Glossary
Newcomers to croquet often find some of the technical language of the game confusing. This glossary may help to interpret some of the jargon of the game.
0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
- 26
- The target winning score - 12 hoops with each ball, plus two points for hitting the peg. In British notation, scores are given as a difference, e.g. +17, rather than the absolute scores, e.g. 26-9. To '26' an opponent is to beat them by the maximum margin, +26 or 26-0.
- 14-point
- A shortened game where each ball completes half a circuit (six hoops) only
- 1-back, 1b
- The seventh hoop
- 2-4 leave
- The Maugham Standard Leave
- 2-back, 2b
- The eighth hoop
- 3-back, 3b
- The ninth hoop
- 4-back, 4b
- The tenth hoop
- A-Baulk
- The baulk line on the South boundary
- A-Class Player
- A technically accomplished player who plays Advanced Rules
- Advanced Rules, Advanced Play
- Additional rules with penalties for running certain hoops, to prevent one-sided games between A-class players
- All-Round Break
- 12 hoops scored in a single turn
- Alternate Colours
- Balls of different colours, allowing two independent games to be played on the same lawn. Usually, Green, Pink, Brown and White replace Blue, Red, Black and Yellow
- Anti-duffer
- An Advanced Play opening, to discourage an opponent from playing a Duffer Tice
- Approach Shot
- a croquet stroke to place the striker's ball in position to run the next hoop
- Aspinall Peel
- A peel from an acute angle, in which the peelee is jawsed in a croquet stroke, and then hit again by the striker's ball
- Association Rules
- The official international rules of croquet
- Aunt Emma
- A player who appears more concerned with hindering their opponent rather than trying to progress themselves. Generally considered to be a dull way to play the game
A
- B-Spread
- An inadequate attempt at a Diagonal Spread Leave
- Back Peel
- A peel immediately after the striker has run the hoop from the other side, e.g. through 4-back after Hoop 3
- Backward Ball
- The ball of a side which has made fewer hoops than the other
- Baillieu Double
- A large target where all of the other balls are almost in line, but often with one ball further away than the others
- Ball In Hand
- a ball which must be picked up and placed - either the striker's ball before a croquet stroke, or any ball which has left the lawn
- Baulk Lines
- The starting lines, covering the left half of each of the South and North boundaries
- B-Baulk
- The baulk line on the North boundary
- Bisque
- An extra turn in Handicap Play
- Blob
- To fail a hoop, with the ball landing in the jaws of the hoop
- Boundary
- The edge of the playing area
- Box
- The clip position of a ball after it's been pegged out
- Break
- an uninterrupted series of strokes in which a player's ball runs a number of hoops in order
- Break Down
- to make an unsuccessful shot, which causes a break to end
B
- Cannon
- A croquet stroke in which three or four balls are touching, and may be moved at the same time
- Casting
- Taking practice swings above the ball
- Centre Stance
- the traditional stance in which the mallet is swung between the legs
- Clang
- To fail a hoop, with the ball bouncing off one of the uprights. Often played with considerable force
- Clip
- a marker coloured to match each ball, indicating which is the next hoop
- Clippage, Clip Positions
- The position of the four clips. Hence, the status of the game
- Clips of Death
- an awkward clip position, particularly under Advanced Rules, where one ball is for 1-back and one is for 4-back
- Condone
- to let an opponent's fault go unclaimed; the fault becomes a legal play, with no penalty on the striker
- Contact
- A penalty under Advanced Rules, allowing the opponent to start their turn with an immediate croquet stroke
- Contact Leave
- An Advanced Play leave made after conceded a contact, designed to make progress difficult for the opponent
- Continuation Stroke
- the extra stroke played after a croquet stroke or running a hoop
- Controlled Hoop
- A hoop run so that the striker's ball comes through to a specific spot
- Corner
- The intersections of the four boundaries; to play a ball defensively into a corner
- Corner Ball
- A ball positioned precisely in one of the corners
- Corner Two Opening
- An Advanced Play opening, where the second ball is placed just outside Corner 2
- Court
- Formal name for a croquet lawn
- Critical Distance
- The distance from which a player expects to have a 50% chance of hitting
- Croquet Stroke
- the stroke following a roquet in which the striker's ball is placed touching the roqueted ball, and hit so that both balls are moved
- Croqueted Ball
