JORGE BERZOSA CAMPANO

Pall-Mall
Materials/equipment: Boxwood Space: Its no needed a concrete
balls of six different colours, wooden
mallets and iron hoops.

Number of participants:

dimensions for our space

A

Duration:

As long as you want to play

minimum of two

Task description:

The object of the game is for a player to traverse the

course, passing his/her ball through the wickets in the correct color order, striking the
Midway Stake with his/her ball, then traversing the course back, passing his/her ball
through the wickets in reverse color order and finally striking the Start/Finish Stake.
The first player to do such wins, the second player to do such is second, and so forth.

Norms/rules:

To start, players choose which of the six available colors they

wish to use. This may be done in any method deemed fair by the players. Once each
player has selected his color, they are given the corresponding ball and a wicket
marked with their color. Next, the course is set up. The Start/Finish Stake and the
Midway Stake are placed at the ends of the playing field. There is no set distance.
To begin play, the blue player sets his ball to either side of the Start/Finish Stake. He
then strikes his ball (NOT THE STAKE), knocking it toward the first wicket he must
pass through. This is then repeated by the red player, the black player, the yellow
player, the green player and the orange player.
Players then take turns in order of their color. A turn consists of one stroke or hit upon
a player's own ball, plus any additional bonus strokes earned.
The player must knock his/her ball through each wicket in the correct color order. This
can be from either side of the wicket.
When you pass your ball through the correct wicket, you gain one bonus stroke.
If a ball passes through the wrong color wicket, there is no penalty, but the player
CANNOT count that wicket as having been played through, and does NOT get a bonus
stroke.
If an opponent knocks your ball through the proper wicket (the one you have to go
through next), you are credited with having made it through the wicket, and may
continue toward the next wicket (or stake), but you do not gain the extra stroke
bonus.
Should a ball be caught for some reason in an unplayable position, that is to say, in a
place where the ball cannot be struck with the mallet, then the ball may be moved
one mallet-head-length to a position where it can be struck.

JORGE BERZOSA CAMPANO

If a ball goes out of bounds (whether as a result of a player's own stroke or an

opponent's croquet stroke) the ball may be brought back to the boundary, at the
place it went out and put into play at that spot.

Alternatives:

These rules may be ignored, used separately or in combination,

as desired. They derive from game variations.
Play "Pall-Mall Partners" or "Pall-Mall Sides". With partners there are 3 teams of two
colors (usually blue & yellow, red & green and black & orange). With sides there are 2
teams of three colors (usually blue, black & green and red, yellow & orange). In these
variations, all members of a team must complete the course and hit the Finish Stake
for a team to win.
A player may choose to become a "Rover". A Rover is a player who has completed the
entire course except for striking the Finish Stake. A Rover may move anywhere on the
course he/she wishes, as per the general rules, taking strokes on his/her turn, gaining
bonus strokes as normal, and taking croquet shots as normal. At any time, the Rover
can head toward the Finish Stake and hit it to finish/win. There is no real reason or
motivation to utilize this rule in a standard Pall-Mall game, but if playing partners or
sides, then this rule could become very handy.
Another variation requires special wickets. No special name can be found for this
variation, but many refer to it as "Revolving Pall-Mall". One leg on each of the wickets
is longer than the other. When the wickets are placed, just the longer leg is pushed
into the ground. The shorter leg is kept free of the ground. The wicket is then spun
around in the ground so that it "turns freely". The purpose of this version is that if the
ball does not cleanly go through the wicket, the hoop will be spun, setting it in a new
position. This makes for an interesting and challenging variation.

Graphic explanation:

JORGE BERZOSA CAMPANO