TL;DR: Croquet is a turn-based lawn sport where players use a mallet to drive a ball through a sequence of wickets in the correct order. The three main formats are nine-wicket, six-wicket, and Golf Croquet. Golf Croquet is the best starting point for beginners because the rules are simple and games move quickly.
How to Play Croquet
To play croquet, each player uses a mallet to hit a ball through a series of wickets in a set sequence, earning extra strokes for hitting wickets and other balls, with the goal of completing the full course first. The game rewards patience, precision, and strategic thinking over raw athleticism, which makes it genuinely accessible across age groups and fitness levels while still offering competitive depth that keeps serious players engaged for decades.
Croquet has been around for centuries, and it has had plenty of time to develop a reputation it does not entirely deserve. Some people think of it as a genteel backyard pastime. Others have never really thought about it at all. But anyone who has played the real game on a proper lawn with regulation equipment tends to walk away with a completely different impression. The sport is quiet the way old-growth forests are quiet: calm on the surface, layered with life underneath.
This guide covers everything you need to know to understand how to play croquet, from the basic equipment to the rules of each major format, so you can get on a lawn and start learning.
How Do You Play Croquet Step by Step
You play croquet by taking turns striking your ball through a sequence of wickets using a mallet, earning bonus strokes each time you pass through a wicket or hit another player’s ball, and winning by completing the full wicket sequence before your opponents. Here is how a typical turn unfolds:
- Take your stroke. Stand beside or behind your ball and swing the mallet in a pendulum motion to strike it toward the next wicket in your sequence.
- Run a wicket. If your ball passes through the correct wicket, you earn one continuation stroke and play again.
- Roquet another ball. If your ball strikes another ball on the court, you earn a roquet. This gives you two additional strokes. On the first of those strokes, you may place your ball against the struck ball and drive both with a single hit, called a croquet stroke. This is how players move opponents out of position or advance strategically across the court.
- Continue your turn. Skilled players chain wickets and roquets together into long sequences called breaks, running several wickets in a single turn.
- Finish the course. Complete the full wicket sequence and hit the finishing stake to win, or to peg out that ball in competitive formats.
The fundamental rhythm of the game is simple to follow within a few minutes. The strategic layers beneath that rhythm take seasons to fully appreciate, which is part of what makes croquet club membership so rewarding. You can find what works before spending money on personal equipment, and you learn from players who have already walked the long road of the game.
How to Set Up Croquet
To set up croquet, you place wickets and stakes in the correct pattern on a flat, short-grass lawn, then assign balls to players before the first stroke is taken. The exact setup depends on which format you are playing, but every version of the game begins with wickets pressed firmly into the turf at measured positions, stakes anchored at opposite ends of the court, and balls arranged at the starting end.
A properly maintained croquet lawn plays completely differently from an ordinary grass surface. The grass is kept short and smooth so balls roll accurately at speed. Experiencing that difference firsthand is one of the reasons playing at an organized club matters so much when you are learning seriously. You can read about professional croquet court materials to understand what goes into a true playing surface.
General setup steps for any format:
- Mark the court boundaries based on available space, using the regulation 105-by-84-foot dimensions when possible.
- Place two stakes at opposite ends of the court along the center line.
- Set wickets in the pattern required by your chosen format (see the section below).
- Assign ball colors: blue and black to one side, red and yellow to the other in doubles play. In singles, each player controls two balls.
- Determine the playing order. In most formats, blue plays first, then red, then black, then yellow.
How to Set Up a Croquet Game for Different Formats
The way you set up a croquet game depends on which format you are playing: nine-wicket uses a double-diamond layout with nine wickets and two stakes, while six-wicket and Golf Croquet both use six wickets arranged near the corners and center of the court.
| Format | Number of Wickets | Stakes | Court Size | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nine-Wicket | 9 | 2 | Flexible backyard size | Casual family play |
| Six-Wicket | 6 | 2 | 105 ft x 84 ft | Competitive and tournament play |
| Golf Croquet | 6 | 1 center stake | 105 ft x 84 ft | Beginners and fast social games |
Nine-wicket setup: Place one wicket near each stake at both ends, one wicket at the center of the court, and three wickets arranged in a diagonal pattern on each half of the court. The full layout forms a double-diamond shape that players navigate from one end to the other and back.
Six-wicket setup: Place one wicket near each of the four corners of the court, offset slightly inward, and one wicket on each side of the center stake. Players travel the circuit twice: once through the wickets in one direction, then returning through the same wickets in reverse order.
Golf Croquet setup: Identical to six-wicket positioning. Only the rules change, not the physical layout of the court.
You can explore Golf Croquet vs. six-wicket croquet in more detail to decide which format fits your group best.
How Many Wickets in Croquet
The number of wickets in croquet depends on the format: nine-wicket croquet uses nine wickets, while six-wicket croquet and Golf Croquet each use six wickets. Nine-wicket is the most common backyard version in the United States. Six-wicket is the format used in serious competitive and sanctioned USCA tournament play.
Wickets are the metal hoops that balls must pass through in sequence. Regulation wickets are narrow enough that the ball passes through with minimal clearance, which is part of what makes accuracy so central to the game. Backyard sets typically use wider wickets that forgive off-center shots. On a regulation court, precision matters from the very first stroke.
