The published specs
Side by side
| Croquet | Kubb | |
|---|---|---|
| Full footprint | 100 x 50 ft (5,000 sq ft) | 5 x 8 m (about 16 x 26 ft, 430 sq ft) |
| Resizable? | Yes — the USCA allows proportional scaling | No — throwing distance is the skill |
| Players | Up to 6 | 2 to 12 |
| How players participate | Own ball and mallet each | Two teams sharing six batons |
| Equipment | 6 mallets, 6 balls, 9 wickets, 2 stakes | 10 kubbs, 6 batons, a king, markers |
| Surface required | Short grass — a real prerequisite | Grass, sand or dirt |
| Setup time | Minutes — nine wickets to place | Minutes — markers and baselines |
| Teaching time | Substantial — bonus strokes and deadness | About five minutes |
| Game length | Long | 20 to 40 minutes |
| Portability | Least portable set on the site | Nylon case, packs well |
| Governing body | United States Croquet Association | Kubb World Championship |
Player count
These are the two crowd games, and they crowd differently
Croquet and kubb are the only games we cover that publish a ceiling above four, and the mechanism is completely different.
Croquet gives everyone their own equipment. Six mallets, six balls, played in a fixed colour order — blue, red, black, yellow, green, orange. Every player is individually in the game with their own position on the course, and turns are short enough that nobody waits long. Six is a hard ceiling, because there are six balls.
Kubb splits whatever you have into two teams. Twelve people share six batons, so the published range is genuinely 2 to 12 rather than a ceiling with a set size. The trade is that at twelve, each individual throws less — you are on a team rather than in the game.
For six to eight people who all want a personal stake, croquet. For ten or twelve who want to be included, kubb. See yard games for large groups.
If you like a deep game
The tactics gap
Played properly, croquet is by some distance the most tactical game in this catalogue. One bonus stroke for running a wicket, two for roqueting another ball, a maximum of two from any single stroke, and a deadness rule that stops you roqueting the same ball again until you have cleared your next wicket. A player who understands that chains wickets and roquets into a long single turn; a player who does not takes one tap and passes the mallet.
Kubb's depth is different and narrower: the interesting decision is how hard to throw and whether to risk the king, which stands in the middle of the pitch all game and loses you the match instantly if you fell it early. That is a good rule and it is one rule.
Full rules for both: croquet rules and how to play kubb.
Decision
Pick croquet if…
- You have a real mown lawn and are happy to keep mowing it.
- Gatherings are five or six people who all want their own ball.
- You want the deepest tactical game on the site.
- The set never has to leave the property — it is the least portable kit here.
Full page: croquet sets. Against the other rolling game, croquet vs bocce.
Pick kubb if…
- You regularly host eight or more.
- Your lawn is ordinary, patchy or not really a lawn.
- The game has to travel to a park or a campsite.
- You want a game that finishes in half an hour rather than an afternoon.
Full page: best kubb sets. Against the smaller pin game, Molkky vs kubb.
The other side
Where to buy the other one
The card at the top of this page covers one side of the comparison. This is our current pick for the other, ranked on published specifications rather than on play we have not done.
Best overall
GoSports Six Player Croquet Set
GoSports
Six hardwood mallets — 35 in in the deluxe version — six 3 in and 10 oz balls, nine wickets, two end posts and a wooden stand, which is the full nine-wicket kit in one purchase.
Skip this if
Skip this if your lawn is under about 40 ft. The USCA full court is 100 x 50 ft and while you can shrink it, below about 40 ft the wickets stop being a challenge.
FAQ
Questions people actually ask
Which takes more players?
Which needs a better lawn?
Which needs more space?
Which is harder to learn?
Why you can check our work
We have not played these. Every figure above is copied from a manufacturer's published listing or a governing body's published rules, and named so you can verify it. Where a maker publishes nothing, the field is blank rather than filled in. How we pick explains the whole method, including what would change a recommendation.
Read next
Related pages
Picks
Compare yard games
Seventeen head-to-heads with the verdict first and the published specs behind it.
Picks
Croquet sets
Nine wickets, two stakes, up to six players — and the honest answer on how small a court can get.
Picks
Best kubb sets
2 to 12 players on a 5 by 8 meter pitch — three hardwood sets compared on published piece dimensions.
Comparison
Croquet vs bocce
A 5,000 sq ft nine-wicket court against a game that runs happily in a 60-foot strip.
Guide
Croquet rules
The double-diamond layout, colour order, bonus strokes, deadness and how a ball finishes.
Picks
Best yard games for large groups
The games that genuinely absorb a crowd, by published player count and turn length.
Sources
- United States Croquet Association — nine-wicket croquet
- Kubb World Championship — rules (English)
- Yard Games — kubb premium set
Every figure on this page is copied from one of these sources. If you find one that is wrong or out of date, tell us and we will fix it.