CBOQ \/=irv\ GV 931 H845 Copy 1 ITS .ttuies and Regulations COMPLETE INSTR UCTIONS. AMERICAN EDITION. \ L n i *> *i^yj ^ ihn NEW AND REVISED EDITION / OF How TO 1 LAY CrOOUET. A POCKET MANUAL OF Complete Ii^tfudtior^ ioi ^11 Plkyei^. ILLUSTSATEn "WITH ENGRAVINGS AND DIAGRAMS, * V TOGETHER WITH THE RULES OF THE GAME, As Adopted by Professional and Amateur Clubs ; HINTS ON FLOOK AND TABLE CROQUET, AND DEFINITIONS OF TECHNICAL TE&MSr — _ • BOSTON: Copyright, 1878, By S. Kramer. ^ L HOW TO PLAY CKOQITET First Words. HARMING!" is the universal exclama- tion of all who play or who witness the play- ing of Croquet. Most persons suppose it to &n& be a new game, yet, although in some respects Y new, it is little more than an old one revived. It used to be played by the ancient Gauls so univer- sally, that the greater portion of the promenades adjoining large towns consisted each of a long alley, the mail — the name of the game being jeu de mail. The later French received it from their ancestors the Gauls, and it was introduced into England under HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. Charles II., at the time of the Restoration, after his sojourn in Franoe. The long Avenue in front of Buckingham Palace, called the " Mall," or " Mail," derived its name from this game, which was played there. The residents of Boston, a century ago, gave the same name to the side avenues of their famous Common. Very few of the present residents are aware that Beacon Street and Park Street Malls derive their title from the game of Croquet. One prime feature of Croquet is that it is an out- door sport in which ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may alike engage. Hitherto, while men and boys have had their healthful means of recreation in the open air, the women and girls have been re- stricted to the less exhilarating sports of indoor life ; or, if they ventured out, all the participation in the healthful outdoor amusement and exercise they could indulge in was the tame and unsatisfactory position of mere lookers-on. It is not to be wondered at, then, this being the state of things, that Croquet, upon its introduction to American Society, should meet with so warm and universal a welcome. It came as an outdoor sport for ladies, misses, and even little children, — for the rich and for the poor ; the strong and the weak, — easily learned, and always intensely interesting and attractive to all. We shall endeavor, in this " New Manual," to make all its points clear to every understanding, so that persons of every age, from the youngest to the oldest, 50 W TO PLAY CROQUET. 8 may easily become proficient in a mode of amuse- ment which cannot fail to be to them an inexhaustible source of health and happiness. Implements Required. What is called a " Full Set," consists of Eight Balls, Eight Mallets, Ten Arches, and Two Stakes ; a " Half Set " consists of Four Balls, Four Mallets, Ten Arches, and Two Stakes. • These may be simply constructed of ordinary mate- rial ; but if the game is to be established as a perma- nent institution, and the players wish to engage in it correctly, and on what may be called "scientific prin- ciples," a good degree of attention should be paid to the material, size, shape and proportion of them. A nice, well-made set of these, kept in good order, always at hand, we have no doubt will soon be con- sidered indispensable in every well-ordered family. When one considers how much real enjoyment and healthful exercise can be derived from such a collec- tion of simple articles, that they are a protection from evil influences by keeping all the members in the household ranks, and that with rational amuse- ments at home, no one will be inclined to seek irra- tional ones abroad, we think a great inducement is presented for the general adoption of Croquet. The Balls. Among foreign hard-woods, sound Turkey box-wood is excellent for Croquet-balls, and is used by those who wish and can afford a tip-top article. HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. Various forms of mallet-heads have been used by Croquet-players, some of them rather fanciful than otherwise ; but long experience has resulted in an adoption of the following as the most practical and generally useful. It was patented, June 29, 1869. It € is the nearest perfection in simple elegance, and almost indestructible. We have seen those that have been in constant use for two seasons without a fracture. Besides these indispensable qualities for a good game, it balances very nicely in the hand ; and a true and scientific blow can be struck with perfect ease. This shape, though not so attractive as the preceding, is good for service, and is used largely by professional players ; its long cylinder shape presents an accurate line to guide the eye in making "line " shots. The game of Croquet is played on a lawn or a piece of smooth turf, and possesses an important ad- vantage over most other out-door games, inasmuch as any piece of grass land of ordinary size will serve its purpose ; in fact, it may be played almost anywhere. HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. Arrangement of Arches and Stakes. TUROTNG-STAKE. arches and stakes on this page is ac- players as the origi- ing the best game. It adopted by the major- the exact distances are unimportant, and cording to the dimen- which the game is , The arrangement of shown in the diagram cepted by all good nal one, and as afford- presents the distances ity of players, though between the arches may be regulated ac- t SS sions of the ground on v I A CD 7 /> &&2r. pi aye d. In every should bear a relative here given. Varia- of arrangement have some places, and new be devised by those Where the Croquet- A/ 00 L 1/3.