team of players shall be allocated one ball. 4.2. Do not lose the ball-- that will ruin everything.

5. The Mallets
5.1. Each player uses a mallet. Only the striking (end) face may be used to strike a ball. 5.2. The only exception is if players have agreed to allow the use of side shots or other shot -making variations before game play commences, which can be useful where snow or ice fracturing and re-freezing has created a topographically challenging course.

6. Object of the Game

6.1. The object of the game is to advance the balls through the course by hitting them with a mallet, scoring a point for each wicket and stake made in the correct order and direction. The winner is the first side to score the 14 wicket points and 2 stake points for each of its balls, unless the game is played to a time limit and time runs out before that happens, in which case the team with the most points at the end of the time period wins (see below). Time limits should be used sparingly, but may be necessary in sub-zero temperatures. 6.2. The players take turns, and only one plays at a time. At the beginning of a turn the player (called the striker) has one shot. After that shot the turn ends, unless: 1) a bonus shot is earned by scoring a wicket or stake, or 2) by hitting another ball, or 3) by falling through the ice returning a sent ball into play. 6.3. The turn ends when the player has no more bonus shots to play or has finished the course by scoring the finishing stake. The striker may directly hit with the mallet only the ball he or she is playing in that turn (the striker ball).

7. Starting Point
7.1. All balls are played into the game from a spot one mallet head s distance from the starting stake and wicket #1.

8. Starting Order of Play

8.1. The order of play throughout the game is blue, red, black, yellow, green, orange; represented by the color rings on the wickets. 8.2. Start of play can be determined by any act of chance or feat of croquet prowess. Example: all players stand 10 feet from the starting stake and each taking a turn to see how closely they can send a ball to a wicket with one stroke. The player with a ball closest to the stake would start and game would commence by the color order outlined above.

9. Continued Order of Play

9.1. After all balls have started the game, play continues in the same order until a ball is staked out. When a ball is out of the game, the remaining balls continue in the same order, skipping the ball that has finished the course.

10. Shots / Turns

10.1. If a player plays out of turn, there is no penalty beyond the likely vocal disapproval of ones peers. However, any ball moved during the out-of-turn play is replaced to its position prior to the error and play recommences properly. 10.2. If an out of turn is initially condoned (not discovered) but then later discovered after other balls have been played, good for youyou sneaky Pete, you! Only the last ball played out of turn is replaced and the correct ball then proceeds. Example: if red plays, then blue plays, then yellow plays, yellow is replaced, and then red plays correctly. 10.3. If the striker takes a swing at his/her ball and misses entirely, any alcohol on their person shall be confiscated and they should be allowed one more shot. A second miss counts as a shot and the turn ends, this includes any additional bonus shots from passing through a wicket, striking another players ball with their ball, or from falling through the ice retrieving a sent ball. 10.4. If the strikers mallet accidentally hits another ball other than the striker ball, the shot must be replayed, but with no loss of turn. Again, any alcohol on the players person shall be forfeited. Snowballs may be deployed to discourage this antisocial behavior.

11. Scoring Wicket and Stake Points

11.1. Each ball can score wicket and stake points for its side only by going through a wicket or hitting a stake in the proper order and direction. Going through a wicket out of order or in the wrong direction is not counted as a point gained or lost. A ball caused to score its wicket or stake during another balls turn earns the point for its side, but no bonus shot is earned as a result.
Diagram demonstrating wicket and scoring:

Scoring a wicket: A has not started scoring the wicket; B has. C has not finished scoring the wicket; D has.

11.2. A ball scores a wicket point only if it comes to rest clear of the playing side of the wicket. If a ball passes through a wicket but rolls back, it has not scored the wicket. An easy way to determine if a ball has cleared a wicket is to run the side of the mallet head down the plane of the playing side of the wicket. If the mallet head touches the ball on the way down, it has not cleared the wicket; if the mallet head does not touch the ball, it has cleared the wicket!

12. Bonus Shots

12.1. The striker earns one bonus shot if the striker ball scores a wicket or hits the turning stake. The striker earns two bonus shots if the striker ball hits another ball (a roquet). However, the maximum number of bonus shots earned by a striker during normal play is two. 12.2. If two bonus shots are scored by striking another ball, the first of these two shots may be taken in any of four ways: 1) From a mallet-head distance or less away from the ball that was hit (taking a mallet -head). 2) From a position in contact with the ball that was hit, with the striker ball held steady by the strikers foot or hand (a foot shot or hand shot). 3) From a position in contact with the ball that was hit, with the striker ball not held by foot or hand (a croquet shot). 4) From where the striker ball stopped after the roquet. 12.3. The second bonus shot after a roquet is an ordinary shot played from where the striker ball came to rest, called a continuation shot. 12.4. Bonus shots may not be accumulated. Upon earning a bonus shot by scoring a wicket, hitting the turning stake, or roqueting another ball, any bonus shot previously earned is forfeited. For example, if a ball roquets a ball and in that same stroke the striker ball hits another ball, the second ball hit is not a roquet and remains where it comes to rest (with no deadness incurred on that ball). 12.5. EXCEPTIONS: Two extra shots are earned when the striker ball scores two wickets in one shot. If the ball also hits the turning stake after scoring two wickets, two strokes are earned, not three. Conversely, if the striker ball scores the seventh wicket and hits the turning stake in the same shot, it earns two shots. After the striker ball roquets another ball, it does not earn any extra shots for hitting it again in the same turn before scoring the next wicket in order. However, there is no penalty for hitting the ball again. 12.6. EXTRAORDINARY CONSOLATION BONUS FOR THOSE SENT INTO THE ICY DRINK: Two additional shots are made available to a player if their ball has been sent into harms way by another player. If during the recovery and return of a ball after being sent via another players foot-shot or roquet shot, the player and/or players ball falls through the ice, the player shall be awarded an additional starting bonus shot and a second opportunity to take a roquet shot at the ball of the offending player (preferably after pausing to change socks.)

13. Wicket and Roquet

13.1. When the striker ball scores a wicket and then in the same shot hits another ball, only the wicket counts and the striker has earned only the one extra shot for scoring the wicket. The striker may then roquet any ball to earn two extra shots. When the striker ball roquets another ball and then goes through a wicket, the wicket has not been scored but the striker earns two extra shots for the roquet.

14. The Boundaries

14.1. Whenever a ball is impaired from play by a natural obstruction, it is placed up to one mallet length- three feet away from the obstruction. 14.2. If a player or ball falls into the water, game shall be paused for recovery, and that area designated a natural obstruction.

15. Time Limit Game

15.1. If time does not permit a game to be played to the stake, a time limit may be set beforehand. When the time limit is reached the game is over. This is known as sudden stop. 15.2. If the score is tied in the sudden stop format, the ball closest to its contested wicket gets an extra point for the win. If the score is tied in the sudden stop format, the ball closest to its contested wicket gets an extra point for the win. 15.3. In a time limit game, players must play expeditiously and teams should not take excessive amounts of time in discussions.