To Tell or Not to Tell (in AC)
This page summarises The Laws of Association Croquet by extracting all the places the Laws say you must or must not tell your opponent about something and interrupt their play if necessary.
You Must
- Remind your opponent to take their continuation stroke if they have forgotten
- Tell your opponent if they have put a clip on the wrong hoop, have failed to pick it up after running a hoop, or have failed to place it on a hoop at the end of their turn
- Forestall your opponent (that is, stop them playing) if:
- They are about to take croquet when they shouldn't
- They fail to play a ball from baulk when they must. For example, at the start of your game, or after a wiring lift
- They are about to play a single-ball stroke when they should be taking croquet
- They are about to play a stroke they are not entitled to
- When a ball is misplaced, which can happen when:
- A croqueted ball finishes within the yard-line area and is not placed immediately on the yard-line
- After running a hoop the ball finishes within the yard-line area and is replaced on the yard-line in error
- After a croquet stroke, the striker's ball finishes within the yard-line area and is replaced on the yard-line in error
- After a continuation stroke, the striker's ball finishes within the yard-line and is not replaced on the yard-line
- A double-banker has moved one of the balls of your game and your opponent doesn't know
- When your opponent is about to play a questionable stroke (one that could possibly result in a fault). Examples would be a possible crush stroke or a hampered stroke
- In this situation, you should ask a referee to watch the stroke and adjudicate on the outcome. Remember also, if you are about to play a questionable stroke, you have a responsibility to ask a referee to watch
- Tell your opponent if they are about to strike a ball from a double-banked game
You Must Not
- Tell your opponent if they are about to strike a wrong ball
- Tell your opponent if they are about to run the wrong hoop
- Tell your opponent if they are about to run a hoop after taking a half bisque (the stroke is legitimate but the hoop has not been made and therefore there is no continuation stroke)
- Give any advice to your opponent, nor accept any from them
- Tell your opponent that they may have a lift
Note
If your opponent is about to take croquet from the wrong ball, whether you forestall them or not depends on the circumstances. If they would be entitled to roquet that ball, you must forestall.
If, however, the ball was dead*, you must not forestall. Taking croquet from a dead ball is an error which results in end of turn.
*Dead Ball: A ball becomes dead when roqueted and remains dead until a hoop is run (in the correct order), or a new turn has started (taking a bisque starts a new turn).