Club Competitions
See who you need to play and report your score on the 
Draw and Results sheet.
Use the online Handicap Calculator to find the number of AC bisques or GC extra strokes
Contact details for BCC members may be found in the list sent by the Membership Secretary from time to time, or (if shared) in the secure online Croquet England Directory. See also Booking a Court.
To use the draws and to enter results, you must have a Gmail address and be logged-in with it. You can use another email address if it is linked to a Gmail address. It's easy and free to create a Google account. Armed with your Gmail address, notify the Competitions Manager, Andrew Wise, for initial authorisation or if you encounter difficulties.
During the summer season, we also play team matches against other clubs in the SWF leagues and one-day competitions, and Croquet England inter-club matches, please see the team matches section for details and how to join a team.
The Roll of Honour, listing all competition results (and trophies) for the most recent season, is framed and hung in the clubhouse each year.
New players should acquaint themselves with Club Etiquette: Conventions, Customs and Good Manners, and even established players should check they are familiar with the content.
Summer 2024 Competitions
Contents
Regulations
These Regulations apply to all club competitions.
- Book a court in the Court Booking System (CBS)
- All games are played according to the relevant Rules or Laws and current club Bye Laws
- Keep your handicap up to date by maintaining a card
-
Time-limits and booking slots:
- For AC, the time-limits allow for a short knock-up (5-minutes) and an additional 10-minutes to cover time-turns within a two-hour or three-hour booking slot
- For a 50-minute GC game, you should book a one-hour slot to allow for a short knock-up (5-minutes) and an additional 5 minutes to cover play after time is called. Where the 1¼ hour time limit applies, a court booking of 1½ hours is required, and for Best-of-Three games (knock-out stages) a 3½ hour court booking is required.
- For One-Ball, there is a 50-minute time-limit for each game in a Best-of-Three, for which you should book a three-hour slot (in case it goes to 3 games)
- If your game exceeds its timeslot, and any of the players involved in the next booking are present, it must be pegged-down
- Note that, to aid scheduling, different time limits may apply for Finals-Day matches
- Refer to the Club Handbook section on time limits
- For all events played in blocks, the number of blocks will be determined by total entries and there will be a play-off between block winners
- The winner should enter scores, in the relevant tab on the draw sheet
- Walk-Over Credits
- Block games: You may receive a walk-over in a block game if your opponent has been unavailable to play in time; ask the Competitions Manager before block closing date. Late requests will not be considered. Each situation will be judged on its merits using the following guidelines:
- If you tried to arrange a match at least three times (including at least once before the end of June) without a positive response then your claim is likely to be agreed.
- If your match was agreed and booked into the online booking system before the block's closing date but your opponent later ceased to be available, then your claim is likely to be agreed.
- Otherwise, your claim is unlikely to be agreed.
- A walkover win will be awarded only if you have won more than half the games you played in the block and will be credited with one net hoop point. A draw, counting as half a win with half a net hoop-point, will be awarded if you won exactly half the games you played in the block.
- Knockouts and block games: The Competitions Manager will resolve any game that is not played by its deadline. If you don't agree with the decision then you can refer to our appeals judge - David Goacher.
- Block games: You may receive a walk-over in a block game if your opponent has been unavailable to play in time; ask the Competitions Manager before block closing date. Late requests will not be considered. Each situation will be judged on its merits using the following guidelines:
- Determination of Positions in Blocks
- For most competitions, the top two players from each block qualify for the next stage of a competition
- In the event of equal wins by two people, the player who won the game between the two will finish above the other one
- If there is a tie between more than two people, then the player(s) with the most wins against those who are tying will qualify
- If qualification cannot be resolved in this way net hoops decide
- But for this purpose a player who completes less than one third of the relevant number of games in a block will have their actual completed games annulled.