* case, however, they proportion to these tions from this plan been introduced in ones will probably who play the game, ground is small, the STARTING-STAKE. SOW TO PLAY CROQUET. following plan, with nine hoops, always affords an interesting game ; the central arch presenting rather greater difficulty to the player than any arch in the usual arrangement. General Directions for Playing. The game can be played by eight persons, four on each side. Six or Four, however, make a better game ; and, if there are only two players, each can use twu balls and have a capital game. It is generally HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. conceded that four is the best number ; eight play- ers may be divided into two sets, both playing on the same ground. At the commencement the players divide into two sides, which, if not even, may be made so by one of the plaj^ers taking two balls. Each player takes a mallet and ball of the same color. The game commences by the leader of one side placing his ball about a mallet's length in front of the starting-stake, and endeavoring, by striking it with the head of his mallet, to drive it through the first arch. If he succeeds, he then tries to drive it through the next arch, and so on. As soon as he misses going through an arch, his turn is over. If, however, at his first turn he does not send his ball through the first arch, he gives place to the next player. The leader of the other side then plays ; and the others in the order of the colors on the starting-stake. The aim of each player is to drive the balls from the starting-stake through the seven arches to the turning-stake, which must be struck. This is called " pegging," or "staking." The balls are then to be driven back to the starting-stake ; the course to the turn and back to be in the direction indicated by the arrows on our diagrams. The player who reaches the turning-stake first has great advantages ; for, as soon as he commences his return journey, and meeting the other players, he is able to croquet them, considerably impeding their progress. The side whose balls are first driven round, and hit the starting-stake, wins the game. 10 HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. The requisites of a correct position are these : — a firm footing, the body brought into an easy position for striking, and finally a good sight of the line of projection. Place the feet firmly on the ground about fifteen inches apart, so that the line from toe to toe is about an inch from your ball. Now stoop slightly over the ball, taking care to keep the knees straight and the feet firmly planted, until your mallet-head is almost touching the ball, and just clear of the ground. In this way not only is an easy and natural position se- cured, but the eye is brought just over and thoroughly commands the line of projection. Having satisfactorily posed yourself, the next thing is to deliver the stroke ; but first determine where to strike your ball. It is evident, that in standing as before described, to drive the ball in the direction of a line parallel with that from the toe of your right boot to the toe of the left, the mallet must strike it fairly upon the centre of its right-hand side, or on a line passing through the centre of the mallet-head and of the ball. Having got this rightly, swing back }^our mallet with an easy action of the wrist, moving the arm as little as is compatible with freedom, and let it fall on the ball exactly on the point indicated. The mallet should be allowed to fall by its own weight, rather than by any muscularly imparted impetus, as that has a ten- dency to impair the steadiness of the stroke. Great care must be taken, too, that the mallet-head's larger axis is exactly in the line of projection ; a very slight deviation from this line will suffice to divert the ball HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. 11 from its true course. If the mallet be not allowed to swing perpendicularly, or very nearly so, there will be always a tendency to pull the ball — a very common cause of failure with many players. Another very common cause of failure is the twist- ing of the mallet-head to one side just as the stroke is given, and this is specially observable with nervous people ; the remedy — an infallible one — is to hold the mallet tight. Let the wrist play as loose as you like, but the hand must keep a firm grip of the mallet ; a loose grasp is not only a fertile source of erratic play, but fatal to crisp, clean hittings. To drive your own ball where you will in a straight line is comparatively easy, but to be able to place two balls exactly where most wanted, each going off at a different angle, and having to traverse a different dis- tance, is indeed a triumph of skill and dexterity. This cannot, of course, be acquired without a knowledge of the natural laws which govern the motions of spherical bodies when brought into contact with one another. If one ball be driven by another ball coming in con- tact with it, the former will fly off from the latter in the direction of the straight line joining their centres. This rule holds good also when the two balls are in contact at rest, and one is struck as in the Croquet. Get this line correctly, and it matters not how you strike your own ball ; the croquetted ball must take the right direction. The movements of the croquetting ball depend en- . tirely upon the handling of the mallet. Short, sharp strokes produce great angles ; long, sweeping