1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Croquet

​CROQUET (from Fr. croc, a crook, or crooked stick), a lawn game played with balls, mallets, hoops and two pegs. The game has been evolved, according to some writers, from the paille-maille which was played in Languedoc at least as early as the 13th century. Under the name of le jeu de la crosse, or la crosserie, a similar game was at the same period immensely popular inNormandy, and especially at Avranches, but the object appears to have been to send the ball as far as possible by driving it with the mallet (see Sports et jeux d’adresse, 1904, p. 203). Pall Mall, a fashionable game in England in the time of the Stuarts, was played with a ball and a mallet, and with two hoops or ahoop and a peg, the game being won by the player who ran the hoop or hoops and touched the peg under certain conditions in the fewest strokes. Croquet certainly has some resemblance to paille-maille, played with more hoops and more balls. It is said that the game was brought to Ireland from the south ofFrance, and was first played on Lord Lonsdale’s lawn in 1852, under the auspices of the eldest daughter of Sir Edmund Macnaghten. It came to England in 1856, or perhaps a few years earlier, and soon became popular.

In 1868 the first all-comers’ meeting was held at Moreton-in-the-Marsh. In the same year the All England Croquet Club was formed, the annual contest for the championship taking place on the grounds of this club at Wimbledon.^[1] But after being for ten years or so the most popular game for the country house and garden party, croquet was in its turn practically ousted by lawn tennis, until, with improved implements and a more scientific form of play, it was revived about 1894–1895. In 1896–1897 was formed the United All England Croquet Association, on the initiative of Mr Walter H. Peel. Under the name of the Croquet Association, with more than 2000 members and nearly a hundred affiliated clubs (1909), this body is the recognized ruling authority on croquet in the British Islands. Its headquarters are at the Roehampton Club, where the ​championship and champion cup competitions are held eachyear.

The Game and its Implements.—The requisites for croquet area level grass lawn, six hoops, two posts or pegs, balls, mallets, andhoop-clips to mark the progress of the players. The usual gameis played between two sides, each having two balls, the sideconsisting of two players in partnership, each playing one ball,or of one player playing both balls. The essential characteristicof croquet is the scientific combination between two balls inpartnership against the other two. The balls are distinguishedby being coloured blue, red, black and yellow, and are playedin that order, blue and black always opposing the other two.

Fig. 1.—Diagram of croquet ground, showing setting of hoops and pegs, and order of play in accordance with the official Laws (1909) of the Croquet Association.

The ground for match play measures 35 yds. by 28 yds., andshould be carefully marked out with white lines. In each cornera white spot is marked 1 yd. from each boundary. The hoopsare made of round iron, not less than 1/2 in. and not more than3/4 in. in diameter, and standing 12 in. out of the ground. Formatch play they are 3 3/4 or 4 in. across, inside measurement.They are set up as in the accompanying diagram, the numbersand arrows indicating the order and direction in which they mustbe passed. Each hoop is run twice, and each peg struck once.The pegs may be struck from any direction.

The pegs are 11/2 in. in diameter and when fixed stand 18 in.above the ground. The balls were formerly made of boxwood(earlier still of beechwood); composition balls are now in generaluse for tournaments. They must be 3 5/8 in. in diameter and15 oz. to 161/2 oz. in weight. It will be seen that for match playthe hoops are only 1/8 or at the most 3/8 in. wider than the diameterof the ball. The mallets may be of any size and weight, but thehead must be made of wood (metal may be used only for weightingor strengthening purposes), and the ends must be parallel andsimilar. Only one mallet may be used in the course of a game,except in the case of bona fide damage.

