Games for the Playground, Home, School and Gymnasium Part 86

In sending the ball across the net, players should aim for an unprotected part of the opponents' court, or try in other ways to place them at a disadvantage.

SCORE.--This is entirely a defensive game, the score being made on opponents' fouls and failures. Aside from fouls, only the serving side scores. A good serve unreturned scores one point for the serving side.

A point is similarly scored by the serving side at any time when the opponents fail to return a ball which is in play. Failure of the serving side to return a ball to the opponents' court merely puts them out; that is, the serve pa.s.ses to the opponents, but no score is made on the failure. Should a player touching the net be on the receiving side, the serving side scores one point. A ball sent under the net is out of play and counts against the side which last struck it, their opponents scoring one point. If the ball strikes any object outside the court and bounds back, although it is still in play, it counts against the side which struck it out, their opponents scoring one point. A ball sent out of bounds by the receiving side in returning a service scores one point for the serving side. One point is scored for the opponents whenever a player catches the ball, or holds it for even an instant. The game consists of twenty-one points.

WALL BALL DRILL

(See also _Hand Ball Drill_.)

_2 to 10 players._

_Out of doors; gymnasium._

_Hand ball._

This drill consists in throwing a ball against a wall, and catching it, with the following variations. It may be used for individual play, or for compet.i.tion between two players, or as a game for large numbers. When used for large numbers, the players should be divided into several teams of equal numbers, each player throwing in turn for as many feats as he can perform without failure, each successful feat or play scoring one point for his team. He gives place to the next player upon failing.

Each play should be first performed by allowing the ball to bounce once on the ground before catching it; later it should be caught without the bound.

1. Throw the ball against the wall, let it bounce once, and catch it; repeat this three times.

2. Throw, and clap hands three times before catching.

3. Throw, and twirl the hands around each other before catching.

4. Throw, and clap hands and touch the right shoulder.

5. Throw, clap hands, and touch the left shoulder.

6. Throw three times with the right hand and catch with the same hand.

7. Throw three times with the left hand and catch with the same hand.

8. Throw with the right hand and catch with the right with the palm downward (knuckles up, "dog snack" fashion).

9. Throw with the left hand and catch with the left in the same manner as in 8.

10. Throw, clap the hands, touch the right knee, and catch.

11. Throw, clap the hands, touch the left knee, and catch.

12. Throw the ball; clap the hands in front, behind, in front again, and catch the ball.

13. Throw, lift the right knee, clap the hands under it, and catch.

14. Throw, lift the left knee, clap the hands under, and catch.

15. Throw, turn around, and catch.

WAR

_10 to 60 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Basket ball._

Two concentric circles are drawn at each end of the playground, the size of the circles depending on the number of players. When there are thirty on each side, the diameter of the inner circle should be fifteen feet and that of the outer circle thirty feet. The inner circle is the fortress, and the s.p.a.ce between the two circles is the trench. Behind each trench is drawn a prison ten feet square. The rest of the floor is the battlefield. The players are divided into two teams, which take possession of the two fortresses. Then one side advances to attack the fortress of the other side. The attacking party has a basket ball, which represents ammunition. The object is to throw the ball in such a way as to strike within the opponents'

fortress. The a.s.sailants surround the trench and pa.s.s the ball among themselves until a favorable opportunity offers for a well-directed shot. By making this preliminary pa.s.sing of the ball very rapid, the enemy is confused as to the quarter from which the ball may be expected. If one of the a.s.sailing party enters the enemy's trench, he may be tagged, and so become a prisoner, being placed in the prison and therefore out of the play. If the shot (throw of the ball), when finally made for the enemy's fortress, be successful, the a.s.sailing party scores one, and all of its men who are held prisoners are set free.

The defending party during the attack stand within their trench or their fortress, as they see fit, and try to block the ball. If at any time the ball falls into their hands, they immediately rush out in an attack on the enemy's fortress at the opposite end of the ground, and in transit may tag with the ball, and so make prisoners of, as many of the enemy as they can touch. The enemy must therefore, when a ball lands within its opponents' fortress, flee immediately for the safety of its own fortress. The attacking _en route_ may be done either by throwing the ball or by touching the opponent with the ball held in hand; but it may only be done with the ball and not with the hand alone.

When the opposite fortress has been reached, the attacking party tries to throw the ball within it, and the game goes on as before. Members of the defending party may at any time go outside of their trench to get the ball, but run great risk of being made prisoners in doing so by having the ball thrown from the enemy so as to hit them. When a ball is aimed for this purpose, if the player at whom it is aimed touches or intercepts it in any way, he is a prisoner. Of course he may dodge it.

Each single point that is made is called a battle, and the side that wins the greater number of battles within the time limit wins the game.

This game was originated by Mr. J. E. Doldt, and is here printed by kind permission of members of the Alumni a.s.sociation of the Boston Normal School of Gymnastics, from their book, _One Hundred and Fifty Gymnastic Games_.

ZIGZAG GAMES

These games may be played with any kind of a ball or with bean bags.

There are several forms of Zigzag Ball. The simpler forms are useful in getting young players or those unused to play accustomed to the skill of handling b.a.l.l.s. The more complicated forms make very lively games, interesting to players of any age. The different games are played in line and circle formation. The main characteristics of the different line forms are as follows:--

(1) The players are divided into groups of two ranks each, each group forming a separate team. The ball is zigzagged from one rank to another of a group without skipping any players. The groups are compet.i.tive, as in relay races.

(2) The players stand in groups of two lines each, but these groups are composed of two different teams, the alternate players of one rank and the alternate players of the opposite rank forming one team, and the intervening players of the two ranks another.

(3) The players are divided into groups, as in the first form, each group consisting of one team arranged in two ranks which face each other, but the ball is zigzagged by skipping every alternate player as it works its way to the end of the line in one direction, and is tossed by these skipped players on its return to the front, thus forming a double zigzag.

Other forms of the game are also here given; namely, the Circle Zigzag, and the Zigzag Overhead Toss, in which latter game the ball is tossed over the heads of intervening ranks, the players of alternate ranks belonging to the same party.

In all of these forms the game may be made more lively and complicated by advancing from the use of one ball to that of two or more. The kind of ball used will also make a great difference in the play, anything from a bean bag to a basket ball or medicine ball being suitable. Where bean bags are used, it is desirable to have different colored bags for the different teams.

CIRCLE ZIGZAG

_12 to 60 players._