These regulations are made by
agreement of the Australian Croquet Association, the Croquet
Association, the New Zealand Croquet Council and the United
States Croquet Association ("the Governing Bodies")
General Regulations Format 1996
Arrangements
1. The Competition
The MacRobertson International Croquet Shield ("the trophy")
will be competed for by Association Croquet teams representing:
(a) Australia (b) Great Britain (c) New Zealand (d) United
States of America For the purposes of the competition Great
Britain is deemed to be one country and the Croquet Association
is deemed to be the croquet governing body for that country.
2. Amendments to these Regulations
These Regulations may only be amended by the unanimous agreement
of the Governing Bodies.
3. Applicable Laws and Regulations for Tournaments
The Competition shall be held according to the current edition
of the Laws of Association Croquet and Regulations 4 to 8 of
the Regulations for Tournaments published by the Croquet
Association in agreement with the other Governing Bodies ("the
laws"). Disputes relating to the Laws and their interpretation
shall be the subject of an appeal to the Referee of the
Tournament only.
4. Venues and dates of forthcoming Series
The venue and dates of the next Series and the venue and
approximate dates of the following Series shall be agreed
during the current Series. The interval between successive
Series shall be at least three years and not more than four
years.
5. Hosting the Competition
(1) The Competition shall be held in each of the countries set
out in Regulation 1 in rotation and the relevant Governing Body
shall be the host for that Series. (2) The Host shall: (a)
determine the venues and dates of the Test Matches and allocate
courts of satisfactory standard; (b) provide hoops with an
internal width which is 1/16 inch wider than the diameter of the
largest ball to be used on the relevant court with an upwards
tolerance only of 1/32 inch; (c) provide balls of satisfactory
manufacture which have been agreed in advance with the Governing
Bodies; (d) appoint a Tournament Manager for the competition
and a Test Match Manager for each Test Match; (e) appoint a
Referee and Assistant Referees for each Test Match to act as
referees on call; (f) appoint an Appeals Committee consisting
of the Tournament Manager and one representative of each
competing country which may be convened at the request of a
team captain to adjudicate in disputes between two or more
teams on all matters other than the Laws and their
interpretation.
6. The Trophy
(1) The holders of the Trophy shall be responsible for its safe
custody, transport to the venue of the next Series and delivery
to the Host at the commencement of the Series. (2) The Host
shall accept delivery of the Trophy from the holders at the
start of the Series, display it at Test Match venues if
practicable and deliver it to the winning team.
7. Player Qualifications
(1) Each team shall consist of players duly qualified to
represent their respective countries. A player is so
qualified if: (a) he was born within the jurisdiction of that
country; or (b) either of his natural or adoptive parents was
born within the jurisdiction of that country; or (c) he is a
citizen of that country, is entitled to hold a passport issued
by that country and has lived there for 36 consecutive months
at some time; or (d) he has been a permanent resident of that
country for a period of 36 consecutive months immediately prior
to the competition.
(2) In (1)(c) and (d) above; (a) residence solely for the
purpose of education at a school, college or university shall
not be included; and (b) absences not exceeding 90 consecutive
days relating to holidays, representative croquet tours or
business shall not be taken into account.
(3) A player who has represented a country in a croquet event
may not represent another country for which he has qualified
unless a period of 60 consecutive months has elapsed since his
last appearance for the former country.
8. Format of the Series (1) The Series shall consist of six
Test Matches, each involving a different pair of teams, played
in accordance with Regulation 9. Subject to Regulation 13,
each team shall consist of six players.
(2) The Trophy shall be won by the team which wins: (a) three
Test Matches; or (b) two Test Matches and the highest
percentage of matches in the competition.
(3) If two teams win two Test Matches and the same percentage
of matches, those teams shall play an abbreviated Test Match in
accordance with Regulation 15 to decide the winner of the
Trophy.
(4) If three teams win two Test Matches and the same percentage
of matches, two such teams shall be drawn by lot to play an
abbreviated Test Match in accordance with Regulation 15 and the
winning team shall play a similar Test Match against the
remaining team to decide the winner of the Trophy.
9. Order of Play
(1) Subject to Regulation 13, each Test Match shall consist of
nine doubles matches and twelve singles matches played either:
(a) in six rounds over six consecutive days in which the first,
third and fifth rounds shall consist of three doubles matches
and the second, fourth and sixth rounds shall consist of four
singles matches, or vice versa; or (b) in five rounds over five
consecutive days in which the first, second and fourth rounds
shall consist of three doubles matches and the third and fifth
rounds shall consist of six singles matches. A match is best of
3 advanced games with no time limits.