The object of the player is to score the points of the game bystriking his ball through each of the hoops and against each ofthe pegs in a fixed order; and the side wins which first succeedsin scoring all the points with both the balls of the side. A metalclip corresponding in colour with the player’s ball is attached tothe hoop or peg which that ball has next to make in the properorder, as a record of its progress in the game. No point is scoredby passing through a hoop or hitting a peg except in the properorder. Thus, if a player has in any turn or turns driven his ballsuccessively through hoops 1, 2, and 3, his clip is attached tohoop 4, and the next point to be made by him will be that hoop;and so on till all the points (hoops and pegs) have been scored.Each player starts in turn from any point in a “baulk” or area3 ft. wide along the left-hand half of the “southern” boundary,marked A on the diagram, of the lawn—till 1906, from a point1 ft. in front of the middle of hoop 1. If he fails either to makea point or to “roquet”^[2] (i.e. drive his ball against) another ballin play, his turn is at an end and the next player in order takeshis turn in like manner. If he succeeds in scoring a point, heis entitled (as in billiards) to another stroke; he may then eitherattempt to score another point, or he may roquet a ball. Havingroqueted a ball—provided he has not already roqueted the sameball in the same turn without having scored a point in theinterval—he is entitled to two further strokes: first he must“take croquet,” i.e. he places his own ball (which from themoment of the roquet is “dead” or “in hand”) in contact withthe roqueted ball on any side of it, and then strikes his own ballwith his mallet, being bound to move or shake both balls perceptibly.If at the beginning of a turn the striker’s ball is incontact with another ball, a “roquet” is held to have been madeand “croquet” must be taken at once. After taking croquetthe striker is entitled to another stroke, with which he mayscore another point, or roquet another ball not previouslyroqueted in the same turn since a point was scored, or he mayplay for safety. Thus, by skilful alternation of making pointsand roqueting balls, a “break” may be made in which pointafter point, and even all the points in the game (for the ball inplay), may be scored in a single turn, in addition to 3 or 4 pointsfor the partner ball. The chief skill in the game perhaps consistsin playing the stroke called “taking croquet” (but see belowon the “rush”). Expert players can drive both balls togetherfrom one end of the ground to the other, or send one to a distancewhile retaining the other, or place each with accuracy in differentdirections as desired, the player obtaining position for scoringa point or roqueting another ball according to the strategicalrequirements of his position. Care has, however, to be taken inplaying the croquet-stroke that both balls are absolutely movedor perceptibly shaken, and that neither of them be driven overthe boundary line, for in either event the player’s nextstroke is forfeited and his turn brought summarily to anend.

There are three distinct methods of holding the mallet amonggood players. A comparatively small number still adhere to theonce universal “side stroke,” in which the player faces moreor less at right angles to the line of aim, and strikes the ball verymuch like a golfer, with his hands close together on the malletshaft. The majority use “front play,” in which the player facesin the direction in which he proposes to send the ball. Theessential characteristic of this stroke is that eye, hand and ballshould be in the same vertical plane, and the stroke is rather aswing—the “pendulum stroke”—than a hit. There are twoways of playing it. The majority of right-handed front playersswing the mallet outside the right foot, holding it with the lefthand as a pivot at the top of the shaft, while the right hand(about 12 in. lower down) applies the necessary force, though itmust always be borne in mind that the heavy mallet-head,weighing from 3 to 31/2 ℔ or even more, does the work by itself,and the nearer the stroke is to a simple swing, like that of apendulum, the more likely it is to be accurate. Either the rightor the left foot may be in advance, and should be roughlyparallel to the line of aim, the player’s weight being mainly onthe rear foot. Most of the best Irish and some English playersswing the mallet between their feet, using a grip like that of theside player or golfer, with the hands close together, and ofteninterlocking. It is claimed that the loss of power caused by thehampered swing—usually compensated by an extra heavymallet—is more than counterbalanced by the greater accuracyin aim. The beginner is well advised to try all these methods,and adopt that which comes most natural to him. Skirtedplayers, of course, are unable to use the Irish stroke; and, as ​one of the most meritorious features of croquet is that it is theonly out-of-door game in which men and women can competeon terms of real equality, this has been put forward as a reasonfor barring it, if it is actually an advantage.

