Outdoor Sports and Games Part 22

DUCK ON A ROCK

This game is also called "Boulder Up." It is not customary to "count out" to decide it. For this game usually some one suggests, "Let's play Duck on a Rock," and then every one scurries around to find an appropriate stone, or "duck." As fast as they are found the fact is announced by the cry, "My one duck," "My two duck," etc. The last boy to find a stone is "drake," or "it."

The drake is larger than the ducks and is placed on an elevated position such as a boulder. Then from a specified distance ducks attempt to hit the drake and to knock him from his position. If they miss they are in danger of being tagged by the drake, as it is his privilege to tag any player who is not in possession of his duck. If, however, the drake is knocked from his perch, the ducks have the privilege of rus.h.i.+ng in and recovering their stones, but unless they do so before the drake replaces his stone on the rock they may be tagged. The first one tagged becomes "it" and the drake becomes a duck.

FAT

This is the universal game of marbles. It is sometimes called "Yank,"

or "Knuckle There." A ring is scratched in the ground a foot or two in diameter. It is then divided into four parts by two lines drawn through the diameter. The first step is for each player to "lay a duck," which in simple language means to enter a marble to be played for. This is his entrance fee and may be either a "dub," an "alley," a "crystal," or sometimes a "real," although this is very rare as well as extravagant. About ten feet from this ring a line is made called a "taw line." The first player, usually determined as soon as school is out by his having shouted, "First shot, fat!" stands behind the taw line and shoots to knock out a marble. If he is successful he continues shooting; if not he loses his turn and Number 2 shoots.

Number 1 after his first shot from the taw line must then shoot from wherever his marble lies. If Number 2 can hit Number 1 he has a right to claim all the marbles that Number 1 has knocked out of the ring. In this way it is very much to the advantage of each player to leave himself as far from the taw line as possible.

FEATHER RACE

The contestants endeavour to blow a feather over a certain course in the shortest time. The rule is that the feather must not be touched with the hands. Out of doors this game is only possible on a very still day.

FOOT AND A HALF

This is a game of "Leap Frog" also called "Par" or "Paw." One of the boys is chosen "down," who leans over and gives a "back" to the rest, who follow leader, usually the boy who suggests the game. He will start making an easy jump at first and over "down's" back, then gradually increase the distance of the point at which he lands, and each of those following must clear this line or become "it"

themselves. The leader must also surpa.s.s his previous jumps each time or he becomes "down" himself. In this way the smaller or less agile boys have a more equal chance with the stronger ones.

FOOTBALL

The present game of football as played in American schools and colleges is a development of the English game of Rugby. There are twenty-two players, eleven on a side or team. The game is played on a level field, at each end of which are goal posts through which the team having the ball in its possession attempts to force or "rush" it, while their opponents by various means, such as tackling, shoving or blocking, strive to prevent the ball from being successfully forced behind the goal line or from being kicked over the crossbar between the goal-posts. A football field is 330 feet long by 160 feet wide. It is usually marked out with white lines five yards apart, which gives the field the name of "gridiron." The various positions on a football team are centre rush, right and left guards, right and left tackles, right and left ends, quarter-back, right and left half-back, and full-back. As in baseball, the rules of football are constantly being changed and the game as played ten or fifteen years ago is very different from the modern game. The various changes in rules have been made with a view to making the game less dangerous to the players and more interesting to the spectator.

The princ.i.p.al scores in football are the "touchdown" and the "field goal." In a touchdown the ball is carried by one of the players and touched on the ground behind the opponents' goal line. In a field goal, or, as it is often called, "a goal from the field," the ball is kicked over the crossbar between the goal posts. In a field goal the player executing it must not kick the ball until after it has touched the ground. Such a kick is called a "drop kick" as distinguished from a "punt" where the ball is released from the hands and immediately kicked before touching the ground. A team in possession of the ball is allowed a certain number of attempts to advance it the required distance. Each of these attempts is called a "down." If they fail to gain the necessary distance, the ball goes to their opponents. It is customary on the last attempt, or down, to kick the ball so that when the opposing team obtains possession of it it will be as far as possible from the goal line toward which they are rus.h.i.+ng. In this play a "punt" is allowed. There are also other scores. A safety is made when a team is forced to touch the ball down behind its own goal line.

The ball used in American football is a long oval case made of leather and inflated by means of a rubber bag or envelope. The football player's uniform consists of a heavily padded pair of trousers made of canvas, moleskin, khaki or other material, a jacket made of the same material, a tight-fitting jersey with elbow and shoulder pads, heavy stockings, and cleated shoes. Players will often use other pads, braces and guards to protect them from injury. Football is usually played in the fall months after baseball has been discontinued on account of the cold weather. A full game consists of four fifteen-minute periods.

GARDEN HOCKEY

This game is played between two parallel straight lines, 3 feet 6 inches apart and marked on the lawn with two strips of tape. At the opposite two ends of the tape are two goal posts 14 inches apart with a crossbar. The length of the tapes should be 36 feet when two or four players engage in the game, and may be extended for a greater number. The game is played with b.a.l.l.s and hockey sticks. The game is started by placing the ball in the centre of the field. The two captains then face each other and at a signal strike off. If the ball is driven outside the tape boundaries it must be returned to the centre of the field opposite the place where it crossed the line. The object of the game is to score a goal through your opponents' goal posts as in ice hockey. If a player steps over the tape into the playing s.p.a.ce he commits a foul. The penalty for a foul is a free hit for his opponents.