(2) If played in six rounds, the order of play shall be as
follows: Rd 1: AD1 v BD2, AD2 v BD1, AD3 v BD3 Rd 2: A1 v B2,
A4 v B3, A5 v B6, A6 v B5 Rd 3: AD1 v BD1, AD2 v BD3, AD3 v BD2
Rd 4: A2 v B1, A3 v B4, A5 v B5, A6 v B6 Rd 5: AD1 v BD3, AD2
v BD2, AD3 v BD1 Rd 6: A1 v B1, A2 v B2, A3 v B3, A4 v B4
(3) If played in five rounds, the order of play shall be as
follows: Rd 1: AD1 v BD2, AD2 v BD1, AD3 v BD3 Rd 2: AD1 v
BD1, AD2 v BD3, AD3 v BD2 Rd 3: A1 v B2, A2 v B1, A3 v B4, A4 v
B3, A5 v B6, A6 v B5 Rd 4: AD1 v BD3, AD2 v BD2, AD3 v BD1 Rd
5: A1 v B1, A2 v B2, A3 v B3, A4 v B4, A5 v B5, A6 v B6
(4) In (2) and (3) above, A1 to A6 and B1 to B6 represent the
singles players of teams A and B in order of merit based on
current singles form as announced in accordance with Regulation
10. AD1 to AD3 and BD1 to BD3 represent the doubles pairings
of teams A and B without reference to an order of merit.
10. Announcement of Teams
(1) The names of the players, the singles orders of merit and
the doubles pairings of the competing teams shall be submitted
simultaneously in writing by the respective captains to the
Test Match Manager at a meeting arranged by the Host and held
not later than 9 a.m. on the day of the Test Match.
(2) For the avoidance of doubt, but subject to Regulation
15(3), teams are permitted to change the singles order of merit
to reflect current singles form and the doubles pairings between
Test Matches.
11. Casualties
(1) A temporary casualty is defined as a player who is unable
to begin a match when called upon to do so or who become unable
to complete a match but is expected to recover quickly.
(2) A permanent casualty is defined as a player who is unable
to take any further part in a Test Match.
12. Temporary Casualties
(1) If a team suffers a temporary casualty, the Test Match
Manager shall have discretion to alter the order of play in
order to complete the matches involving the casualty within the
scheduled period of the Test Match.
(2) If, at the end of the Test Match, a match involving the
casualty remains outstanding and could affect the result of the
Test Match, the Test Match Manager shall have discretion to
direct that the match shall be played at the same venue on the
following day or at a venue to be arranged by the Host on the
following the sixth Test Match.
(3) If a temporary casualty is unable to resume play soon
enough to ensure in the opinion of the Test Match Manager in
consultation with the relevant captains that at least all but
one of his matches can be completed in the scheduled period of
the Test Match, he shall be deemed to be a permanent casualty
and the provisions of Regulation 13 shall apply.
13. Permanent casualties before a Test Match.
(1) If a team suffers one or more permanent casualties before
the start of a Test Match, the captain may elect to introduce
one or more substitutes or to field a smaller team or to
introduce one or more substitutes and field a smaller team.
However, if a team is unable to field at least four players at
the start of a Test Match, it shall concede the Test Match to
the opposing team.
(2) Any substitutes introduced after the teams have been
announced in accordance with Regulation 10 shall placed at the
bottom of the singles order of merit but the doubles pairings
may be changed.
(3) If a team is reduced in accordance with (1) above, the
opposing team shall be reduced to the same number of players.
(4) If a Test Match is contested by teams of five players, the
order of play shall be as follows: Rd 1: AD1 v BD1, AD2 v BD2
Rd 2: A3 v B4, A4 v B3 Rd 3: AD1 v BD2, AD2 v BD1 Rd 4: A1 v
B2, A2 v B1, A5 v B5 Rd 5: A1 v B1, A2 v B2, A3 v B3, A4 v B4
(5) If a Test Match is contested by teams of four players, the
order of play shall be as follows: Rd 1: AD1 v BD1, AD2 v BD2
Rd 2: A1 v B2, A2 v B1, A3 v B4, A4 v B3 Rd 3: AD1 v BD2, AD2
v BD1 Rd 4: A1 v B1, A2 v B2, A3 v B3, A4 v B4
14. Permanent casualties during a Test Match
(1) If a team suffers a permanent casualty after a Test Match
has begun, an uncompleted match shall be conceded to the
opposing team, the remaining matches involving the casualty
shall be cancelled and the Test Match shall be deemed not to
include the cancelled matches.
(2) If such cancellation causes the number of matches in the
Test Match to become an even number and the Test Match ends in a
tie, the result of the Test Match shall be decided by a tie
break consisting of one doubles match, the result of which
shall be taken into account for the purposes of Regulation 8 if
necessary. Each captain shall nominate any two members of his
team to contest the tie break.
(3) The Test Match Manager shall have discretion to alter the
order of play to accommodate a play off or to direct that it
shall be held at the same venue on the day following the
scheduled period of the Test Match or at a venue to be arranged
by the Host on the day following the sixth Test Match.
15. Abbreviated Test Matches
(1) An abbreviated Test Match played in accordance with
Regulation 8 shall consist of the following matches played in
one round on one day in which no player may play twice:
(a) teams of six players: four singles and one doubles match;
(b) teams of five players: five singles matches (c) teams of
four players: two singles matches and one doubles match.
(2) The identity of the doubles pair, if any, of each team
shall be submitted simultaneously in writing by the respective
captains to the Test Match Manager at a meeting arranged by the
Host and held not later than 9 a.m. on the day of the Test
Match. A doubles pair may comprise any two members of the
team.
(3) The singles players of each team shall be played in the
same relative order of merit as in the most recent Test Match
involving that team.
Please
send comments and suggestions to Email:
brian@storey.u-net.com
Back to
the Bowdon Croquet Club Home Page
Back to
Brian's Home Page