Crazy Croquet!

Step 3 Play!

The rules are whatever you want them to be. We usually stick to the basics, so for those of you who haven't experienced the joys of this sissy French sport, here are the basic rules:

-You start just in front of the finishing stake
-Hit your ball through the wickets in a predetermined course
-Each time you go through a wicket you get another shot
-Go through to the other end of the course, where you must strike the turning stake with your ball
-Turn around and go back to the finishing stake, through a different set of wickets
-The first person to hit the finishing stake with their ball after passing through all of the wickets in the correct order, wins
-If your ball strikes another player's ball you may either take an extra shot, or place your ball next to theirs, brace your own ball with your foot, and "send" their ball as far away as possible by hitting your own ball with your mallet

That's all. The rules are so easy, you'll even be able to remember them after drinking beer and setting up a Crazy Croquet course all day.

Some extra rules we sometimes throw in:
-Special stakes/rocks/toys that, when struck, give you an extra shot
-Special stakes/rocks/toys that, when struck, end your turn and make you lose the next one
-"Poison," which is one player who's goal is not to reach the final post, but rather to seek you out and send your ball away if you get to close to the goal