LETTERS CONTINUED
EFFICIENT HOOP CHECKING Having on occasion been a tournament referee and been expected to check the courts before the start of an event, I decided that I needed something to speed up the early morning hoop‐checking process. The gauge I came up with is most useful when Quadway hoops are being used, but it can be used on any hoop where the wire size doesn’t exceed 11/16” diameter. The reason it is most useful with Quadways is because it provides a quick check that all the hoops on a court have been adjusted to the same top setting. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to see the markings on the square carrots once hoops are set to the correct depth. Using the gauge again at half‐ball height will indicate how parallel and uniform the hoops on a court have been set. My first attempt at making the gauge was with a piece of 20‐gauge stainless steel which of course was strong and hard‐wearing but took a long time to produce by hand. Then I thought 3D printing might be the answer to producing a lightweight gauge that could easily fit inside a rule book. Not having a 3D printer myself, I found a fellow club member who was willing to have a go. His second attempt proved successful at getting the dimensional accuracy required, although as he explained there were difficulties in producing the uniform gradually increasing radius needed. The curved profile has a series of short flats which needed hand blending to obtain a smooth finish. This was easily rectified and the 2mm thick plastic gauge shown in the photograph has proved very useful.
Chorus: Oh, it’s a shame, it just isn’t the same! Oh, I can remember when judging angles and doing split‐rolls was a pleasure. Now the whole manoeuvre is in the lap of the gods. I can even recall when rushing a ball the length of the court gave me a real thrill, and even a time when cut‐rushes weren’t hazardous. Now, completely missing a one‐yard rush, let alone a cut‐rush, is a common occurrence. Chorus: Oh, it’s a shame, it just isn’t the same! Oh, I can recall when I used to resent being the out‐player, sitting for long periods watching my opponents setting up four‐ball breaks, doing triple‐peels and the like. Now I relish the long rest with nothing to worry about except, should I get another turn, how I’m going to get up out of this chair? Chorus: Oh, it’s a shame, it just isn’t the same! Oh, I can remember when pegging out was a joyous moment of triumph. Now the expression ‘pegging out’ has taken on a whole new meaning. Chorus: Oh, it’s a shame, it just isn’t the same!
The measurements were determined from a standard ball size of 3 and 5/8” and range from plus 1/64” at one end of the curved profile to plus 9/64” at the other. The datum point is taken from the centre of the semicircular recess when located against the hoop wire, as shown in the photo. Richard Brooks (SCCC) Acknowledgements and thanks to Jim Mander for the 3D printing and to Morgan Case for the photograph.
CLUB REPRESENTATION In 2024 I opted to downgrade my club subscription to a non‐playing member and I would like to know if I would have been eligible, if selected, to represent my club in inter‐club matches. Is there or should there be a rule which, for example, allows representation only if the club pays Levy for that player to Croquet England? The reason for this question is that I believe there is or at least has been some representation outside the spirit of the sport and I think there should be some general agreement on this matter. Edward Dymock Thank you for raising this issue. As a non‐playing member, you would not be eligible to represent your club in inter‐club matches. The first condition in the AC and GC conditions sets out the eligibility criteria for our inter‐club events: “These competitions are open only to Croquet England Affiliated clubs. The players must be Individual Associates of Croquet England, and playing members of the clubs they are representing.” There is no rule which restricts players to representing only their primary club (which is the club that pays levy for them to Croquet England), and indeed the second condition currently recognises that some people will be members of, and may represent, more than one club. It states: “An individual may play for the same or different clubs in different competitions during a season, but in any one competition may not play for more than one team.” Jonathan Powe, Tournaments Committee
www.croquetengland.org.uk | 11
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