Incorporating changes made at the 2009AGM
Please see The CA Golf Croquet Pages for the Laws of Golf Croquet and Information on Golf Croquet Handicaps
For a simplified explanation of the 2008 changes in the Laws, click here
To download Bill Arliss's "Idiot's Guide to Playing the Wrong Ball" click here
For a printable PDF version of the SWF League rules click here
1. ELIGIBILITY
a. Only current members of the club shall be eligible to represent that club.
b. No player shall play for more than one team during one season.
c. Players in the Golf Croquet League must have a properly assessed golf croquet handicap.
2. SIZE OF TEAMS
Golf Croquet League teams must consist of a minimum of four and a maximum of eight players.
3. MATCH FORMAT
Matches shall comprise twenty games. Four doubles games and sixteen singles games will be played as two rounds of doubles and four rounds of singles in any order. No one player shall play in more than two doubles and four singles games (except as allowed under Rule 8) and no game shall be repeated. Matches may result in a 10-10 draw. Two match points will be awarded to a winning team, or one match point awarded to each team in the event of a draw.
4. GAME FORMAT
All games shall be handicap games, best of 13, played to CA Golf Croquet rules. Games may be played on small lawns only if full sized lawns are not available at the home club.
5. TIME LIMITS
a. Games will be given a time limit of 45 minutes each. If the double-banked games causes the other match to stop, the clock in that game shall be stopped until it can proceed.
b. When time is called each team is entitled to 4 additional turns (the extension period). Extra turns may not be used during the extension period. If the scores are still level after this then the game is drawn and each team will have earned a ½ game point. There will be NO Golden Hoop except under Rule 8.
6. WALKOVERS/ABANDONED GAMES
a. If a club fails to provide the minimum size of team for any match, the League Secretary shall be empowered to award a walkover win to its opponents.
b. A walkover shall be scored 9-0.
c. In the event of a match having to be abandoned, the match shall be awarded to the team with the most wins in completed games. If the number of completed games is shared, the match shall be declared a draw.
7. FINAL LEAGUE POSITIONS
a. In determining the league positions after all fixtures have been decided, teams shall be ranked in order of match points achieved.
b. Where two teams have the same number of match points, the team which won the match between them in that season shall be ranked the higher.
c. Where more than two teams have the same number of match points, a mini block of the matches between the teams concerned shall be examined and the principles of (a), then (b), above shall be re-applied. If (b) above cannot be applied to the mini block, the teams shall be ranked in order according to the percentage of games they have won in the mini block during that season.
d. Where, following the application of (c) above, two teams are now ranked equally, (b) above shall be re-applied.
e. Where, following the application of (c) and (d) above, more than two teams are ranked equally, those teams shall be ranked in order of the average points difference achieved per game played during the season.
f. Where, as a result of (e) above, two teams are now ranked equally, (b) above shall be re-applied.
g. If (a) to (f) fail to produce a league winner, lots shall be drawn by the Committee to choose the team qualifying for the play-off match.
8. PLAY-OFFS AND FINALS
If a play-off or final match ends in a 10-10 draw, each team shall nominate any two of its players, who have already played in the match, to play one further game of doubles to decide the match. A play-off game may not end in a draw. If the scores are level after the extension period, play shall continue until a further hoop is scored.
9. FIXTURE DATES
a. No fixture shall be arranged for a date later than the penultimate Sunday in August.
b. It shall be the duty of all clubs concerned to submit the dates agreed for their fixtures to the League Secretary by 1st February. Appendix 1 is to act as a check-list for club tournament secretaries / team captains.
c.It shall be the duty of the League Secretary to publish a full league fixture list, with details of dates and venues, in the South West Area Newsletter (SWAN).
d. Once SWAN has been published, dates may only be changed in exceptional circumstances with the agreement of both clubs and subject to immediate notification to the League Secretary.
e. If two teams from the same club are in the same section of a League then those teams must play the fixture between them before any other game for either of those teams.
f. In a League competition comprising 20 or more entrants, the League shall be structured in a minimum of four blocks