Referee Stand

Short answer: as close as possible.

Long answer: ask the player their intention, and stand somewhere that is close, doesn't obstruct or distract the player, doesn't obstruct the path of a ball, and lets the referee actually observe the fault or activity in question. It's important to evaluate the situation and stand where the action can be seen clearly and easily.

For example, if a player is attempting a hampered hoop shot, where the ball is close to an upright, the referee has to evaluate whether a crush or a double tap is more likely, which tells them where to stand. If the ball is against the upright, the referee must stand where they can observe the player hit "away", typically directly behind or in front of the shot to see the direction of the mallet face as it strikes. If the ball is even a few millimetres from an upright, the referee should stand beside the shot, very close, to observe any double tap.

Did that ball move?

We recently conducted an experiment with experienced referees. Five lined up behind a player conducting a very thin take-off croquet shot, and one referee stood only five feet to the side, on the side of the croquet ball.

A thin take-off only moves the croquet ball (CB) very slightly. The law requires the CB to merely move, or shake, not travel a long distance. In this experiment the take-off was performed, and the five referees standing behind the striker all confirmed the CB moved. The surprise: the referee to the side, only five feet away, declared they didn't see the ball move.

Was this a fault? No. The ball did move as required by the laws, but this referee wasn't positioned so as to see the movement. The CB travelled directly towards that referee, making its movement hard to see. If a qualified referee can't see a ball move from five feet away, you have no chance from the other side of the lawn.

(Note: the player must also "hit into the ball", but that's the topic of another article, and doesn't affect the discussion above.)

Conclusion

Referees have to position themselves so they can see the action. Stand close, and observe.

*Greg Whymark, State Director AC*