AC Competition Rules

ASSOCIATION CROQUET COMPETITIONS 2025

RULES

What to wear: Full whites are optional but please wear white tops or club fleeces for internal club competions.

In the event of entries for a competition being significantly lower or higher than anticipated, the format may be changed at the discretion of the Competition Secretary and the Chairman.

AC Competition Secretary: liz@sussexcountycroquetclub.org.uk

RULES

1. All games must be played by the dates shown on the schedules. Any problems in keeping to the dates should be reported to the Competition Secretary. Some tolerance may be given, but if the Competition Secretary feels a non played match adversely affects the competition they may decide to disqualify the offending player or players. In all cases the Competition Secretary’s decision is final.

2. Block games Block winners will be decided in the following order:

a) Number of wins

b) Net points

c) Who beat whom

3. Withdrawing from a competition

It is essential if you do have to withdraw, either before or after having played a match, that you contact the Competition Secretary. You MUST NOT offer a walkover as it will be the Competition Secretary’s decision what happens next.

4. Lawn bookings If the club is very busy and you cannot find a lawn to play your match, please contact the Competition Secretary or the Chairman who will move social croquet matches to accommodate you. Note: lawns are often available from 4.00 p.m.

5. Finals Finals take place from 24 – 28 September 2025. It is expected that all matches are completed by then and only in exceptional cases (eg illness) will any further extensions be given. If you are a finalist, please make yourself available to play your finals in finals week or as a last resort before presentation of trophies. The finals schedule is arranged by the Competition Secretaries and is posted on the website. Club members are encouraged to come and watch.

6. Recording scores in AC The actual score for each game should be entered eg 26-15 If the game is decided on time please indicate eg 23-2 T

The Club AC Competitions 2025

1. Moore Cup Knockout
  • Level play (no bisques) and advanced rules.
  • Best-of-three 26 point games for each round.
  • For handicaps of 6 or below.
  • No time limit.
2. Sussex Gold Cup
  • Knockout Handicap
  • Open to all members with an Association handicap.
  • One 26 point game per round.
  • Time limit 3.5 hours.
3. Shine Salvers
  • Knockout
  • Alternate-stroke doubles Handicap
  • 26 point games
  • Maximum handicap per player 20 (players over 20 may play off 20).
  • Maximum total handicap per pair 34.
  • Time limit 3.5 hours.
4. Daldy Cup
  • Knockout handicap Singles
  • Handicaps 8 to 16 inclusive
  • 26 point games
  • Time limit 3.5 hours.
5. D’Esterre Bowl
  • Knockout Singles
  • Level-play Advanced rules
  • Handicaps 4 to 12 inclusive
  • 26 point games
  • Time limit 3.5 hours.
6. New Challenge Cup

This cup is not being contested this year.
7. Bush Cup
  • BLOCK Handicap
  • Players with handicaps of 14 or above at date of entry.
  • The games are played to a base of 8 to give each player bisques.
  • 14 point games
  • Time limit 2 hours.
  • The number of bisques for each player is calculated as follows: Deduct base 8 from player’s handicap and then halve to allow for the 14 point format.
  • Winner of block wins the Bush Cup. If entries allow for more than one block, block winners will progress to a final.
8. Franc Cup
  • Block
  • Handicap for players with handicaps of 20 or below.
  • 26 point games played in single block.
  • Time limit 3.5 hours.
  • If entries allow for more than one block, block winners will progress to a final.

NB This is no longer a women's only competition but open to players of all genders.
9. Freddy Reynold Cup
  • Knockout
  • One-ball handicap competition
  • Each round to be best-of-three games - each game consisting of 12 hoops and the peg
  • Results to be recorded in the form 2-0 or 2-1
  • No time limits
  • The method of bisque allocation is as follows : Adjust the handicaps of either player who has an Association handicap of 1.5 or below in accordance with the following table:
    Normal Handicap 1.5 1 0.5 0 -0.5 -1 -1.5 -2
    Bisques 1 0 -1 -2 -3 -4 -5 -6
  • A player's One-Ball handicap will be the lowest of:
    • a) their AC handicap (but see above for AC handicaps that are less than 2) 
    • b) 2.5 x their GC handicap (but see below for GC handicaps that are less than 0) 
    • c) 20
  • Bisques are 1/3 of the difference between the two players’ One-Ball handicaps, rounded to the nearest half bisque.
  • Players should not multiply minus GC handicaps by 2.5 (so -2 should not become -5)
10. Millennium Shield
  • Knockout Singles
  • Handicaps of 12 and below
  • Each round to be best-of-three 14 point games played to advanced rules (i.e. level play, no bisques and advanced rules with lifts)
  • Time limits for the games to be 1.5 hours, 1.5 hours, 1.0 hour respectively
  • Remember, 14 point games count on your handicap card (plus or minus 10 points with adjustments according to the handicaps of the two players - because it is level play).
11. Hazel Parker Shield Short Croquet Cup
  • Block
  • 14 point game played on half lawns
  • Players with a short croquet handicap of 7 and above at the time of entry.
  • Final is best of three 13 point games
  • Time limit 80 minutes
  • Normal laws of AC apply but with different wiring rules
  • Relationship between Association and Short Croquet handicaps
    Relationship between Association and Short Croquet handicaps
    Association Short Association Short
    -3 to -1 3 peels 8 to 9 3
    -0.5 to 0.5 2 peels 10 to 11 3.5
    1 to 1.5 1 Peel 12 to 13 4
    2 to 2.5 0 14 to 15 5
    3 to 3.5 0.5 16 to 17 6
    4 to 4.5 1 18 to 19 7
    5 1.5 20 to 21 8
    6 2 22 to 23 9
    7 2.5 24 10
12. AC All England Handicap
  • The National 26pt AC Handicap competition
  • The initial round/s for our members will be played at SCCC
  • Final at Guildford on 20th and 21st September 2025

Summary: Competitions ranked by handicap requirements

(In addition there is one One Ball (Open) and One Short court competition (equivalent to AC HC 18+)

HC-lo HC high AC/GC Singles/Doubles L/H Format Name
Open AC Singles HC Knockout Sussex Gold Cup
Open AC Singles HC Block All England AC Handicap
-3 6 AC Singles Level Knockout Moore Cup
-3 12 AC Singles Level Knockout Millenium Shield
-3 20 AC Singles HC Block Franc Cup
4 12 AC Singles Level Knockout D'Esterre Bowl
8 16 AC Singles HC Knockout Daldy Cup
14 24 AC Singles HC Block Bush Cup
AC Doubles HC Knockout Shine Salvers

Last update : 17/03/2025 14:58
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