COVID-Secure Playing at Bristol Croquet Club
Issue: 21, 26 August 2022 - Please refresh your browser cache to ensure you are looking at the latest version. See the change log for what's new, and the FAQs for explanations.
Two Metres Is More Than You Think: if you can hit someone with your mallet, they are FAR too close
Introduction
Do not enter the club grounds if you are feeling unwell and might have COVID-19, or if you or any of your household are self-isolating.
Playing croquet is not as safe as staying at home - each individual is responsible for their own safety and must decide for themselves what risks to take.
The main risk is breathing near an infected person. Observe Social Distancing by remaining at all times at least two metres away from any other person who is not a member of your household.
Don't be afraid to pull someone up if they get too close: at two metres you should not be able to touch anyone with your mallet on an outstretched arm. Take special care when lots of people are passing in front of the clubhouse.
Spectators and guests are welcome.
History of Changes
Issue 20: Enforcement removed
Issue 20: Wear a face covering when visiting the toilet or if inside for more than a couple of minutes unless all the windows and doors are open.
Issue 19: COVID-19 Rules relaxed in line with government policy - responsibility for protecting our fellow club members now lies with each of us.
Issue 18: Allowed to touch balls, clips and equipment. One person at a time may use each of the changing rooms.
Issue 17: Clarification of lunch and food preparation arrangements.
Issue 16: Club sessions opened up. Clubhouse and toilet use permitted. Dropped use of gloves in favour of sanitising hands
Issue 15: Toilets open for COVID-Secure use.
Issue 14: Added Saturday club afternoon organisers.
Issue 13: Added club afternoon organisers.
Issue 12: Corrected the court booking times.
Issue 11: Made explicit that only single-banked singles is permitted on a half-lawn and that for club afternoons, if singles is played single-banked then players can swap with one other lawn.
Issue 10: General refresh for the new season and clarification of club afternoons.
Issue 9: Use the toilet only in an emergency. Wear a face covering whenever inside the clubhouse. Allow 5 minutes. Rinse your balls.
Club afternoons
Issue 8: Removed reference to "no club competitions" as new club's competitions get underway.
Issue 7: Toilets available. Always put the balls in the bucket after a game. Double-banked singles and single-banked doubles permitted for both GC and AC. Booking times extended to 3 hours max. You may now handle your balls, but not your opponent's. GC clips must not be used. AC clips may be used.
Issue 6: Double-banked AC singles permitted. Limited number of visitors, guests and spectators permitted. Suggest to bring and use your own seat. GC doubles not permitted. Carry the ball bucket to the lawn.
Issue 5: Use of lawn shelters (huts) permitted. You may bring and use your own clips.
Issue 4: Parking and doubles allowed. Court 3b open.
Issue 3: Added advice to consult bisque tables before visiting the club and to bring paper/pen to record scores.
Added an FAQs to help explain some of the new rules.
Issue 2: Firm hoops after lawns have been cut.
FAQ
On this page is the "justification" for some of our decisions. Please feel free to make suggestions for things you think could be improved.
Most of the frequently-questioned rules can be understood by knowing that one key goal was to reduce the possibility of touching something touched by another person - and thereby risk transferring virus from hand to hand and then to respiratory tract.
Whenever something is touched that's not completely under the control of the individual when not wearing protective gloves we recommend immediately washing with soap.
In addition to the government guidelines, The Risks - Know Them - Avoid Them is an easy-to-read article on some of the risks.
Why can't we huddle in the lawn shelters?
Social distancing! It is not possible for two people in a shelter to be two metres apart, and, since touching any surface carries a risk of transferring contamination, using the lawn shelters is advised against, but is permitted as described.What's the Problem with Using the Toilet?
The virus is in an infected person's body fluids, whether or not they have symptoms. Exhaled droplets remain in the air indoors and deposit on surfaces. inhaling them is the main disease transfer mechanism. Flushing a toilet generates an aerosol that remains in the air and deposits onto surfaces. Any surface touched gives rise to a disease transfer risk.
Why Shouldn't I Touch the Balls
If practising alone, there's no reason not to handle the balls, however, whilst in AC you might initially think that only the striker's ball is touched and when placing it to take croquet, a counter-example is when an opponent's ball is rushed off the lawn, which is particularly common when you hit-in over a long distance or even roquet a yard-line ball. A hand-to-hand contamination risk therefore arises.
Why Shouldn't We Use GC Clips?
GC clips are necessary only for spectators to figure out the state of play. If double-banking, before playing a jump shot, the striker might need to get all four people around the hoop to remove their clips - a completely unnecessary risk.
AC clips are necessary for all but those with an exceptional memory.