The basic rules of all codes of croquet are straightforward, with the rule book the "ultimate authority", not what a player (usually an opponent) would like the rule to be!

Here are some common situations where the rules may not be fully understood and faithfully applied.

Whoever wins the toss plays blue/black.

It is “may” not “must”, however. Whoever wins the toss has the choice of playing blue/black (green/brown) or red/yellow (pink/white). Whatever the outcome of the toss, or the choice of the winner, blue (green) always leads.

Promoting your partner ball is not allowed.

Au contraire, this is a useful tactic and not one to be overlooked as an option.

You cannot leave your mallet on the court if you are “stalking”.

The rule: if you leave the court, you must take your mallet with you. If your usual method of stalking is to place the mallet, and then step behind to confirm your sighting, the referee will be aware of this by observation. However, my advice is to confirm this as your usual practice with the referee before the game starts. The referee’s decision is final.

A crush doesn’t matter.

Yes, it does. A hit has to be “clear”, that is direct and clear, the ball to be hit once only by the face of the mallet’s head. If anything other than the head of the mallet comes in contact with the ball, then it is not direct and clear. If the mallet, the ball, and anything else are in contact at the same time, then a “crush” has occurred.

If there is a crush, play continues as usual.

No. A crush is a fault and carries a penalty, if and when it occurs.

The player has to call the ball off-side.

No. It is the opposition’s responsibility to call an off-side ball. If the next ball in turn is played without the “off-side” call having being made, then the ball in question stays in its place. If the next player in turn rushes to make a hit quickly to forestall a call being made, the referee will intervene. In a social game, it is a common courtesy to declare one’s own ball to be off-side and ask which side is preferred for placement.

When three players make up a game, the single player always goes first

The situation of three players is a social convention when there are not enough players to make up the teams. Whomever goes first is decided by those playing.

A bevel shot doesn’t matter.

The rule is that the ball is to be hit with the striking face of the mallet’s head. Clipping the ball with the edge of the face (the bevel) is not a fault, unless the balls are in a compromised position, that is, when the balls or hoops are so close together, that the player does not have easy access to make a hit.

Mao’s China had a “Little Red Book”. Croquet has one, too!