Wrong ball and offside are the two rules new players miss

Two rules of golf croquet catch out almost every new player: playing a wrong ball, and offside. Both are set out in the WCF Rules of Golf Croquet, 6th Edition, in force in Australia since 1 July 2022.

One side plays blue and black, the other red and yellow. Rule 1.2.1 says: "The balls are to be played in the colour sequence blue, red, black and yellow." Playing out of that order, or playing an opponent's ball, is a wrong ball.

New players watch the hoop and pick up the nearest ball. Any player who sees a wrong ball about to be played, or just played, is to stop play.

If the wrong ball is caught straight after the stroke, the fix depends on which ball was hit. If it was an opponent's ball, the balls go back, any point scored is cancelled, and the right ball is played. If a side played its own other ball, the opposing side chooses. They can put the balls back and replay, or take a Ball Swap: the two balls swap places, any point stands, and the opposing side plays next.

Only the last stroke is put right. Once another stroke is played, the earlier strokes stand and play goes on.

The fix: After a few games, it becomes automatic to know which ball is next but early on it's tricky. Everyone at every level has played the wrong ball. It's just something that happens. It gets fixed up according to the rules and play goes on.

A ball is offside when, at the end of a turn in which a point is scored, all of it is clearly beyond the halfway line for the next hoop. For most hoops, that line runs across the court through the peg.

The opposing side may then choose to have the offside ball played next from either penalty area, and they pick which one. It is their choice, not automatic.

A ball is not offside if it got there in the stroke just played, by an opponent's stroke, or by hitting an opponent's ball.

This rule exists to stop players from "running away" and ignoring the current contest entirely to goal hang at the other end. It keeps the game interactive.

The fix: Don't think too far ahead in the early weeks. Focus on the hoop everyone is playing. If you end up offside it doesn't matter, it happens many times in all levels of the game just take your ball for a walk to the penalty area.

When someone says "wrong ball" or "offside", it is not a telling-off. It is just how the game is played.