West of England (AC)
Open to: All
Format: Knockout (Draw and Process, or block if fewer than 8 players)
Game: 26-point
Handicapping: Level-play Advanced (unless Super-Advanced agreed)
Time Limit: None, unless agreed prior
Ormerod Cup (AC)
Open to: All
Format: Knockout (Draw and Process)
Game: 26-point
Handicapping: Handicap difference
Time Limit: None, unless agreed prior (minimum 3 hours)
American Handicap (AC)
Open to: Under 24 Handicap
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: 18-point (1 and 3-back start) Note Law 51.2 A ball cannot score hoop 1 by being peeled by its partner ball.
Handicapping: Handicap difference, adjusted for 18-point game
Time Limit: 2¾ hours
B-Level (AC)
Open to: Handicap 0 and above
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: 26-point
Handicapping: Level-play Advanced
Time Limit: 2¾ hours
C-Level (AC)
Open to: Handicap 6 and above
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: 26-point
Handicapping: Level-play Advanced
Time Limit: 2¾ hours
14-point Handicap (AC)
Open to: All
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: 14-point
Handicapping: Handicap difference, adjusted for 14-point game
Time Limit: 2¾ hours
Beginners' Short Croquet Tournament (AC)
Open to: 2024 Beginners
Format: All-play-all block. The top two players will play a final (refer to Determination of Positions in Blocks)
Game: Short Croquet (14-point) on a half-lawn
Handicapping: Full bisque, with allocation determined by the club handicappers and notified by email
Time Limit: 1½ hours
Short Croquet (AC)
Open to: All
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: 14-point on a half-lawn
Handicapping: Full bisque (adjusted per Short Croquet rules - see the Laws
Time Limit: 1¼ hours
AC All-England (AC)
Open to: All
Format: Handicap qualifying event that leads to area and national finals. Well suited for improvers. You can register without commitment and then details will be provided when available.
Game: 26-point on a half-lawn
Handicapping: Handicap difference
Time Limit: TBA
Golf Croquet Handicap (GC)
(Note: Advantage cancelled for 2024, time limits re-introduced)
Open to: All
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game:
Single Game 13-point (first to 7) for Block; Best-of-Three 13-point for Knockout
Handicapping: Extra Turns see GC Rules
Time Limit: For each game - 50 minutes; 1¼ hours if 5 or more extra strokes
Golf Croquet Level (GC)
Open to: All
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: Single Game 13-point (first to 7) for Block; Best-of-Three 13-point for Knockout
Handicapping: Level-play
Time Limit: 50 minutes - per game
Golf Croquet Handicap Doubles (GC)
(Note: Advantage cancelled for 2024, time limits re-introduced)
Open to: All (minimum aggregate handicap 8)
Format: Knockout
Game: Best-of-Three 13-point (first to 7)
Handicapping: Extra Turns see GC Rules
Time Limit: For each game: 50 minutes; or 1¼ hours if the total extra strokes of one side exceeds the extra strokes of the other side by five or more
Golf Croquet All-England (GC)
Open to: All
Format: Handicap qualifying event for area and national finals. Well suited for improvers. You can register without commitment and then details will be provided when available.
Game: 13-point (first to 7)
Handicapping: Advantage (see link above for details)
Time Limit: TBA
9-14 Handicap (AC)
Open to: Handicaps 9 to 14
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: 26-point
Handicapping: Full bisque base 7 (see below and the Laws)
Time Limit: 2¾ hours
Bisque Allocation
| Handicap | Number of Bisques |
|---|---|
| 7 | 0 |
| 8 | 1 |
| 9 | 2 |
| 10 | 3 |
| 11 | 4 |
| 12 | 5 |
| 14 | 7 |
| 16 | 9 |
| 18 | 11 |
16-24 Handicap (AC)
Open to: Handicaps 16 to 24
Format: Blocks, then Knockout
Game: 18-point (hoop 5 start)
Handicapping: Full bisque base 11½ (see below and the Laws)
Time Limit: 2¾ hours
Bisque Allocation
| Handicap | Number of Bisques |
|---|---|
| 12 | ½ |
| 14 | 1½ |
| 16 | 3 |
| 18 | 4½ |
| 20 | 6 |
| 22 | 7½ |
| 24 | 8½ |
| 26 | 10 |
| 28 | 11½ |
AC Boxes (AC)
Open to: 16+ handicaps
Format: Boxes, repeated over the season
Game: 26-point (half-lawn) or 14-point (full-lawn)
Handicapping: Full bisque base 11½ (see below and the Laws)
Time Limit: 2¾ hours
Bisque Allocation
Bisques for this competition are allocated in accordance with the South West Federation B-League rules.