- The ball that is moved but not struck in a croquet stroke
- Crosspeg
- to position two balls so that the peg lies directly between them
- Crosswire
- to position two balls so that a hoop lies directly between them
- Crown
- the top of a hoop
- Crunch Up
- To beat someone decisively and quickly, generally +26 in two all-round breaks
- Crush
- a fault in which the ball is squeezed between the mallet and the hoop
- Cut Rush
- a rush in which the object ball is sent off at an angle
C
- Death Roll
- a transit peel with no escape ball, played as a full roll - usually peeling penult while going directly to a pioneer at 2-back or 3-back
- Deem
- To decline to play a stroke to which a player is entitled (so ending the turn)
- Deep
- (a pioneer) placed well beyond the hoop
- Delayed
- (A peeling break) where the peels are made later than the easiest schedule
- Diagonal Spread Leave, D-spread, DSL
- An Advanced Play leave in which all four balls are placed in a straight line diagonally across the lawn, so that the opponent's balls are wired by the peg
- Distance Ratio
- The ratio of distance travelled by each of the balls in a croquet stroke
- Dolly Rush
- An easy rush - a straight rush with the two balls less than a foot or so apart
- Double Banking
- playing two independent games simultaneously on one lawn
- Double Tap
- a fault where the ball is struck more than once with the mallet
- Double Target
- A target of more than one ball so that a player may shoot at the middle of the group of balls
- Dream Leave
- A leave (usually in Advanced Play) played on the third turn of the game, where two balls are left with a rush at the third. The fourth ball has to hit or face the prospect of a break from the opponent
- Drive
- A basic croquet stroke in which the croqueted ball moves between three and five times as far as the striker's ball
- Duffer Tice
- An Advanced Play opening, in which the second ball is placed mid-lawn, near Hoop 6
D
- East
- the side of the lawn on which Hoops 3 and 4 are placed
- Enemy Ball
- a ball of the opposing side
- Escape Ball
- a ball positioned ready to be roqueted after peeling another ball
E
- Fault
- an error made in hitting a ball, resulting in the immediate end of the turn
- First Colours
- Blue, Red, Black and Yellow
- For (a hoop)
- requiring the next hoop in order
- Forcing
- restricting the tactical choice of the opponent
- Forestall
- to intervene during the opponent's turn before a fault is likely to be played
- Forward Ball
- the ball of a side which has scored more hoops than the other
- Forward Rush
- a rush after a hoop, pointing in the direction of the break
- Four-Ball Break
- a break using all three of the other balls
- Free Shot
- a shot at a ball(s) which gives little or no advantage to the opponent if missed
- Full Bisque
- a form of handicap play where both players have a number of bisques
- Full Roll
- a roll in which the striker's ball moves the same distance as the croqueted ball
- Furniture
- the hoops and the peg
F
- Golf Croquet
- a version of the game where each hoop is scored only by the first player to run that hoop, and there are no continuation strokes
- Grievous
- an accidental, and undesirable, peg-out - usually by rushing a ball onto the peg
- Guarded
- positioned near a boundary, to exploit a miss from the opponent
G
- Half Jump
- a jump shot which (deliberately) doesn't quite clear a ball
- Half-Bisque
- a restricted extra turn in Handicap Play, in which no score may be made for any ball
- Half-Roll
- a croquet stroke in which the striker's ball moves about half the distance of the croqueted ball
- Hammer Stroke
- a stroke hitting down on the ball, and played facing away from the direction of travel
- Hampered
- prevented from a normal swing by a hoop, other ball, or the peg
- Handicap
- a number assigned to a player to indicate his ability
- Handicap Play
- a version of the game in which the weaker player receives a number of extra turns equal to the difference in the two players' handicaps
- Heel
- the mallet face that does not strike the ball
- High Bisquer
- a player with a numerically high handicap
- Hit In
- to make a long roquet at the start of the turn
- Hogan Roll
- A massive full-roll from a corner to the furthest hoop
H
- Inner Rectangle
- The area enclosed between the first four hoops
- Innings
- control of the game, by being joined up when the opponents are separated
- Inplayer
- The player with the innings
- Irish Grip
- A grip with both palms facing forward
- Irish Peel
- A straight peel in which both the striker's ball and the peelee score the hoop in the same stroke
I
- Jaws
- The area within the uprights of a hoop; to place a ball in the jaws
- Join Up
