Croquet enthusiast Valerie Taylor offers rules, regulations and conventions of croquet. - Taylor says double-diamond croquet is the most common version of croquet played. Play order is determined by the color of ball and its order on the stake (figure A).
- As many as six players can play at once. Croquet can be played by competing individuals or by teams.
- Once play order is determined, the ball is placed a mallet's length away from the wicket. Each player uses his or her mallet to try to knock the ball through the wicket (figure B).
- Each time a player knocks the ball through a wicket, he or she earns another stroke. Once the center wicket has been played, the player moves to right wicket.
- Play is continued in a diamond pattern, with movement continuing to next center wicket, and then back to the next-far right wicket. Once the right side of the court has been played, play continues in the same pattern down the left side. The stake at each end of the court counts as a wicket and earns another stroke.
- When a ball is knocked out of bounds, the player simply brings the ball back into bounds and continues to play from the line.
- Defensive play in croquet is called sending. When one player hits another player's ball, the player can then "send" the other player's ball away. Sending is done by placing one foot on top of player's own ball to hold it in place (figure C) while hitting the ball with the mallet hard enough to move the other player's ball as far away as possible. Sending earns a player three strokes.
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