Extract from the Kindle book – Sports the Olympics Forgot

An element from croquet was introduced by the addition of a Hoop ten yards from each goal in the centre of the pitch. If a team hits the ball through this hoop and scores a goal within twenty seconds then the value of the goal is doubled. A hoop judge stands in the vicinity of each hoop and raises a green flag when the ball goes through it – once the twenty seconds have passed the green flag is lowered.

The game became very popular very quickly as it became a vehicle for people of different political persuasions to at least parade their colours without fear of being arrested by the Shah’s police. Gradually some rule changes were introduced – hitting someone with the mallet deliberately was raised from a warning to a sending off offence as were knocking off the head of an opponent’s hobby Horse and deliberately damaging the wheel of the horse. Other sending off offences include pulling the croquet hoop out of the ground and preventing a goal by knocking another player from their horse.