GOLF

A game played over an extensive piece of ground which is divided into certain arbitrary divisions called holes. A golf course is usually undulating with the holes laid out to afford the greatest possible variety of play. The ordinary course consists of either nine or eighteen holes from 100 to 500 yards apart. An ideal course is about 6000 yards long. The holes which mark the termination of a playing section consist of tin cans 4 inches in diameter sunk into and flush with the level of the surrounding turf, which is called "the putting green." The game is played with a gutta-percha ball weighing about 1-3/4 ounces and with a set of "clubs" of various odd shapes and for making shots under various conditions. Usually a boy accompanies each player to carry his clubs. Such boys are called "caddies." The clubs are peculiarly named and it is optional with each player to have as many clubs as he desires. Some of the more common ones are called "driver," "bra.s.sie," "cleek," "iron," "mas.h.i.+e," "niblick," "putter,"

and "lofting iron."

The game, which may be played by either two or four players, consists in endeavouring to drive the ball over the entire course from hole to hole in the fewest possible number of strokes. At the start a player takes his position on what is called the "teeing ground" and drives the ball in the direction of the first hole, the position of which is shown in the distance by a flag or tin sign with a number. Before driving he is privileged to place the ball on a tiny mound of earth or sand which is called a "tee." The players drive in order and then continue making shots toward the hole until finally they have all "holed out" by "putting" their b.a.l.l.s into the hole, and the lowest score wins the hole.

Golf is a game in which form is more essential than physical strength and which is adapted for elderly people as well as the young. The wooden clubs are usually made with either dogwood or persimmon heads and with split hickory handles or shafts. The handles are usually wound with a leather grip. Golf clubs of good quality will cost from two to three dollars apiece and a set for most purposes will consist of four to six clubs. The caddy bag to carry the clubs is made of canvas or leather and will cost from two dollars up. Standard quality golf b.a.l.l.s will cost about nine dollars a dozen. Almost any loose-fitting outdoor costume is suitable for playing golf and the tendency in recent years is to wear long trousers in preference to what are known as "golf trousers."

A golf course--sometimes called a "links," from a Scotch word meaning a flat stretch of ground near the seash.o.r.e--should be kept in good condition in order to enjoy the game properly. The leading golf clubs maintain a large force of men who are constantly cutting the gra.s.s, repairing damages to the turf, and rolling the greens. For this reason it is a game only adapted to club control unless one is very wealthy and can afford to maintain private links.

GOLF-CROQUET

This game may be played either by two or four persons. Wickets are placed at irregular distances, and the object of the game is to drive a wooden ball 2-3/4 inches in diameter through these wickets. It may be played either as "all strokes," in which the total number of strokes to get through all the wickets is the final score, or as in golf, "all wickets," in which the score for each wicket is taken separately, as each hole in golf is played. The mallet used is somewhat different from a croquet mallet. The handle is longer and a bevel is made on one end to raise or "loft" the ball as in golf.

The size of a golf-croquet course will depend upon the field available. A field 200 yards long will make a good six-wicket course.

HAB-ENIHAN

This game is played with smooth stones about the size of a b.u.t.ter dish. A target is marked on the sand or on any smooth piece of ground, or if played on the gra.s.s the target must be marked with lime similar to marks on a tennis court. The outside circle of the target should be six feet in diameter, and every six inches another circle described with a piece of string and two pegs for a compa.s.s.

The object of the game is to stand at a stated distance from the "enihan," or target, and to toss the "habs" as in the game of quoits.

The player getting the best score counting from the inside ring or bull's-eye wins the game.

HALEY OVER

The players, equally divided, take positions on opposite sides of a building such as a barn, so that they can not be seen by their opponents. A player on one side then throws the ball over the roof and one of his opponents attempts to catch it and to rush around the corner of the building and throw it at one of the opposing side. If he succeeds, the one hit is a prisoner of war and must go over to the other side. The game continues until all of one side are captured.

HAND BALL

A game of ancient Irish origin which is much played by baseball players and other athletes to keep in good condition during the winter when most outdoor sports are impossible.

A regulation hand ball court has a back wall 30 feet high and 50 feet wide. Each game consists of twenty-one "aces." The ball is 1-7/8 inches in diameter and weighs 1-5/8 ounces. The ball is served and returned against the playing wall just as in many of the other indoor games and is similar in principle to squash and rackets.

HAND POLO

A game played with a tennis ball in which two opposing sides of six players each endeavour to score goals by striking the ball with the hands. The ball must be struck with the open hand. In play, the contestants oppose each other by shouldering and bucking and in this way the game can be made a dangerous one.

The goal is made into a cage form 3 feet 6 inches square. At the beginning of the game the ball is placed in the centre of the playing surface and the players rush for it. The umpire in hand polo is a very important official and calls all fouls, such as tripping, catching, holding, kicking, pus.h.i.+ng, or throwing an opponent. Three fouls will count as a goal for the opponents.

HAND TENNIS

A game of lawn tennis in which the hand is used in place of a racket.

A hand tennis court is smaller than a regulation tennis court. Its dimensions are 40 feet long and 16 feet wide. The net is 2 feet high.

The server is called the "hand in" and his opponent the "hand out." A player first scoring twenty-five points wins the game. A player can only score when he is the server.

A foul line is drawn 3 feet on each side of the net, inside of which play is not allowed. In all essential particulars of the rules the game is similar to lawn tennis.

HAT BALL

This game is very similar to Roley Boley or n.i.g.g.e.r Baby except that hats are used instead of hollows in the ground. The ball is tossed to the hats and the first boy to get five stones, or "babies," in his hat has to crawl through the legs of his opponents and submit to the punishment of being paddled.

HIGH KICK