April 13, 2015. A newer version of this source is available: 2022 ed. A newer version of this source is available: 2021/2022 ed. The American-rules version of croquet is the dominant version of the game in the United States and is also widely played in Canada. Two versions of the game are directly governed by the World Croquet Federation, which organises individual and team World Championships. Several variations exist that differ in when and how a stroke may be legally played, when points are scored, the layout of the lawn, and the target score. When a roquet is made, the player may pick up their ball and place it in contact with the roqueted ball. If playing individually (Cutthroat), the first player to stake out is the winner. Association croquet is played between two individuals or teams, each playing with two balls. American six-wicket uses the same six-wicket layout as both association croquet and golf croquet, and is also played by two individuals or teams, each owning two balls. Golf croquet is played between two individuals or teams, each playing with two balls.

Edward Gorey's The Epiplectic Bicycle features illustrations of the main characters playing with croquet mallets. The game opens by playing each ball into the lawn from the fourth (south-eastern) corner of the lawn. The first four turns must be taken to play the four balls onto the lawn from one of two "baulk lines" defined as one yard into the lawn on the western half of the south boundary and the eastern half of the north boundary. The croquet lawn existed on the northern terrace, between Eglinton Castle and the Lugton Water. Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays a shot out of the bunker during the final round of the Masters. A player earns a single extra shot by scoring a hoop point (hitting the striker's ball through a hoop), or two extra shots by causing their ball to contact another ball - an action called a "roquet". It’s like a dance of the intellect and finesse, with each player trying to outsmart their opponent in a silent dialogue of spins and strikes. Isabel: During our general meetings once a week, we would have workshops for anybody who would like to learn.

" said Lowry, who closed with a 75 and finished at 10 over. An alternative endgame is "poison": in this variant, a player who has scored the last wicket but not hit the starting stake becomes a "poison ball", What is a billiards club which may eliminate other balls from the game by roqueting them. During a turn, a player may earn extra shots in two ways. These extra turns, called "bisques" are effective in levelling the odds of winning. In the American game, roqueting a ball out of bounds or running a hoop so that the ball goes out of bounds causes the turn to end, and balls that go out of bounds are replaced only nine inches (23 cm) from the boundary rather than one yard (91 cm) as in association croquet. Its genesis is mostly in association croquet, but it differs in a number of important ways that reflect the home-grown traditions of American "backyard" croquet. The game ends when a player or team reaches a predetermined number of points. The object of the game is to reach a certain number of points, typically seven, earned by being the first to run a hoop. The limitation of roqueting each ball once between hoop points is, unlike in association croquet, carried over from turn to turn until the ball scores the next hoop.

It is governed by the United States Croquet Association. Advanced variants of association croquet give further penalties to dissuade skilled players from running every hoop with a ball on a single break, while handicap versions give weaker players chances to continue play after making an error. Like association croquet, the object of the game is to be the first to pass each of their balls through all six hoops in both directions and to strike the central peg, for a total of 26 points. The object of the game is to be the first to strike each of their balls through all six hoops in both directions, in a fixed order, and to strike the central peg. Hoops are contested in a fixed order, with a point awarded to the owner of the first ball to pass through the hoop in the correct direction. Balls that are played more than halfway to the next hoop before a point is scored are considered offside, and are moved to penalty areas. After a point is awarded, all players move on to contest the next hoop. During a turn, each of the other three balls may only be croqueted once between hoop points, but by stringing together a series of roquets, croquets, and scored hoops, several points may be scored in a single turn.