| About The PBR Tour The PBR Tour currently consists
of a series of official and exhibition one-ball backyard
croquet tournaments. For rules, we refer to the US
Croquet Association's advanced 9-wicket version with a
few modifications and clarifications. The tour is based
in the midwest and most events are held in backyards
throughout the Kansas City Metro area.
History
The PBR Tour began in
1998 with a Fourth of July Tournament at the residence of
Dylan and Susan Goodwin in Overland Park, Kansas.
PBR Events & Scoring Link
Official PBR Croquet
Rules
Game Overview
The standard double-diamond rectangular court (shown at
right) officially measuring 50' wide and 100 feet long,
may be reduced to fit the size and shape of the space
available. (If you reduce the court, try to maintain a
six-foot separation between the Starting/Turning stake
and the adjacent wickets; a shorter distance constricts
the playing space and affects game tactics.)
The game is designed for up to six balls, and may be
played with any number of players from two to six. There
are always either four balls (two on each side) or six
balls (three on each side).
A game usually requires from one to two hours to play to
its conclusion - that is, until one of the players or
teams has "staked out" by scoring all the
wickets and striking the Finishing Stake with all the
balls on its side.
The Sides
There are always only two sides,with the "hot
colors" (red/yellow/orange) competing against the
"cool colors" (blue/black/green). When only
four balls are played, the sides are blueblack against
redyellow.
The Players
When the number of players equals the number of balls on
a side, each player plays only one ball throughout the
game. When the number of players does not equal the
number of balls on a side, the players on that side
alternate turns and may play any one ball on their side
in a turn. Team captains may be chosen, and players may
confer to decide which ball should be played in each
turn.
With two players, each of them plays all the balls on a
side.
Starting The
Game
A coin-toss gives the winning side the choice of playing
first or second. Each of the balls must be brought into
play in the first round of turns, in the order of the
colors on the stake: blue/red/black/yellow/green/orange.
The starting "tee" is one mallet-length in
front of Wicket #1.
The Turn
A turn consists of one stroke plus any additional bonus
strokes earned by the ball in play. After the first round
of turns, a side may play any one of its balls in each
turn.
At the conclusion of a turn in which a wicket or stake
point is scored, the wicket clip of the color
corresponding to the ball should be placed on the next
wicket or stake to be scored by that ball. (If your set
does not include wicket clips, you may use colored
clothespins.)
Bonus Strokes
There are two ways to earn bonus strokes: by scoring
wicket and stake points or by hitting (also called
"roqueting") an opponent's ball with the ball
in play.
Wicket or Stake Bonus Stroke
One bonus stroke is earned for passing through
your proper wicket in the order of the course. One bonus
stroke is earned for striking the Turning Stake after
scoring Wicket #7. These strokes must be played from
where the ball lies after the point is made. No bonus
stroke is earned by a ball that "pegs out" by
striking the Finishing Stake.
Roquet Bonus Strokes
You get two bonus strokes when your ball hits (or
roquets) a ball of the other side.
The Croquet Stroke is the first of these, played either
in contact with the roqueted ball or from one
mallet-head's distance, The contact Croquet Stroke is
played by placing your ball in contact with the ball you
hit (roqueted) and striking your ball to make both your
ball (the striker's ball) and the other ball (the
croqueted ball) move. If you wish, you may place your
foot on top of your ball to keep it place while you
strike it, sending the croqueted ball in the desired
direction.
(Note: You may choose to "outlaw" contact
Croquet Strokes to help equalize playing levels and
prevent stronger players dominating the game.)
The Continuation Stroke is the second of the two roquet
bonus strokes, and it is played from wherever the
striker's ball lies after the Croquet Stroke.
At the beginning of every turn, a player is eligible to
roquet any opponent ball(s). Each opponent ball may be
roqueted for bonus strokes only once in a turn, unless
the striker scores a wicket (or the Turning Stake).
Scoring a point entitles the striker to roquet each of
the opponent balls again, and a skillful player may score
several wickets in one turn.
Bonus strokes may not be accumulated: Only the
last-earned bonus stroke(s) may be played. On the Croquet
Stroke, if the striker's ball clears a wicket, the
Continuation Bonus Stroke is lost, and only the Wicket
Bonus Sroke may be the played. On the Croquet Stroke, if
the striker's ball roquets another ball on which it is
entitled to take bonus strokes, the Continuation Stroke
from the first roquet is lost, and you are entitled only
to the two newly earned bonus strokes.
If your ball clears a wicket and in the same stroke hits
an opponent ball on the other side of the wicket, the hit
does not count as a roquet; you may, however, choose to
then roquet the opponent ball with your Wicket Bonus
Stroke.
There is one exception to the rule against accumulating
bonus strokes: You may earn two bonus strokes by scoring
two wickets in one stroke. (This commonly occurs at the
Starting Stake and the Turning Stake, when you may score
both wickets in one stroke so you can use the two
consecutive bonus strokes earned to attack the position
of the other side(s).
If another player sends your ball through its proper
wicket (or into its stake), your ball does score the
point; however, there is no bonus stroke. Bonus strokes
may be earned only by the ball in play during its own
turn.
Rover Balls
Rovers are balls which have completed all the course
except for striking the Finishing Stake. Rovers may be
staked out - that is, driven into the Finishing Stake -
with any legal stroke by any player at any point in the
game.
Winning the
Game
The side which scores all the wickets and strikes the
Finishing Stake with all its balls wins the game. In
timed games, the side with the most points wins when time
is called; each wicket or stake scored by each ball
counts for a point. If there is a tie, keep playing until
one side scores a point and thus wins the game.
Boundaries
String or other marked boundaries for the nine-wicket
court shown in the illustration are not essential.
Natural boundaries such as a sidewalk, a precipitous
cliff, the surf line, or the neighbor's petunia bed will
work as well. To forestall disputes, make specific
agreements on boundaries before starting.
Boundaries designated by a string or special markings
should be at least 6 feet beyond the outer wickets and
stakes.
Boundary Balls
All balls sent out of bounds are brought to the point
where they crossed the designated Boundary and placed one
mallet-length inside the court before play resumes. There
is no penalty or loss of strokes for sending any ball out
of bounds. Out-of-bounds balls are simply placed in
bounds, and play resumes. All balls that come to rest
within the Boundary Margin - closer than a mallet-length
to the Boundary - are immediately replaced on the
Boundary Margin, with the one exception of the striker's
ball still in play on a Continuation Stroke or a Wicket
Bonus Stroke, which is played from from wherever it lies
within the Boundary Margin.
Faults and
Penalties
You must strike the ball only with the face of the
mallet. The mallet may not touch any other ball except
the striker's, nor may it strike a wicket or stake, nor
may it "crush" a ball against a wicket or stake
to make the stake or wicket bend or move.
There are no penalties for faults. Out-of-turn plays and
all faults should be corrected by replacing the balls to
their positions before the fault occurred and replaying
the shots correctly.
Unless there is a previously appointed referee, the word
of the striker should be accepted in disputes. In
disagreements on replacement of balls to replay fouled
strokes, the offending side must accept the judgment of
the opponent.
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