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​​​​​​​​​​​​​​General Information for Venue Managers, which may also be useful to players

This document relates to the playing of Croquet, i.e. matters under the jurisdiction of the TM. Other matters such as catering and transport are dealt with elsewhere.   

WCF Sports Regulations specify various matters, and excerpts from these are quoted here in red as necessary.  Venue managers should take the opportunity to read the regulations, which may be found on the WCF website at

Click here

Daily Schedule

Start Time

7.1.1 Unless otherwise advertised, and subject to Regulation 7.1.2 below, play will commence at 9.30 a.m. The TM may vary this time at their discretion. Players must be prepared to play until dusk or under floodlights if this has been advertised in advance of the event.

7.1.3 All Players must report to the TM, their deputy or other representative on arrival and before leaving each day. Any Player who is not present or is otherwise unable to play when called upon to do so is liable to be penalised under Regulation 6.7 above.

Hit-ups

9.3 Practicing

Except as decided at the discretion of the TM, the following shall apply:

9.3.1 In AC and GC Events, each Player shall be allowed five minutes’ practice before their first game each day on the court on which they are about to play.

9.3.3  During practice, hoop running may only be practiced using strokes no harder than required to send the ball seven yards and must not disturb the setting of the hoops.

Time Limits

Normally, time limits will not be used, but if problems arise which suggest the need for limits to be imposed , venue managers should urgently contact the TM or Consolation Event Manager for approval. 

The regulations state:

7.2.1 AC events – normal conditions It is preferable not to set time limits where possible, but where the TM feels they are necessary, the TM may apply time limits of no less than:

Single games in the block stage and consolation events – 3 hours. Best of 3 games – a minimum of 4, 7 and 10 hours cumulatively. Best of 5 games – a minimum of 21⁄2, 41⁄2, 61⁄2, 81⁄2 and 101⁄2 hours cumulatively.

In matches of the best of 3 or 5 games, time limits specified for the games respectively, are cumulative. Time left from a completed game is carried forward. The time taken to complete a game after a time limit has expired is not deducted from that available for subsequent games in the same match.

7.2.2 AC events – emergencies Where playing time has been lost due to bad weather or for other reasons and the event has fallen behind schedule, the TM may impose shorter time limits than those set out in Regulation 7.2.1 and may impose a time limit of not less than one hour on a game that has already started. Before its start, no game may be given a time limit of less than two hours. 

Breaks

Except as decided at the discretion of the TM, the following shall apply:

7.3.1 Between games

In general, each game in a match should follow on promptly from the game before. Players may take a break of up to five minutes for comfort and composure if required.

7.3.2 Comfort breaks

A Player should do their utmost to take comfort breaks when they are not in play. However, if a Player cannot avoid taking a comfort break during play in a time-limited game, time will be stopped for the duration of the interruption to play.

7.3.3

Meal breaks: AC matches of the best of 3 or 5 games. A 45-minute meal break may be taken starting as follows:

•      no earlier than 11.30 a.m. 
•      no later than the end of the turn in progress at 2.00 p.m.
•      if a game finishes after 12.00 p.m. then either side may specify that the meal break then be taken.
•      before the start of a turn after 12.30 p.m. the side about to play may specify that the meal break then be taken. 
•      otherwise, with the agreement of the TM. Either side may specify at the start of any turn after 3.30 p.m., but before 4.30 p.m., that an afternoon refreshment break of up to 20 minutes may be taken.

Hoop Setting

Hoops are set each day. This is the responsibility of the venue manager.  After setting, they are checked by the referees.  They should also be checked after each game, and adjusted if necessary.

The requirements are:

• Hoops must be set such that the clearance is as near as possible equal to, but not less than, 1/32" (0.8mm). 
• Hoops shall be set as firmly and securely as possible such that no significant movement occurs when the crown is pushed or pulled.

Hoops will be moved to new holes as follows

• Before the event starts.  Holes should be prepared in advance, but old holes used on practice days.
• At end of block play. This will be on day 4 (6 Feb) at all venues. Plimmerton,  and  possibly Paraparaumu, where playoffs will take place should  try to relocate hoops as soon as possible after end of play on day 3.
• At Wellington on day 7 (9th Feb)
• At Kelburn on day 8 (10^th Feb)

Venue Managers should consult the TM or Consolation events Manager if they feel that relocation is not necessary.

Lawn Speed and Mowing

Lawn speed of 11-12 seconds is to be aimed for.  Faster lawns are acceptable. Slow lawns should be remedied by controlling mowing and watering.  Mowing should be done at least every second day.

Order of play

Days 1-3 (February 3 to 5)

Block stage play at all venues.

All block stage matches are single games, and double banked.

Order of play within a block is according to the following table

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Blocks are labeled A through H.  Blocks move to a new location each day, as follows.

Split Blocks are played at Plimmerton and Paraparaumu as follows:

Note that each group of four players in the table forms a complete mini-block. This enables all matches to be played without players being required to move between venues during a day.

Lawn Allocations

In the tables below, Lawns are labeled A,B,C,D,E.  Where two blocks are at the same venue,  matches for the second block are shown in red. 

Play is arranged as far as possible so that no player plays twice on the same lawn on any day.