Here is a simple reference:
- Nine-wicket croquet: 9 wickets, 2 stakes, 2 to 6 players
- Six-wicket croquet: 6 wickets, 2 stakes, typically 2 or 4 players
- Golf Croquet: 6 wickets, 1 center stake used as a reference point, 2 or 4 players
A good croquet equipment guide can help you choose the right wicket style and quality for the surface you will be playing on.
Searching for How to Play Crochet? You May Mean Croquet
If you searched for “how to play crochet,” you were most likely looking for how to play croquet, the outdoor lawn sport played with mallets, balls, and wickets. Crochet is a fiber craft using a hooked needle to create fabric from yarn, while croquet is a lawn game where players drive balls through wickets in sequence.
Both words are easy to mix up because they sound similar and share the same French root. If lawn sports are what you are after, you are in the right place. Croquet is one of the most social and multigenerational games you can play outdoors, and once you understand the basic rules, it tends to take hold quickly.
If you are curious about what a full lawn sports program looks like, you can explore the lawn sports offerings at Burlingame Country Club, set in the mountains of Western North Carolina where the air is cool and the lawns are kept with care.
The Equipment You Need to Play Croquet
The equipment needed to play croquet includes mallets, balls, wickets, stakes, and a properly prepared lawn. The pieces are simple, but their quality shapes how the game plays in ways that beginners often do not expect until they feel the difference firsthand.
Mallets
The mallet is the most personal piece of equipment in the game. It consists of a long handle, typically 35 to 42 inches, depending on player height and preference, attached to a cylindrical or square head. Most club mallets weigh between two and a half and three and a half pounds. The head strikes the ball in a pendulum swing, from between or alongside the legs depending on the player’s stance.
Mallet choice matters more than beginners expect. The length, weight, and head design all affect swing mechanics and shot outcome. Most organized clubs provide mallets in a range of sizes for new players, which is part of why joining a croquet club is so valuable early on. You can find what works before spending money on personal equipment.
Balls
Regulation croquet uses balls that are 3 and 5/8 inches in diameter and weigh approximately one pound. Sets of four balls are used in most formats, colored blue, red, black, and yellow. In doubles play, one team plays blue and black while the other plays red and yellow. In singles play, each player controls two balls.
Wickets
Wickets are the metal hoops that balls must pass through in sequence. Regulation wickets are narrow enough that the ball passes through with minimal clearance, which is part of what makes accuracy so important. Backyard sets use wider wickets that forgive off-center shots. On a regulation court, precision matters from the start.
Stakes
Two stakes, sometimes called pegs, are placed at opposite ends of the court. In most formats, hitting the finishing stake after completing the wicket sequence ends that ball’s turn or wins the game, depending on the format.
The Court
Regulation croquet courts are 105 feet by 84 feet, though many clubs play on smaller lawns when full-size courts are not available. The surface is short, smooth grass maintained at a consistent height, allowing balls to roll accurately at speed. A properly maintained croquet lawn plays completely differently from an ordinary grass surface, and experiencing that difference firsthand is one of the reasons playing at an organized club matters so much when you are learning croquet seriously.
The Three Main Formats: Which Game Are You Playing?
Croquet refers to a family of related games with different rules, court setups, and strategic depths. Understanding the main formats is essential to playing properly. The three you are most likely to encounter are nine-wicket, six-wicket, and Golf Croquet.
Nine-Wicket Croquet
Nine-wicket croquet is the most common backyard version of the game in the United States, played with nine wickets arranged in a double-diamond pattern, two stakes, and two to six players competing to complete the full wicket sequence first. It is the format most families discover first, passed down like a good recipe or a favorite fishing spot.
Each player takes turns striking their ball with the mallet. On a standard turn, a player gets one stroke. If that stroke sends the ball through the next wicket in sequence, the player earns a continuation stroke and plays again. This is the fundamental reward structure: accurate shots through the wickets earn more shots.
When a player’s ball strikes another ball on the court, they earn a roquet and get two additional strokes. On the first of those strokes, they can place their ball against the struck ball and drive both balls with a single stroke, called a croquet stroke. This is how players move opponents out of position or advance themselves strategically. The second additional stroke is a standard free stroke.
The winner is the first player or team to complete the full wicket sequence and hit the finishing stake. In the popular “poison” variation, a player who completes the course can use their ball to eliminate opponents entirely.
Six-Wicket Croquet
Six-wicket croquet is the format used in serious competitive play and sanctioned USCA tournaments, played on a larger court with six wickets and rules that reward long-term strategic planning. Each player controls two balls and must complete the full wicket sequence with both balls to win, which creates dramatically more strategic depth than nine-wicket play.
The concept of breaks is central to advanced six-wicket play. A break occurs when a player uses the bonus strokes earned from striking other balls to run multiple wickets in a single turn. A four-ball break, where a player uses all four balls on the court to advance through every remaining wicket in a single turn, is the pinnacle skill in competitive croquet. Understanding how to play croquet at a competitive level means understanding breaks.