strokes, fine 12 HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. angles. The former drive the croquetted ball, and hardly stir the other ; the latter drive the croquetting ball, and, unless the angle be fine, scarcely move the croquetted. The short, sharp stroke must be given with a loose wrist, the mallet not being held too tight, but rather allowed to play in the hand. Care must be taken to arrest the mallet's motion at the very instant of de- livery ; if it be allowed to follow the ball in the least, it will not only modify the angle, but will impart to the ball more or less of its own forward impetus. To avoid this, the mallet should be brought up sharp, with a kind of jerk. In making the sweeping or driving stroke, the mal- let must be grasped with a rigid hand and wrist as firmly as possible, and quite low down, and must be made to follow well after the ball. At the beginning of the game, and before making each stroke, look well around and see the exact posi- tion of affairs ; then, having made up your mind what to doj make your stroke deliberately and carefully. Watch the game attentively throughout, studying each player's style, both friend and foe. You will thus learn the capabilities of others, and learn points which may be subsequently of great service. Do not play a selfish game — that is, do not be in too great a hurry to make your own arches. You may often do more service to your side by going back, or lying by to help a friend, than by running your own ball through half a dozen arches. Remember, you cannot win the game by your own ball alone. HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. 13 Do not hesitate, either, where you can do real injury to your opponents, to abandon your own game, in order to go down and break up theirs. When two or more balls are in friendly proximity, rush down and break up their union at all hazards, for such a gathering always denotes mischief ahead. Never try a difficult stroke, however brilliant, when circumstances do not imperatively demand it. It is the safe game that wins. Take every opportunity of practising the various strokes, particularly the more simple ones. Especially study and perfect yourself in long shots ; make everything within twenty yards a dead cer- tainty on level ground. This may seem a long stroke, but is perfectly attainable with good mallets and balls on a good ground. When a player strikes his own ball so as to hit another, however lightly, at a distance, he is said to roquet it. Having thus hit a ball, he can " take the croquet " before proceeding further in the game, or not, at his option. As soon as the ball has gone through the first arch, the player may, with it, croquet any ball that has also passed through the same arch. It is done as follows : when a ball has hit another at a distance, — that is, "roquetted it," — the player lays his own ball against the other so that it touches it. At this point two different methods of playing come in. One is called u Tight Croquet," the other " Loose Cro- quet." In the former, the plaj^er places his foot on his own ball, and strikes his ball with the mallet. 14 HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. In Position fob " Loose Ceoquet." The effect of this will be to drive the other ball in any direction the player may choose, which, of course, will be governed by whether the ball thus croquetted belongs to a player on his own side or not. If the player adopts the " Loose Croquet," he does not place his foot on the ball, but merely placing the two balls in contact, he drives them both together by striking his ball The result is that they fly of! at different angles. , v£ t d can by croquetting send a partner through £$3 &t^1 •!© wishes to pass, or else drive an enemy wliu /}<- obtained a good position, exactly in the opposite direction to that in which he wishes to travel. Great care must be taken with regard to the way in HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. IB y. -:-■—--> ; -- In Position for " Tight Croquet." which the ball is driven. Many thoughtless players think nothing of driving a foe close to a friend, or, in the hope of assisting their side, send a friend in the immediate neighborhood of a foe, thus improving the position of the adverse side, and damaging that of their own. When a player has gone the rounds and * xi the starting-stake, he may either " peg," ?nu retire, or not strike it, and be a " rover," with the privilege of travelling over the ground to assist pla} r ers on his own side, or damage the prospects of those on the other. 16 HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. RULES AND REGULATIONS. 1. The players on each side are to play alternately, according to the colors on the starting-stake ; and the order in which they play shall remain unchanged during the game. 2. A player continues to play until he fails in an attempt to pass an arch, strike the turning-post, or any other point in the game. 3. On commencing, each player must place his ball at a distance from the starting-stake not exceeding the length of the mallet. 4. The first stroke must be to pass the ball through the first arch. 5. The ball must be struck with one of the faces of the mallet-head, and never with its side. 6. The ball must be fairly struck, and never pushed. A ball is considered to be fairly struck when the sound of the stroke is heard. A ball is pushed when the face of the mallet is allowed to rest against it, and the ball is propelled without the mallet being drawn back. HOW TO PLAY CHOQUET. 