Note that day breaks occur after rounds 3 and 6.

Kelburn and Waikanae are 5-lawn venues which accommodate two complete blocks. 

Paraparaumu

Has 4 lawns, and accommodates 1 block plus the group of 6 from a second block.

Plimmerton

Has  4 lawns, and accommodates 1 block plus a mini-block of 4 from a second block

Wellington

Has 3 lawns, which accommodates 1 block, but some players playing on the same lawn twice during a day cannot be avoided

Day 4 (6 February)

Playoffs as required by  WCF Sports Regulations Appendix Paragraph 2 to determine places in the Main KO will take place at Plimmerton (and at Paraparaumu if necessary).

The draw for the KO will take place at Kelburn at 6pm or later if the results of the playoffs are not available at that time.

Day 5 to 9 (7-11 February)

Main KO will be at Kelburn and Wellington.

One round will be played each day.

The first round will be Best of 3 matches double banked.

Subsequent rounds will be best of 3 (2nd Round ) or best of 5 matches single banked

For round 1, the 10 matches at the top of the draw will be at Kelburn and the remaining  6 at Wellington,

For round 2, the 3 matches at the top of the draw will be at Wellington and the remaining 5 at Kelburn

Round 3 will be at Kelburn

Round 4 (Semi-finals) will be at Wellington

The Final will be at Kelburn

Bowl

Round 1 losers from the Main KO may enter the bowl. Players wishing to enter should inform the TM at the end of their round 1 match

The Bowl will be played at Paraparaumu except that the Final will be at Kelburn

Matches will be one round per day, starting on day 6 (8 February), Best of 3, with the first 2 rounds double banked

Shield

Round 2 losers from the Main KO may enter the Shield. Players wishing to enter should inform the TM at the end of their round 2 match.

The shield will be played at Paraparaumu except that the Final will be at Kelburn.

Matches will be one round per day, starting on day 7 (9 February), Best of 3, with the first round double banked.

Plate

Players who do not qualify for the main KO may enter the Plate. Players wishing to enter should inform the TM (or the Venue manager of their Day 3 location) at the end of Day 3.  Players involved in playoffs should notify the TM or venue manager as early as possible so that the Plate Block Draw can be done in good time to notify players of their Day 5 venues.

Unless the entry is low, the Plate will begin as 8 blocks with the winner of each block going into a KO.

The precise arrangements for the Plate will depend on the number of entries. The maximum is 48 (80 – 32 KO qualifiers).  It is expected that at least one player will not enter. If all 48 enter there are scheduling difficulties, addressed below.

Assuming at least 40 entries, there will be 8 blocks of 5 or 6.  A block of 6 requires 1.5 lawns double banked, while a block of 5 can be played on one lawn.

On the first day of the Plate (Day 5, 7 February), 13 lawns will be available (Waikanae 5, Paraparaumu 4 and Plimmerton 4)

Waikanae can accommodate 3 blocks, Paraparaumu can take 3 provided at least one of them has only 5 players, and Plimmerton will take 2.

Three rounds of single-game matches will be played.

On the second day, Paraparaumu will be in use for the Bowl, leaving only 9 lawns for the Plate. Two rounds remain to be played, but matches will be scheduled as three rounds so that they can be fitted into the available space.

The schedule for each 6-player block is:

For 5-player blocks,

The final scheduling will be done as soon as the entries are known.  The intention is to have 2 blocks at Plimmerton, three at Paraparaumu and Waikanae on day one, and 4 at each of Plimmerton and Waikanae on day 2.

Lawn allocation:

For the first day,

• 5-player blocks can play on a single lawn as only 2 games are played at any one time.
• 6-player blocks can be spread over 3 lawns, using either 1^st or 2^nd colours.
• Most combinations will fit easily, but if there are 3 6-player blocks at Waikanae, the following table can be used (with the 3^rd block in green).

For the second day, each block can be allocated a single lawn

The allocations above require modification if the number of players entering the plate is not between 40 and 47.

Variation for 48 entries,

On the first day, there will be 2 blocks at Paraparaumu and 3 at Waikanae as above. On the second day these 5 blocks will be played at Waikanae, one per lawn.  Plimmerton will have 3 blocks, scheduled as the following table.

With 48 entries, one block is played at a reserve venue. Both Waimarie and Petone are available in case of emengency.

If there are between 32 and 40 entries,  blocks will be of 4 or 5 players, and can each be played on a single lawn. Paraparaumu will not be used.

Otherwise, the format will be decided once the exact number is known.

If 4 blocks are used, two players from each block will go into the KO.

Entry to Plate KO

In the event of ties for qualifying places in any block, ties at the end of the qualifying phase may be broken without recourse to play-offs using the procedure set out in Appendix 6 , paragraph 2.4.3 , modified to allow the use of net games and points for AC events.

That amounts to (since players are tied on games)

(a) the Player with the best net points from block play; (b) if still tied, the Player who has beaten all the other Players that remain tied after the application of sub–paragraph (a) ; and (c) if still tied, by lot.

Brian Boutel

Tournament Manager

November 2017

A  plan showing which venues will be used for which sections of the tournament and on which days is available.   Click here ​​​​​​​

For more detailed information read the "General Info for Venue managers" also on this page.