- To position the striker's ball close to the partner ball
- Jump Shot
- a shot which causes the striker's ball to leave the ground
J
K
- Lay A Break
- To position the balls ready for a subsequent break
- Lay Up
- To prepare a leave
- Leave
- Deliberate placement of the balls at the end of a turn
- Level Play
- Play without bisques
- Lift
- To remove a ball from its position on the lawn, and play it from one of the baulk lines, either because of a wiring, or under Advanced Rules
- Long Bisquer
- a high bisquer
- Long Point
- The point furthest from either baulk - roughly in the middle of the East or West boundaries (about 19 yards from either baulk line)
- Low Bisquer
- A player with a numerically low handicap
L
- Maugham Standard Leave (MSL)
- An Advanced Play leave, where the opponent's balls are left very close behind Hoops 2 and 4
M
- New Standard Leave (NSL)
- An Advanced Play leave, where the opponent's balls are placed near to Hoop 2 and close behind Hoop 4
- Non-Playing Side
- the area beyond a hoop, from which side the hoop may not be scored
- North
- The side of the lawn on which Hoops 2 and 3 are placed
N
- Object Ball
- A ball which is being croqueted
- Octuple Peel (OCP)
- A break in which another ball is peeled through its last eight hoops and pegged out
- Old Standard Leave, OSL
- A simple Advanced Play leave, rarely used at the top level
- Open
- not wired
- Opening
- The first four turns of the game, in which each of the four balls is brought into play
- OTP (Opponent's Triple Peel)
- Describing a game in which the opponent completed a TPO, but went on to lose the game
- Outplayer
- The player who does not have the innings
O
- Partner Ball
- The ball of a side which is not the striker's ball
- Pass Roll
- A roll in which the striker's ball travels further than the object ball
- Pawnbroker
- A target that's three balls wide
- Peel
- To send another ball through its hoop
- Peelee
- A ball that is peeled
- Peg Out
- To remove a rover ball from the game by causing it to hit the peg
- Pegged-Out Game
- A game in which one or two balls have been pegged out
- Penult
- The eleventh (penultimate) hoop
- Pick Up
- To create a break, usually from an uncompromising position
- Pioneer
- A ball placed at the next hoop, to make the approach to that hoop easier
- Pivot
- A ball, usually placed near the middle of the lawn, used to simplify croquet strokes in a break
- Playing Side
- the area in front of the hoop, from which a hoop may be scored
- Plummer
- A measure of lawn speed. The number of seconds taken for a ball to travel 35 yards (i.e. stopping on the North boundary when struck from the South boundary)
- Policeman
- A ball placed within hitting range of an opponent, in the hope of exploiting any mistake
- POP
- A peel on the opponent, intended to reduce their manoeuvrability
- Posthumous Peel
- A peel through a hoop which the striker's ball has already scored earlier in the break
- Primary Colours
- same as First Colours
- Promote
- To cause a croqueted ball to collide with another, to improve its position
- Pull
- The inward curl on a croqueted ball caused by side-spin
- Push
- A fault in which the mallet is kept in contact with the ball after impact
P
- Quadruple Peel (QP)
- A break in which another ball is peeled through its last four hoops and pegged out
- Quintuple Peel (QNP)
- A break in which another ball is peeled through its last five hoops and pegged out
Q
- Reverse Take-off
- A hoop approach from the non-playing side, played as a take-off
- Riggall
- To peg out a single ball, usually the opponent's
- Roll
- A croquet stroke in which the striker's ball travels further than in a drive
- Roquet
- a shot in which the striker's ball hits another ball, earning two extra strokes
- Rover
- The twelfth (and last) hoop; a ball which has run rover
- Run
- To send the striker's ball through its hoop
- Rush
- A roquet which sends the object ball to a specified position
- Rush Line
- An imaginary line along the direction of a rush
- Rush Peel
- A peel scored with a rush stroke
R
- Scatter Shot
- A continuation shot which hits a previously croqueted ball, to try to leave a defensive position
- Score
- To send a ball through its hoop
- Scratch Player
- A player whose handicap is zero
- Second Colours, Secondary Colours
- Alternate colours
- Sextuple Peel (SXP)
- A break in which the striker peels another ball (usually partner) through its last six hoops, and pegs it out. Used under Advanced Rules to avoid all lifts
- Short Bisquer
- A low bisquer
- Short Croquet
- A 14-point handicap game played on a half-sized lawn, popular with less experienced players
- Side Stance
- A method of hitting a ball in which the mallet is swung alongside the body.