Points are scored for each wicket run and for hitting the finishing stake. The player or team that completes the full sequence with both balls and pegs out first wins. Competitive games are typically timed, and the player with more points wins if neither side finishes before time expires.
You can explore the full comparison of Golf Croquet vs. six-wicket croquet to see which format suits where you are in your game.
Golf Croquet
Golf Croquet is the most accessible format for beginners, using the same six-wicket court layout as six-wicket croquet but with simpler rules where all players compete for the same wicket at the same time, one stroke per turn, with the first ball through scoring a point. Games move quickly, and you can follow the action completely within minutes.
There is no roquet or croquet stroke in Golf Croquet. Players cannot earn bonus strokes. Every turn is a single stroke, and the game is decided entirely by which player or team most consistently gets their ball through each wicket first.
Each wicket is worth one point. Standard competitive Golf Croquet games are played to seven points, with thirteen wickets available since some wickets are contested in both directions. First to seven wins.
This simplicity makes Golf Croquet the best entry point for the game in a club setting. A beginner can compete meaningfully against more experienced players long before mastering the strategic complexity of six-wicket. Many players who join a croquet club start here and find themselves pulled deeper into the game season by season, the way a mountain trail leads you to a vista you never planned to reach.
You can read more about Golf Croquet for beginners to get a closer look at the rules and strategy of this format before your first game.
Quick Recap
- Croquet is a turn-based lawn sport where you use a mallet to drive a ball through wickets in sequence.
- Running a wicket earns a bonus stroke. Hitting another ball earns two bonus strokes and a croquet shot.
- Nine-wicket croquet uses 9 wickets and is the most common backyard version in the United States.
- Six-wicket croquet uses 6 wickets and is the format for competitive and tournament play.
- Golf Croquet uses 6 wickets, one stroke per turn, and is the best starting point for new players.
- Regulation balls are 3 and 5/8 inches in diameter; mallets typically weigh 2.5 to 3.5 pounds.
- Regulation courts are 105 by 84 feet, with short, smooth grass that allows accurate ball roll.
- Playing at a club gives you access to proper equipment, maintained lawns, and experienced players while you learn.
- You can take croquet lessons at Burlingame Country Club in the Sapphire Valley of Western North Carolina to accelerate your start.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the basic objective of croquet?
The basic objective of croquet is to use a mallet to drive your ball through a series of wickets in the correct sequence before your opponents do. The first player or team to complete the full wicket course and hit the finishing stake wins the game.
How many wickets are in a standard croquet set?
A standard backyard croquet set includes nine wickets for nine-wicket play. Competitive and club-level formats use six wickets. The number of wickets you use depends entirely on which format you are playing.
What is a roquet in croquet?
A roquet happens when your ball strikes another ball on the court. When you roquet, you earn two additional strokes. On the first of those strokes, you may place your ball against the struck ball and hit both at once, called a croquet stroke, to reposition your opponent or advance your own ball strategically.
What is the difference between Golf Croquet and six-wicket croquet?
In Golf Croquet, all players compete for the same wicket at the same time using one stroke per turn, and there are no bonus strokes for hitting other balls. In six-wicket croquet, each ball follows its own sequential wicket target, players earn bonus strokes from roquets, and long strategic sequences called breaks are central to advanced play. Golf Croquet is simpler and faster. Six-wicket is deeper and more competitive. You can read a full comparison of Golf Croquet vs. six-wicket croquet for more detail.
How do I know what size mallet to use?
Mallet handles typically range from 35 to 42 inches. A longer handle suits taller players and reduces back strain during the pendulum swing. Most clubs provide mallets in multiple sizes for new players so you can try different lengths before choosing your own. Learning how to join a croquet club and using club equipment first is the most practical way to find your fit.
Can beginners learn croquet quickly?
Yes. Golf Croquet in particular takes only minutes to understand, and beginners can compete meaningfully in their first session. The deeper strategy of six-wicket croquet develops over time, but you do not need to understand advanced breaks to enjoy your first games. Taking croquet lessons with an experienced coach shortens the learning curve considerably.
Is croquet a good activity for families and multigenerational groups?
Croquet is one of the best multigenerational outdoor sports available because it rewards strategy and precision rather than speed or strength. Players of different ages and fitness levels compete on genuinely equal ground. The game moves at a pace that allows conversation, and turns pass quickly enough to hold everyone’s attention. It is the kind of activity that turns a family gathering into a memory. Exploring the country club lifestyle in Western North Carolina or reviewing the benefits of joining a country club can show you how croquet fits into a full outdoor community experience.
Ready to Play Your First Game?
The mountains of Western North Carolina hold something rare: space wide enough for a proper croquet lawn, air cool enough to make an afternoon outside feel like a gift, and a community that genuinely looks forward to seeing you at the next game. Burlingame Country Club in Sapphire Valley is built for families who want to share something meaningful outdoors, season after season, generation after generation.
Whether you are exploring country club sports in North Carolina for the first time, comparing membership options, or simply ready to pick up a mallet and learn, the next step is the same.
Please Contact Jennifer Webb, Membership Director, for more information. Please use the form below or call 828.966.9200.