Todays Game

Today we actually had six (6!) people play. As thought it would be, it was glorious. Also, Morris showed that the broken mallet isn't handicapped, there, there orange mallet, at least he likes you.

04-30-06
Game 1- Amanda, Luke, Jake, Jumpy, Morris, Todd (1 Ball)
winner: Morris, Jake, Jumpy, Amanda, Luke, Todd

We didn't get to fully debate what we are going to do with the new season since everyone was running around with their heads cut off. There have been two senarios proposed:

Possibility 1: Cut off at fifteen games. Since Jake is out of standing, just play a (whether 1 or 2 ball) semi-final game. Then, the top two players then play the final.

Possibility 2: Extend the season five more games, this would give Jake a higher standing.

I don't like the second option becuase it is soley just to bring Jake up to higher standing. Also, the standing rule isn't concrete, its within reason. Jake played (and won) the championship while out of standing in the first season. So extending it past what was planned does not make much sense. Another reason why the the first possibility is better is becuase we only play ONE game a week. In the fall we would play at least two, probably more games, so retarding the start of a third season would be deterimental to the third season ever actually getting finished.

And while I have not found any explicit rules against going "assassin ball" in a game, it has always shown ill will to the people that are victim to it. In short, the game becomes less friendly, and instead becomes a tense competition.

The Assassin Ball also artificially changes the games results. If the player in last place went after the winner just to knock down the percentage, then presumably all the percentages would become nearly the same.

And finally, as everyone says on their sites,backyard croquet may have any rules anyone wants. There is an eXtreme croquet movement even. So since I control the feild, I am now taking adminstrative action and here by out lawing the practice. A player must keep on a reasonable course for going foward in gameplay. If a player does not wish to play further his ball may be left on the field, or if that player is so behind it is of no use to anyone, the ball may be removed from the course. That settles it. If Jumpy wants to enact different rules on his field, then he may do so.

Taking New Season into Consideration

Okay, I don't want to do my speech, which you may have picked up due to my number crunching and third post of the day.
So I spoke about how since I realized that we actually have played 15 games, which I think we agreed would be a season. Anyway, that makes the following final combined scores (considering the first 15 games-both 1 &2 Ball). There is also the issue that if we want to consider the 2 2-Ball games that I'm not scoring since I didnt correctly record the final places.

I'm going to with hold the numbers until we reach an agreement, becuase the adjusted numbers offer some surprising results.

Clarifying 'Ball in Hand' Rules

There has been some confusion on what options a player has once they roquet another players ball. I found these rules and they explain the whole situation pretty clearly:

1) Take the two bonus strokes from where the players ball has come to rest.

2) With "ball in hand" place the players ball one mallet head's length away from the other ball in any direction and then take two bonus strokes.

3) With "ball in hand" place the players ball in contact with the struck ball (where it has come to rest) then strike the player's ball so as to send both balls in the desired direction. This is called a croquet shot. The striker then has one bonus stroke remaining.

4) With "ball in hand" place the players ball in contact with the struck ball (where it has come to rest) and placing the player's foot on his own ball so as to render it immobile, strike the player's own ball so as to send the other ball off in the desired direction while the player's ball remains where it is. The player then has one more bonus stroke remaining. If the players ball moves from under the foot there is no penalty and the bonus stroke is taken.

source: http://members.chello.nl/vleeschd/9wicket.html

Current Percentages

Okay, so I decided to run the percentages while God has been merciful and has been dumping rain on our dear course. Anyway, here's what I did. First there will be the one-ball games, then I also ran the two-ball games. Here there were two games I did not record the full places, so I'm not counting them. This is becuase I basically averaged the two-ball scores. If you came in first (6 points) and second (5 points) I gave you 6. If you came in first (6 points) and third (4 points) then you got 5 points. It should also be mentioned that the two-ball games are actually more relfective of your game, since there is the full 6 points in play there. If I would have just done a 6-5-4 assignment this would seem unfairly inflating the scores.
Anyway, and finally I combined everything.

One-Ball Games:
Jake: 46/54= 85.18%**
Jumpy: 52/66= 78.78%
Morris: 53/84= 63.09%
Todd: 61/78= 78.2%

** Jake only has a 64.28% attendence record, all other are complient

Two-Ball Games:
Jake:2/6= 33.33%
Jumpy: 9/18= 50%
Morris: 14/18= 77.78%
Todd: 10/12= 83.33%

This one is interesting, Morris does far better in 2 Ball, and Todd is shown to be consistent in both types of games. However, Jumpy and Jake, suddenly do poorly.

So now everything is combined:
Jake: 48/60= 80%
Jumpy: 61/84= 72.61%
Morris: 67/102= 65.7%
Todd: 71/90= 78.89%

As noted above, Todd's consistentcy in 2 Ball brings him up to definate striking distance for the numer 1 ranking. Also, there have been 14 1-Ball games, and 17 total games (actually 19 if you count the two deleted 2 Ball games). So, if we are sticking to a season being 15 games (in total i assume), we are actually in a new season. I'll see what everyone says and then I'll see where the numbers are then.

