9-Wicket "Backyard Style" Grass Croquet -
Rules: The Opening of the Game

The Opening of the Game

The Opening of the Game - Who Goes First - The Lag - In singles, both players shoot one ball each simultaneously from one line towards another line parallel to the first line, both lines either chosen by the referee or agreed upon by the players, in order to determine who is to go first/third and second/fourth. This is called lagging. Usually, the players shoot from the middle of the court parallel to the sidelines towards one of the sidelines, or vice versa. The referee should announce the start of this shot, but typically any agreed upon person can substitute. The player closest to the second line, based on the center of each ball, has the choice of order. In doubles, only one person from each team lags.

In a double elimination tournament, each game starts with a lag. In a best two out of three, three out of five, etc. situation, the starting turn should alternate after the first game until the final game. For the final game, an additional lag should be used to decide the final starting turn. However, it is up to each individual tournament director to decide the rules of the lag for each tournament.