When a croquet ground is thoroughly smooth and level, thegame gives scope for considerable skill; a great variety of strokesmay be played with the mallet, each having its own well-definedeffect on the behaviour of the balls, while a knowledge of anglesis essential. Skilful tactics are at least as necessary as skilfulexecution to enable the player so to dispose the balls on theground while making a break that they may most effectivelyassist him in scoring his points. The tactics of croquet are inthis respect similar to those of billiards, that the player triesto make what progress he can during his own break, and to leavethe balls “safe” at the end of it; he must also keep in mindthe needs of the other ball of his side by leaving his own ball,or the last player’s ball, or both, within easy roqueting distanceor in useful positions, and that of the next player isolated.Good judgment is really more valuable than mechanical skill.Croquet is a game of combination, partners endeavouring tokeep together for mutual help, and to keep their opponentsapart. It is important always to leave the next player in sucha position that he will be unable to score a point or roquet aball; a break, however profitable, which does not end by doingthis is often fatal. Formerly this might be done by leaving thenext player’s ball in such a position that either a hoop or a peglay between it and all the other balls (“wiring”), or so near toa hoop or peg that there was no room for a proper stroke to betaken in the required direction. Under rule 36 of the Laws ofCroquet for 1906, a ball left in such a position, provided it werewithin a yard of the obstacle (“close-wired”), might at thestriker’s option be moved one yard in any direction. Thisrule left to the striker whose ball was “wired” more than a yardfrom the hoop or peg (“distance-wired”) the possibility of hittinghis ball in such a way as to jump the obstacle. The jump-shotis, however, very bad for the lawn, and in 1907 a further provisionwas made by which the player whose ball is left “wired” fromall the other balls by the stroke of an opponent may lift itand play from the “baulk” area. This practically means that“wiring” is impossible. The most that can be done is to “close-wire”the next player from two balls and leave him with adifficult shot at the third. If, however, the next player’s ballhas not been moved by the adversary, the adversary is entitledto wire the balls as best he can.

The following is a specimen of elementary croquet tactics.If a player is going up to hoop 5 (diagram 1) in the course of abreak, he should have contrived, if possible, to have a ballwaiting for him at that hoop and another at hoop 6. With theaid of the first he runs hoop 5 and sends it on to the turning peg,stopping his ball in taking croquet close to the ball at 6. Thecorner hoops are the difficult ones, and after running hoop 6the assisting ball is croqueted to 1 back, the peg being struckwith the aid of the ball already there, which is again struck anddriven to 2 back. If the player has been able to leave the fourthball in the centre of the ground (known as a centre ball), he hitsthis after taking croquet, takes croquet, going off it to the ballat 1 back, and continues the break, leaving the centre ball whereit will be useful for 3 back and 4 back. A first-class playershould, however, be able to make a break with 3 balls almost aseasily as with 4. A useful device, especially in a losing game,is to get rid of the opponent’s advanced ball if a “rover” (i.e.one which has run all the hoops and is for the winning peg) bycroqueting it in such a way that it hits the peg and is thus outof the game. This can be done only by a ball which is itself alsoa rover. The opponent has then only one turn out of every three,and may be rendered practically helpless by leaving him alwaysin a “safe” position. Inasmuch as a skilful player can causean opponent’s ball to pass through the last two or even threehoops in the course of his turn and then peg it out, it is consideredprudent to leave unrun the last three hoops until the partner’sball is well advanced. There is a perennial agitation in thecroquet world for a law prohibiting the player from pegging outhis opponent’s ball. Many good players also think it desirablethat the four-ball break should be restricted or wholly forbidden,e.g. by barring the dead ball.

To “rush” a ball is to roquet it hard so that it proceeds for aconsiderable distance in a desired direction. This stroke requiresabsolute accuracy and often considerable force, which mustbe applied in such a way as to drive the player’s ball evenly;otherwise it is very liable, especially if the ground be not perfectlysmooth, to jump the object ball. The rush stroke is absolutelyessential to good play, as it enables croquet to be taken (e.g.)close to the required hoop, whereas to croquet into positionfrom a great distance and also provide a ball for use after runningthe hoop is extremely difficult, often impossible. To “rush”successfully, the striker’s ball must lie near the object ball,preferably, though not necessarily, in the line of the rush.By means of the rush it is possible to accomplish the completeround with the assistance of one ball only. To “cut” a ballis to hit it on the edge and cause it to move at some desired angle.“Rolling croquet” is made either by hitting near the top ofthe player’s ball which gives it “follow,” or by making the malletso hit the ball as to keep up a sustained pressure. The firstimpact must, however, result in a distinctly audible single tap;if a prolonged rattle or a second tap is heard the stroke is foul.The passing stroke is merely an extension of this. Here theplayer’s ball proceeds a greater distance than the croquetedball, but in somewhat the same direction. The “stop stroke” ismade by a short, sharp tap, the mallet being withdrawn immediatelyafter contact; the player’s ball only rolls a short distance,the other going much farther. The “jump stroke” is made bystriking downwards on to the ball, which can thus be made tojump over another ball, or even a hoop. “Peeling” (a termderived from Walter H. Peel, a famous advocate of the policy)is the term applied to the device of putting a partner’s or anopponent’s ball through the hoops with a view to ultimatelypegging it out.