Results

Heres the latest games, way to play an entire TWO that lasted for an entire 45 minutes. We're certainly troopers at soonercroquet, yup, no weenie girls here.

04-16-06
Game 1- Jumpy, Ken, Morris, Todd (1 Ball)
winner: Todd, Jumpy, Morris, Ken

Game 2- Jumpy, Ken, Morris, Todd (1 Ball)
winner: Jumpy, Morris, Todd, Ken

04-23-06
Game 1- Jake, Jumpy, Morris, Todd
winner: Todd, Jumpy, Morris, Jake

Game 2- Jake, Jumpy, Morris, Todd
winner: Jake, Todd, Jumpy, Morris


I may need to remind people that croquet is a gentlemen's game. A gentlemen is someone that is tough, say, he could do something for a few hours. Especially if that thing is something he only does once a week.

Another part of croquet is ettique. The gentlemen idea comes into this as well. When a gentlemen performs badly at something, his character, honor, and the very ettique (or essense) of the game would prevent him from acting less than expected. When a gentleman, or just man wins something, he's happy he has succeeded, but he doesnt gloat. At the same time, when a gentleman, or man, loses, he takes it as a setback but does not pout. A simpleton can simply be happy when he is winning, but angered if he loses, becuase that is the character of a simpleton, it is simple.

Rule Change!

After discussion, we have decided to atleast try the "ball in hand" type of croquet, which actually is the official version. While our way demands almost exact accuracy, there rarely is the action that the game is named after (croquet). With trying out the rules we have shunned I expect a few things with happen: 1) The games are going to be longer, since everyone with be croqueting everyone else with all the vengence of a 20 year-old girl has towards any other girl prettier than her. 2) Fist fights may be on the rise, this though is outlawed by the etique rules. 3) It throughs even more uncertainity into a game where the last ball can go to first in one turn.

Heres the explanation from the Croquet Assoc. of America:

The striker earns one bonus shot if the striker ball scores a wicket or hits the turning stake. The striker earns two bonus shots if the striker ball hits another ball (a "roquet") (but see the Exceptions below).

The first of these two shots may be taken in any of four ways:

From a mallet-head distance or less away from the ball that was hit ("taking a mallet-head")
From a position in contact with the ball that was hit, with the striker ball held steady by the striker's foot or hand (a "foot shot" or "hand shot")
From a position in contact with the ball that was hit, with the striker ball not held by foot or hand (a "croquet shot")
From where the striker ball stopped after the roquet.
The second bonus shot after a roquet is an ordinary shot played from where the striker ball came to rest, called a "continuation shot". Bonus shots may not be accumulated. Upon earning a bonus shot by scoring a wicket, hitting the turning stake, or roqueting another ball, any bonus shot previously earned is forfeited. If a ball roquets a ball and in that same stroke the striker ball hits another ball, the second ball hit is not a roquet and remains where it comes to rest (with no deadness incurred on that ball).


Basically, when you roquet someone, you can pick up your ball and croquet them with your first bonus shot. You then play as normally. READ: If someone hits your ball, they can choose to pick up their ball and place it to hit you with a croquet shot.

Good luck hunting.

What is deserved

We (as in Jumpy, Morris, Todd) need to get together to buy Jake's prize for winning the croquet season. He has been a gracious winner, and we should have been gracious enough to return the favor of what was promised to the winner. Therefore, I submit each club member needs to bring together their respective monies owed and together, or as a selected representative buy the wine. This really needs to happen as soon as possible. I'm not trying to brow-beat, but this needs to be remedied.

New Numbers

I went ahead and crunched the numbers for this season. Whats pathetic is that we've played only NINE single ball games so far (I didnt count any 3 man games, also 2 Ball games were not counted as Im not sure how to score them). So here you go

Jake- 31/36= 86% win and 66.67% games played
Jumpy- 32/42= 76.2% and 77.78%
Morris- 33/54= 61.1% and 100%
Todd- 35/48= 72.9% and 88.89%

Go nuts.

New Games

03-26-06
Game 1- Jake, Morris, Todd, Jeff Craighead, Red Guy
winner: Jake, Todd, Morris, Red Guy, Jeff C

It should be noted later this day Jumpy, Morris and Todd played a great series of games

Game 1- (winner) Todd, Jumpy, Morris
Game 2- Todd, Jumpy, Morris
Game 3- Morris, Jumpy, Todd

04-02-06
Game 1- Amanda, Jake, Jumpy, Morris, Todd
winner: Todd, Amanda, Jumpy, Jake, Morris

Game 2- Amanda, Jenny, Jumpy, Morris
winner: Jumpy, Morris, Jenny, Amanda

The first game was o-k...ish. The second was better, but becuase of a outbreak of Girlitus a few players had to not play the second to care for their vaginas.