Hi everyone, This commentary item will be updated from time to time with info about the Event Format. I'll start a different thread with order-of-play information.

Event format:
There are 24 teams.
Qualifying play is in 4 blocks of 6 teams, all-play-all in a single-game best-of-13 game (i.e. first to 7 points wins) round robin.
Final block placings are determined by: (1) number of games won, (2) net points, (3) who beat whom, (4) net point among miniblock of anyone remaining tied, (5) coin toss.

The qualifying stage will take 5 rounds and will be completed mid Saturday afternoon.

Following the qualifying stage, the top 4 teams from each block will enter a 16-player FULL knockout. The knockout will be single-game, apart from the final games of each KO stage.

A FULL knockout is one where those who lose in the first round go on to play a knockout for places 9-16, and those eliminated in the second round play for places 5-8, etc. All players will continue to play before reaching a 2-player finale which will be competed for in a best of 3 match.

The lowest 2 pairs in each block will be sorted into new Plate blocks (Green and Pink blocks). Players in these blocks will play each other (3 rounds) in single games, with final Plate block positions determined as for qualifying blocks. Winners of the Green and Pink blocks will play off for positions 17 and 18 and the Plate consolation prize. Runners up in Green and Pink blocks will play for positions 19 and 20. Etc. All final-round play-offs will be best of 3 matches.

Time limits: 1 hour on all games. In best of 3 matches, any time remaining from games completed will carry forward, and an additional hour will be allocated for each additional game.

Practice
United lawns will be open for practice Friday 6 September from 10am-1pm and 2pm-4pm. In the case of frost, the start time will be delayed until 11am.
Practice will use old hoop holes. Where hoops have been reset, if practice is allowed on the lawn, hoops must not be run firmly.

Morning practice: at 8.20 each morning, 10 minutes practice will be available. Hoops must NOT be run firmly (the ball should not be hit hard enough to go have travelled more than 7 metres in the absence of a hoop). Any teams ignoring this rule will receive 1 warning, and then be barred from further practice in the event.

Referees
There are three authorised referees for the tournament, Chris Clarke (Referee of Tournament), Jenny Clarke (manager), and Claire Horncastle. If you are about to play a stroke which might involve a double tap, a crush or any other uncertain outcome, please call a referee before playing the stroke. If you observe your opponent is about to play a dubious stroke, please interrupt them and call a referee - it is almost impossible to referee a shot after the event, and is against the Rules of Golf Croquet.

Double Banking
All games will be double banked (including the final to determine the tournament winner, though the start of that match might be delayed if time permits). This means that one game will start, and the second game will wait until hoop 3 has been run. All games will start from hoop 1.
If you meet a double-banked game coming the other way, please be patient and be prepared to mark balls to let one game proceed. If in doubt - please call a referee for assistance.

If you are unsure about any point of rules, please call a referee - all our refs are very tame and are more than happy to help.