Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 85

_Out of doors; seash.o.r.e._

_Small ball._

This game is played by rolling a ball about the size of a golf ball into holes made in the ground. Three holes are made by spinning on the heel. They should be in a straight line, at a distance of from six to fifteen feet apart. At the same distance from them and at right angles to them, a line is drawn from which the players roll their b.a.l.l.s. The first player stands with his heel on the bowling line and rolls his ball into hole number one. If successful, he takes his ball out of the hole, places his heel in the hole, and rolls the ball to hole two. If successful, he repeats this play for hole three, and then turns around and rolls the ball back again into hole two and then into hole one.

Having done this, he starts again at the line and rolls the ball successively into each of the three holes until he reaches number three a second time. When this is accomplished, he has won the game.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: THREE HOLES]

The probabilities, however, are that the player will not succeed in making the holes so quickly as here described. Whenever a player's ball fails to get into a hole, he leaves it where it lies and gives place to the next player. The next player has the choice of aiming for the hole or for his antagonist's ball, the latter being a desirable play if it lies in a position that makes a shorter roll than to his own. Having hit this ball, he then rolls from that position to the hole. Should he fail to make either his opponent's ball or the hole, his ball must lie where it stopped, and the next player takes a turn. A skillful player will be able to play on his antagonists' b.a.l.l.s so as to serve his own in making short rolls between holes. Whether the play be interrupted by failures of different players or not, the player wins who first rolls his ball up the line, down again, and back to the third hole, as first described.

TOSS BALL

_10 to 60 players._

_Schoolroom._

_Gas ball; bean bag._

This game should be played with a light gas ball or a bean bag, which the teacher holds, standing in the front of the room. All of the players are seated. The teacher throws the ball suddenly in any direction at any player, who must stand at once to catch the ball and immediately toss it back to the teacher. A player failing to catch the ball, or catching it without standing, has one point counted against him. Any player having failed in this way three times is out of the game and must take his place at one side of the room set apart for that purpose. As the game progresses, one outside row of seats or the rear row across the room may be reserved for the players out of the game, other rows being added as needed.

This game may also be played with a pupil tossing the ball instead of the teacher. Any player failing to catch the ball, or catching it while seated, changes places with the thrower instead of being out of the game, as when the teacher throws. The thrower stands always in the front of the room. Both methods make a good game.

A large part of the interest of this game lies in the rapidity of the play and the unexpectedness with which the ball is thrown in any given direction.

TREE BALL

_5 to 15 or more players._

_Out of doors._

_Football; hand ball; bean bag._

This game is a form of Ball Tag, and may be played with any light-weight football, or with a bag or sack filled with leaves or gra.s.s.

Each of the players but one chooses a tree, as for the games Puss in the Corner or Ball Puss. The object of the game for the odd player is (1) to kick the ball so as to tag one of the tree men with it, and (2) to secure a tree for himself, which he may do when no one else has it.

The object of the tree players should be not only to avoid the ball by dodging, which may include running around the trees, but they should also try to exchange places as frequently as possible, their prowess in this way serving as an aggravation to the odd man. The game should be played where there is not much undergrowth, and under such conditions may be very lively and full of sport.

This game may also be played with a hand ball or bean bag. This should be tossed instead of kicked. The game differs from Ball Puss in that the players are tagged by the ball while at their stations instead of while changing.

VOLLEY BALL

(See also _Schoolroom Volley Ball_.)

_2 to 30 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Volley ball._

This game consists in keeping a large ball in motion back and forth across a high net by striking it with the open palm. The ball must not be allowed to touch the floor.

GROUND.--For large teams this game should be played on a ground measuring fifty feet long and twenty-five feet wide. For smaller teams a smaller ground will answer.

A tennis net, or net two feet wide, preferably the latter, is stretched across the center of the ground, from side to side, extending one or two feet beyond the boundaries on either side. The upper edge should be from six feet six inches to seven feet six inches above the ground.

[Ill.u.s.tration diagram: VOLLEY BALL]

PLAYERS.--Any number of players up to thirty may play. The players are evenly divided into two parties, which scatter over their respective courts without special arrangement. There is a captain for each side.

An umpire is desirable.

OBJECT OF THE GAME.--The object of the game for each party is to keep the ball in lively play toward its opponents' court, as each party scores only on its opponents' failures to return the ball or keep it in the air.

The ball is put in play by being served by the party which is to score. The service of the ball, and with it the privilege of scoring, pa.s.s to the opponents according to the rules described hereinafter.

START; RULES FOR SERVICE.--The ball is put in play by being served by a member of one side, who should stand at the rear of his court with one foot on the rear boundary line and the other behind the line. From this position the ball is tossed upward lightly from one hand and batted with the palm of the other hand toward or into the opponents'

court.

Each server has two trials in which to send the ball into the opponents' court. The service being over a long course with a comparatively heavy ball, the following privileges are allowed: a served ball may be a.s.sisted on its course by any two other players on the server's side; no player so a.s.sisting the ball on the serve may strike it more than twice in succession, and the server under such circ.u.mstances may not strike it more than once; but should the ball then fail to land in the opponents' court, the server loses his second serve.

In serving, the ball must be batted at least ten feet by the server before being touched by any other player on his side.

No "dribbling" is allowed in serving.

A successful server continues serving until his side allows the ball to touch the floor, knocks it out of bounds, or fails to return it to the opponents. A server may also lose as follows:

If a returned ball hits a player on the server's side and bounces into the opponents' court, it is considered in play. If it hits such a player and does not bounce into the opponents' court, the server is out, losing his second trial.

If the ball hits the net during service, it is counted a dead ball and loses the server one of his trials.

If a served ball falls outside the opponents' court, the server loses his turn.

The players on a side take turns in serving.

RULES OF PLAY.--The ball must always be batted with the open palm. The ball should be returned by the opponents before it can strike the ground. Any number of players may strike the ball to send it across the net, but no player may strike more than twice in succession.

Having struck the ball twice, a player may resume his play only after some other player has struck it. The ball is thus volleyed back and forth across the net until one side fails to return it or allows it to touch the floor, or until it goes out of bounds. A ball is put out of play by hitting the net in returning after a serve. A ball which bounds back into the court after striking any other object except the floor or ceiling is still in play. It is permissible to strike the ball with both hands at once (open palms).

If a player touches the net at any time, the ball is thereby put out of play. Should this player be on the serving side, his side loses the ball and it goes to the opponents. Should this player be on the receiving side, the serving side scores one point. Should the net be touched simultaneously by opponents, the ball is thereby put out of play and the serving side serves again.

No dribbling is allowed at any time through the game; _i.e._ no keeping the ball in the air by one player hitting it quickly and repeatedly.