The laws of croquet, and even the arrangement of the hoops,have not attained complete uniformity wherever the game isplayed. Croquet grounds are not always of full size, and somedegree of elasticity in the rules is perhaps necessary to meetlocal conditions. The laws by which matches for the championshipand all tournaments are governed are issued annually bythe Croquet Association; and though from time to time triflingamendments may be made, they have probably reachedpermanence in essentials.

Croquet in the United States: Roque.—Croquet was broughtto America from England soon after its introduction into thatcountry, and enjoyed a wide popularity as a game for boysand girls before the Civil War (see Miss Alcott’s Little Women,cap. 12). American croquet is quite distinct from the modernEnglish game. It is played on a lawn 60 ft. by 30, and preservesthe old-fashioned English arrangement of ten hoops, includinga central “cage” of two hoops. The balls, coloured red, white,blue and black, are 3¼ in. in diameter, and the hoops are from3½ to 4 in. wide, according to the skill of the players. This game,however, is not taken seriously in the United States; theOfficial Croquet Guide of Mr Charles Jacobus emphasizes “theease with which the game can be established,” since almost everycountry home has a grass plot, and “no elaboration is needed.”The scientific game of croquet in the United States is known as“roque.” Under this title a still greater departure from theEnglish game has been elaborated on quite independent linesfrom those of the English Croquet Association since 1882, inwhich year the National Roque Association was formed. Roquealso suffered from the popularity of lawn tennis, but since 1897it has developed almost as fast as croquet in England. A greatnational championship tournament is held in Norwich, Conn., ​every August, and the game—which is fully as scientific asmodern English croquet—has numerous devotees, especiallyin New England.

Fig. 2. — Diagram of roque ground, showing setting of arches and stakes and order of play, in accordance with the official laws (1906) of the National Roque Association.

Roque is played, not on grass, but on a prepared surfacesomething like a cinder tennis-court. The standard ground,as adopted by the National Association in 1903, is hexagonalin shape, with ten arches (hoops) and two stakes (pegs) asshown in diagram 2. The length is 60 ft., width 30, and the“corner pieces” are 6 ft. long. An essential feature of theground is that it is surrounded by a raised wooden border, oftenlined with india-rubber to facilitate the rebound of the ball,and it is permissible to play a “carom” (or rebounding shot)off this border; a skilful player can often thus hit a ball whichis wired to a direct shot. A boundary line is marked 28 in.inside the border, on which a ball coming to rest outside it mustbe replaced. The hoops are run in the order marked on thediagram, so that the game consists of 36 points. Red and whiteare always partners against blue and black, and the essentialfeatures and tactics of the game are, mutatis mutandis, the sameas in modern English croquet—i.e. the skilful player goes alwaysfor a break and utilizes one or both of the opponent’s balls inmaking it. The balls are 31/4 in. in diameter, of hard rubber orcomposition, and the arches are 33/8 or 31/2 in. wide for first- andsecond-class players respectively; they are made of steel 1/2 in.in diameter and stand about 8 in. out of the ground. The stakesare 1 in. in diameter and only 11/2 in. above the ground. Themallets are much shorter than those commonly employed inEngland, the majority of players using only one hand, thoughthe two-handed “pendulum stroke,” played between the legs,finds an increasingly large number of adherents, on account ofthe greater accuracy which it gives. The “jump shot” is anecessary part of the player’s equipment, as dead wiring isallowed; it is supplemented by the carom off the border oroff a stake or arch, and roque players justly claim that theirgame is more like billiards than any other out-of-doorgame.

The game of roque is opened by scoring (stringing) for leadfrom an imaginary line through the middle wicket (cage), theplayer whose ball rests nearest the southern boundary linehaving the choice of lead and balls. The balls are then placedon the four corner spots marked A in diagram, partner ballsbeing diagonally opposite one another, and the starting ballhaving the choice of either of the upper corners. The leader,say red, usually begins by shooting at white; if he misses, acarom off the border will leave him somewhere near his partner,blue. White then shoots at red or blue, with probably a similarresult. Blue is then “in,” with a certain roquet and the choiceof laying for red or going for an immediate break himself. Thegeneral strategy of the game corresponds to that of croquet,the most important differences being that “pegging out” isnot allowed, and that on the small ground with its ten archesand two stakes the three-ball break is usually adopted,the next player or “danger ball” being wired at the earliestopportunity.