17 7. If a ball be struck otherwise than with the face of the mallet, if it be pushed, or if in strikin g at his own ball a player hits another, it is a foul stroke, and the player loses his turn ; and any balls disturbed shall be replaced or suffered to remain, at the option of the opposite side. 8. A player may play in any attitude, and use his mallet with his hands in any way he pleases, provided he strikes the ball with the face of the. mallet. 9. If, in making a strike, a ball is driven beyond the limits of the Croquet-ground, it may be taken up and placed at the point where it crossed the boundary line. 10. When the ball is by accident driven from its resting-place, it is to be returned to the spot from which it was started. 11. It is allowable for a player to rest the head of his mallet on the ground at a distance from the ball, and strike it b}^ sharply advancing the mallet from its resting-place. 12. Instead of aiming at his arch or at another ball, a player may strike his ball towards any part of the ground he pleases. 13. The balls are to pass through the course in the regular order of the arches. If a ball passes through an arch other than that arch next in its turn, or from the wrong side, the passing-through is of no account. 14. If a ball is struck through its right arch by a blow from another ball, or is roquetted or croquetted through it, it is considered to have gone through its arch. lg MOW TO PLAY CROQUET. - -.-a 15. Any player missing the first arch takes his ball up, and, when his turn comes, plays from the starting- place, as at first. 16. If, by .a single stroke, a ball passes through two arches, its owner can claim ground one mallet's length in any direction from the place on which the ball stopped ; if three arches, two such lengths. 17. A ball has fairly passed through an arch when it passes within^ and beyond it. to any extent, or when, if the handle of the mallet is laid across the two sides of the arch whence the ball came, the ball does not touch the handle, as shown below. #%. 18. Hitting the turning-stake is equivalent in its privileges to the passage of an arch. 19. When the ball of a player hits the starting- stake, after he has been through all the arclies, whether by his own play or by being roquetted or croquetted, he is out of the game, and it proceeds without him. HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. 19 20. A ball is a rover when it has gone through all the arches, and has not hit the starting-stake. 21. A rover has liberty to croquet consecutively all the balls during any one of his turns, but cannot croquet the same ball twice in a single turn. 22. If a person play out of his turn, and the error be discovered before the turn is completed, the ball must be replaced where it stood before, as well as any balls it may have moved. If, however, the turn is completed, the player loses his next turn altogether. The error, however, must be discovered before the commencement of the next turn, or else no penalty is attached. 23. A ball is roquetted when it is struck by another, whether the ball striking it proceeds from a stroke of a mallet or is rebounded from an arch, stake, or ball which it has previously struck. 24. When a ball roquets two or more balls by one stroke of the mallet, he is said to ricochet, and can croquet one or all, at his option. 25. As soon as a player has gone through the first arch, he is at liberty to croquet any ball which has also gone through the arch. 26. A player cannot croquet a ball which he has not roquetted. 27. A booby cannot croquet another ball, nor be croquetted. 28. A player is forced to move the croquetted ball at least six inches, and cannot croquet the same ball a second time until he has passed through an arch. 26 HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. 29. If a player ricochet, and wishes to croquet, he must do so ill the order in which they were roq netted, but the striker has only one additional stroke when he has croquetted the lot. 80. If a ball hit another ball that is a rover, and by the blow drives it against the winning-stake, he is allowed another turn, but cannot croquet the ball, as the moment it touches the stake it is dead. 31. If, in " tight " croquetting, the ball slip from the foot and go through an arch, or strike the stake, the stroke does not count. 32. If, in an attempt to croquet a ball, the player's ball flinches, the ball on which the Croquet was to be executed is free, and can be struck in its turn by its owner. 33. In the act of croquetting, when the player makes a splitting or following stroke, the foot may be held lightly on his own ball, but it is not obligatory to put the foot on at all. 34. A player, after striking a ball, is not necessarily compelled to croquet it, but is allowed to play in any direction he pleases. He must, however, play from the place where his ball is, and not, since he abnegates the privilege of it, as after a Croquet, from a position touching the ball he has struck. 35. If a player croquet a ball illegally, he loses his next turn. 36. If a ball, when croquetted through its arch in a wrong direction, roll back through the arch, it has not to pass through the same arch in the same direction again. HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. 21 37. Should the course of a ball be interrupted by nnj person, the player can allow it to remain at the point where interrupted, or it can be moved to where he supposes it would have reached. 