- Solomon Grip
- A grip in which the knuckles of both hands point forwards
- South
- The side of the lawn on which Hoops 1 and 4 are placed
- Split Shot
- A croquet stroke in which the striker's ball travels in a different direction from the object ball
- Squeeze
- A leave in which both opponent balls are advantageously placed. Whichever ball is moved gives a promising outcome for the striker
- Stake
- American term for the peg
- Stalk
- To aim a shot by standing back and walking towards the striker's ball from a distance
- Standard Grip
- A grip in which the lower hand holds the mallet with the palm forward, and the upper hand with the knuckles facing forward
- Standard Opening
- The traditional tice opening
- Standard Triple (Peel)
- A triple peel where the three peels are completed at the first, and theoretically easiest, opportunity
- Stop Shot
- A croquet stroke in which the striker's ball travels less far than in a drive
- Straight Peel
- A peel in which the striker's ball and the peelee are for the same hoop
- Straight Triple (Peel)
- A triple peel well behind the standard schedule, in which all three peels are played straight
- Striker
- The player whose turn it is
- Striker's Ball
- The ball being played by the striker throughout the current turn
- Supershot Opening
- A high level Advanced Play opening, in which the first ball is placed mid-lawn
- Sweep
- A means of playing a hampered shot with a horizontal mallet
S
- Take-Off
- A croquet stroke where the object ball barely moves
- Tea-Lady
- A leave giving a cross-wire and a long shot; also used to describe the subsequent attempt to hit the long shot
- Three Ducks
- An Advanced Play leave, played after a break has been completed before the fourth ball has been brought into the game
- Three-Ball Break
- A break using the striker's ball and just two others
- Tice
- A ball placed close enough to tempt the opponent into shooting
- Tice Opening
- A common opening, in which a tice is placed on the West boundary
- TPO
- A winning Triple Peel on the Opponent, gaining the advantage of a pegged out game
- Transit Peel
- A peel played when the striker's ball is in transit between two other hoops
- Trap
- Laying up near the boundary, to deter an opponent shot
- Triple Peel (TP)
- A break in which the striker peels another ball through its last three hoops and pegs it out. Most common in Advanced Play
- Triple Target
- Three balls almost in a straight line, to give a wide target for the striker
- Two-Ball Break
- A break using just the striker's and one other ball
- Two-Ball Game
- A game in which two balls have been pegged out
T
- USCA Rules
- the rules published by the United States Croquet Association
U
- Vertical Spread (VSL)
- An Advanced Play leave, where the opponent's balls are hidden behind Hoops 5 and 6
V
- Wafer Cannon
- A cannon where a third ball is arranged, almost but not quite touching the striker's ball
- West
- the side of the lawn on which Hoops 1 and 2 are placed
- Wicket
- American term for a hoop
- Wide Join
- a defensive position on the boundary, where two balls are close enough to hit but far enough apart to make the opponent's progress difficult
- Windscreen-Wiping
- Successive missed roquets requiring the use of several bisques
- Wire
- The upright of a hoop; to position a ball so its shot is blocked by a hoop
- Wired
- Blocked from hitting another ball by a hoop or the peg
- Wiring Lift
- A lift granted when a player is left with no open shot at any ball
- Wylie Peel
- A transit peel in which the peelee is used as a pioneer at another hoop, then rushed into peeling position and immediately peeled
W
X
- Yard Line
- the unmarked line one yard in from the boundary, usually measured by a mallet's length
- Yard Line Area
- the space between the yardline and the boundary
Y
Z
Glossary reprinted from Complete Croquet: A Guide to Skills, Tactics and Strategy by James Hawkins