Games are played Full Bisque Handicap with a base of 11½, so each player deducts 11½ from their handicap to find the number of bisques for a full game on a full-size court. This is then reduced according to the Croquet England Schedules of Bisque Allocation:
- 26-point games, on half-size lawns, use the Schedule for games played on half-size lawns
- 14-point games, on full-size lawns, use the Schedule for 14-point games
The following table is a quick reference indicating the number of bisques to be allocated:
| Player's Handicap | Bisques for 26-point game on half-size lawn | Bisques for 14-point game on full-size lawn |
|---|---|---|
| 14 | 1½ | 1½ |
| 16 | 3 | 2½ |
| 18 | 4 | 3½ |
| 20 | 5½ | 4½ |
| 22 | 6½ | 5½ |
| 24 | 8 | 6½ |
One-Ball (AC)
Open to: All
Format: Knockout (Draw and Process)
Game: 13-point (Best-of-Three, unless single-game agreed) see the One-Ball Laws
Handicapping: See below
Time Limit: 50 minutes per game
One-Ball - Handicap Play (Association Croquet)
These rules conform to the Laws as modified by the Croquet England Regulations and are replicated here for simplicity of reference.
- First, AC handicaps below 2 are adjusted as follows:
AC Handicap 1½ 1 ½ 0 -½ -1 -1½ -2 -2½ -3 One-Ball Handicap 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6 -7 -8 - Then take the lowest of:
- the adjusted AC handicap
- if GC handicap above zero: 2.5 x GC handicap, otherwise GC handicap
- 20
- The number of bisques given is one third of the difference between the handicaps of the players with any fraction rounded to the nearest half-bisque
See Croquet England's One-Ball Handicap Poster.
Handicap Doubles (AC)
Open to: All (min. aggregate handicap 10)
Format: Knockout
Game: 18-point (hoop-5 start).
Handicapping: Full bisque base 7 (see below and the Laws)
Time Limit: 3¾ hours
Bisque Rules
To calculate the number of bisques (AC Laws), first calculate the aggregate (total) handicap of each pair.
If both of the doubles teams has an aggregate handicap of 14 or more:
- Divide the aggregate handicap by two (giving the average)
- For each pair deduct the base of 7 from their average handicap calculated in step 1
- Adjust the number of bisques calculated in step 2 to allow for an 18-point game
- In accordance with the Laws for full bisque handicap doubles, a player whose handicap is below the base (7) may play only a half-bisque
If one of the doubles teams has an aggregate handicap of less than 14, the lowest aggregate handicap pair receive no bisques and the number of bisques given to the other pair is calculated as follows:
- Divide the aggregate handicap by two (giving the average)
- Calculate the difference in average handicap between the two pairs in step 1
- Adjust the number of bisques calculated in step 2 to allow for an 18-point game
- There is no restriction on who may play a full bisque
Alternate Stroke Doubles (ASD)
Each pair may decide independently to play ASD so it is possible for only one pair to play ASD. Once started, a pair cannot change.Note Laws 50.3 "no restriction on the number of peels", 56.3 "In alternate stroke doubles, the partner should help speed up play by retrieving and placing balls and being ready to play the next stroke.", and A3.3.2 "The restriction on who may play a bisque does not apply to alternate stroke doubles."