38. If a player play with a wrong ball, he has to replace the ball and lose his turn. This is not en- forced unless the error is discovered before the arrival of the player's second turn. 39. If a ball be moved by a player when it should not have been touched, it must be restored to its for- mer position, even if the stroke has sent it against a stake or through an arch. 40. When all the players on one side have passed through the arches, and struck both stakes, the side that first accomplishes this wins the game. 22 HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. TECHNICAL TERMS DEFINED. Arch. The curved iron rod set in the ground ; the Bridge. Attacking. Playing at an enemy's ball for the purpose of put- ting it out of position. Booby. A ball that has failed in an attempt to pass through the first Arch. Concussion. The displacement of a ball by another placed against it by roquet, croquet, ricochet, roquet-croquet, and not struck directly by the mallet or ball that may be in play. Croquet. To strike one's own ball when in contact with a roquetted ball. (See " Tight Croquet," and "Loose Croquet.") Dead Ball. A Hover which having struck the starting-stake is for that reason thrown out of the game ; any ball that cannot play. Dismiss. To dismiss a ball is to croquet it to a distance. Double Point. Punning two arches with one stroke of the mallet. Flinch. When a ball with which a player is about to take the Croquet slips from beneath his foot. Following Stroke. When a player strikes his own ball so that it follows the ball he is croquetting. Foot. The starting-stake. Front. That side of an arch from which a player must proceed in passing through it. Head. The turning-stake. Home. The starting-stake. Home Strike. The last strike of the play. HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. 23 In Position. A ball when it rests opposite its arch, so that by one stroke of the mallet it may be driven through it. Leading Ball. The first ball from home. Loose Croquet. Croquetting a ball (after having placed the two balls in contact) by striking your own ball without placing your foot on it, causing both balls to fly off at different angles. Made its Arch. A term applied to a ball when it has passed through an arch. Making a Point. Running an arch; tolling the turning-stake, or roquetting a ball — each in its proper place or turn. Making Position. Roquetting or ricocheting a ball already in position. Out of "Position. A ball whose locality is such that the player cannot drive it through its proper arch by a single stroke of the mallet. Overrunning an Arch. Driving a ball outside and beyond the arch intended to be passed through. Pegging. The same as staking. Pushed. A ball, when the face of the mallet is allowed to rest against it, and it is propelled without the mallet being drawn back. Ricochet (ri-ko-sha 1 '). The act of roquetting two or more balls by one stroke of the mallet. Roquet (ro-ka 1 ). To roquet a ball is to cause your ball, by a stroke of the mallet, to come in contact with it, either directly or in- directly. Roquet-Croquet. Taking a ball that has roquetted another, and placing it near the roquetted ball ; then, without placing the foot on the ball, striking it with the mallet, driving both balls to any point or points that may best serve the player. Roquetted (ro-kade'). A ball is roquetted when it is struck by another ball. Rover. One who has been through all the arches, and struck the turning-stake, but, instead of striking the starting-stake and going out, prefers to continue in the play. 24 HOW TO PLAY CROQUET. Running an Arch. Driving a ball through an arch, either by a single blow of the mallet, by roquet, croquet, ricochet, concussion, or roquet- croquet. Side Stroke. Holding the mallet in one or both hands, and hitting the ball with it at the side or across the body. Splitting Stroke. Striking a ball so that it takes a different direction from that of the croquetted ball. Spoiling an Enemy. Striking an opponent's ball out of position. Staking. Striking the stake with a ball ; pegging. Starting- Stake. The stake at which each player commences his tour or play ; the foot of the arena. Straight Stroke. Striking by holding the mallet perpendicu- larly in front of the body. Striking Home ; or, Striking Out. Striking a ball against the starting- stake after its having run all the bridges and tolled the turning-stake. Take a Stroke off. Placing a ball to touch the roquetted ball very lightly, so as to leave it, when croquetted, in nearly the same position. Take the Croquet. Placing your own ball against a roquetted ball, so that it touches it ; then striking it, and thus driving one or both balls in any direction you wish. Tight Croquet. Croquetting a ball by placing your foot on your own ball, and by striking it with your mallet, driving the other away and taking another turn with your own. Tolling the Stake. Striking your ball against the turning- stake, after having run the central and left flank arches upwards. Tour of Plat. The turn given each player, and continuing so long as points are gained. Turning- Stake. The stake directly opposite the starting-stake. Winning-Stake. The starting- stake is so called, because when it is struck by a returning ball the game is won. Wired. Having your ball in such a position that an arch pre- vents the stroke you wish to make. LIBRARY OF CONGRESS TOUBrfi&F-®- The New Lawn Cushion Game. 4 STANDARD. 5 6 ® It possesses all the attractive features of Croquet, and in connection with the f ubber cushions, adds all that is desirable in Billiards. It affords the player a chance to display great skill in making cannon strokes and carom shots, and at the same time is as simple and easily comprehended as the ordi- nary Croquet. Patented October 23 d, 1877.