Unlike Aussie Croquet, where you start in the first hoop, the start to Association Croquet requires the balls be hit into play from either of two specific parts of the yard line around the border of the court called a BAULK LINE (see diagram below)

Rather than attempting to run the first hoop from A Baulk 4 metres in front of the first hoop, players of Association Croquet prefer to start the game defensively by hitting to the borders away from the first hoop.

Because of this it can take a while for the balls to end up in the scoring lanes to aid breakmaking. Below are a series of diagrams for two of the more traditional starts to Association Croquet and suggestions of how to manouvre balls into positions that aid break making.

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The problem with this sequence is that Red, having scored Hoop 1 and roqueted Blue again it is then hard to get a break going because Yellow and Black are in an awkward position for continuing the break. Experienced players will often croquet Yellow in C above to the front of Hoop 2 with a Pass Roll that takes Blue down to Red. If the player then proceeds to score Hoop 1 Yellow is then well placed to continue the break.

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Same start as in Traditional Start 1. This time your aim is not to score in this turn but to move all balls off the border and into a position where, if the opponent does not hit, you can approach Hoop 1 with a ball waiting at
Hoop 2 - the main ingredient in breakmaking.
From the final position of the balls in D above, the opposition is more likely to play their Red as it is nearest the hoop you are going for, Hoop 1. Red has the choice of firing at Blue and Black or at Yellow. If Red fires at Yellow and misses, Blue roquets Black to the front of Hoop 3, takes off to Red on the border behind Hoop 2 and roquets Red. An equal roll would then put Red in front of Hoop 2 and give Blue a rush on yellow to Hoop 1.
If Red chose to fire at Blue & Black and miss, Blue could rush Black to Yellow at Hoop 2 and do a little take-off to rush Yellow to Hoop 1. You may even feel confident enough at the start of the turn to Roquet Red in corner 3 with Blue and croquet it out into the court and still get your rush on Black to Yellow.

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In D above, if you can approach Hoop 1 with Blue to the left of the hoop, it will mean that when you make hoop 1 you will be able to rush Blue out to the border to play a spit shot that will load Blue towards Hoop 3 and have
Yellow come up behind Red to rush it to Hoop 2 to continue a break.

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In C above, if you choose to take a turn to set up the court: - Blue croquets Yellow out near Hoop 6 with a stop shot. This will leave your Blue close to Red where you can roquet Red and with a split shot croquet Red to Hoop 1 and return Blue safely to Black to set a rush to either Hoop 1 or to Red near Hoop 6 to repeat the sequence in Traditional Start 3 B.