Short Croquet [SC] games last typically an hour or an hour and a quarter, and offer engaging croquet at all skill levels.

Learn the game!

If you are an AC player, SC needs no introduction: it’s simply 14-point AC on a half-sized lawn. There is a trivial adjustment to the wiring rule, and a simpler handicap system, but in all other respects AC players are good to go.

If you are a GC player looking to broaden your experience of croquet, the Croquet England Academies run one-day introductory sessions that build on your GC skills and give you a fast-track route into this fast-growing format of the game.  Look out for courses near you.

Get involved!

2022 saw another increase in SC in the Croquet England Fixtures Calendar. The two premier events remained the Viking Challenge Short Croquet Weekend at York on 10-11 September, and the SC Inter-Club Competition, a season-long knockout with one Club team per Federation which culminates the following weekend. But other SC fixtures are also now appearing in the CA Calendar: check out what Blewbury and Hamptworth have to offer. Several Federations are also now developing a flourishing SC scene. Why not get involved? There is always a prime focus on enjoyment at SC events and you will be very welcome.

Opening tactics in SC

Experienced AC players tackling SC for the first time often ask whether special opening tactics are needed. The short answer is no.

All the common AC opening moves can be used to good effect: East boundary, West boundary, tice to the West beyond hoop 1, Duffer tice, Corner 4, Corner 2, and so on. The shorter SC games offer the perfect context for experimenting with different openings and seeing how best they can be made to work.

The key thing to remember is that the smaller lawn makes it easier for your opponent to hit in, so think carefully about how accurate a shot your opponent is and how likely to hit in over given distances. The smaller lawn also means that SC offers a great opportunity to experienced AC players to sharpen tactical skills and precision in shot placing.

John Harris