9-Wicket "Backyard Style" Grass Croquet -
Rules: Out of Bounds
Out of Bounds
- Definition of Out of Bounds
- The Zones
- Going Out of Bounds
- Object Ball Hit Out of Bounds
- Placing a Ball 'On the Spot'
- Penalties for Being 'On the Spot'
- Roqueting a Ball that is 'On the Spot'
- Taking Croquet from the Spot after the Roquet
- A Spot Already Occupied
- Two or More Balls to be Placed on the Same Spot
- A Ball Placed on the Zone Boundary Line
Defininition of Out of Bounds
Definition of Out of Bounds - Going out of bounds pertains to
crossing the perimeter boundary line surrounding the court. A ball
is out of bounds when more than half of the ball is across the boundary
line. If a ball rolls across the boundary line and then rolls back in,
it has still gone out of bounds.
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The Zones - The court is divided into three zones. The zones are used to penalize a player for shooting a ball out of bounds.
The zones are defined by the boundary lines and two imaginary lines
running through the side wickets. Each zone runs from sideline to sideline.
The first zones' endlines are the near endline and the imaginary line running
through the number three and number thirteen wickets parallel to the endline;
the second zone, or middle zone, runs from the imaginary line through the
number three and number thirteen wickets to the imaginary line running through
the number five and number eleven wickets, both parallel to the endlines; and
the third zone runs from the far endline to the imaginary line running through
the number five and number eleven wickets parallel to the endlines.
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Going Out of Bounds - When the playing ball goes out of bounds by
a direct shot, or when the playing ball roquets an object ball out
of bounds that is not "on the spot" (see the rules for shooting at a ball
that is "on the spot".), or when the playing ball croquets an object ball
out of bounds, the turn is over for the shooter. The ball/balls shot
out of bounds are then placed on the boundary line where it/they went out
of bounds (see the following rules for placing a ball "on the spot".).
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Object Ball Hit Out of Bounds - The playing ball does not incur
deadness on a ball that is roqueted out of bounds, but does incur deadness
on a ball that is croqueted (or tight-balled) out of bounds.
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Placing a Ball 'On the Spot' - Balls placed 'on the spot'
should be placed in bounds against the boundary line so that
the ball is touching the boundary line.
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Penalties for Being 'On the Spot' - A playing ball placed on the spot because of a shot by the player or player's partner cannot make a point for any wicket or post touching that zone, nor can that ball roquet another ball entirely inside that zone. A ball that is touching the line separating the two zones can be played by a ball on the spot from either of the two zones (if a non-playing ball is touching the line separating two zones then the non-playing ball is not considered inside either zone.). A ball placed on the spot by the player or player's partner may not make in the same zone, including any wickets touching the zone line(s) that the player is in, upon shooting off the spot. If a player shoots off the spot and happens to roll through the wicket, or hit the post, that the player is for, it is not a foul but simply does not count as a made point.
If a ball placed on the spot by the player or partner roquets a ball that is inside the same zone, and if the player is alive on that ball, there is no foul, but the roqueted ball is returned to its position before the shot, and the playing ball stays wherever it ends up. If a playing ball, in this situation, rolls out of bounds, it comes in on the line where it went out but is considered off the spot.
If a ball placed on the spot by the player or partner roquets a ball that it is dead on, all balls are returned to their positions prior to the shot, but the playing ball is considered off the spot.
A ball shooting from the spot must clear the spot. Failure to do so
is not a foul, but the ball must be replaced and reshot.
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Roqueting a Ball that is 'On the Spot' - A ball that is on the
spot can be successfully roqueted by simply hitting the ball - the
roqueted ball does not have to stay in bounds in this situation
(the playing ball does incur deadness in this situation as in a normal
roquet.). A player may not roquet a ball placed on the spot by the player
or the player's partner (to do so is a foul), but may roquet a ball
placed on the spot by the opposing side.
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Taking Croquet from the Spot after the Roquet - AFter a successful roquet,
the roqueted ball is no longer considered on the spot. The playing
ball is then placed in the position formerly occupied by the roqueted
ball, and the roqueted ball is placed against the playing ball
as in a normal croquet. Note: the roqueted ball must be placed so that
at least half of the roqueted ball is in bounds.
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A Spot Already Occupied - If a ball or balls are to be placed on
the spot in a position that is already partially or wholey occupied
by another ball or balls, the shooter's opponent(s) has/have the
option of positioning the ball(s) either to the left or the right
of the occupied position up to one inch away from the occupying ball
or balls. No block may be called in this situation.
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Two or More Balls to be Placed on the Same Spot - If two or more balls
go out of bounds and need to be placed in bounds so that they would
overlap, the shooter's opponent(s) have the option of placing the balls
in bounds in any order using the above rule for "a spot already occupied".
Again, no block may be called in this situation.
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A Ball Placed on the Zone Boundary Line - If the shooter shoots
the playing ball or partner's ball out of bounds so that it is
placed on the spot touching the boundary line (defined as being
the thickness of the wickets), the shooter's opponent has the
option of declaring which zone the ball is in. (Note: if the
shooter shoots the opponent's ball(s) out of bounds, the opponent's
ball(s) are not penalized and the zone, therefore, is not important.)
The referee must decide if the ball is indeed on the zone line.
In this situation, for example, the ball may be 99 percent in the
first zone yet still declared to be in the middle zone by the opponent.
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