Chapter 19

A game played with flattish malleable iron or rubber rings about nine inches in diameter and convex on the upper side, which the players endeavour to loss or pitch so that they will encircle a pin or peg driven into the ground, or to come nearer to this peg than their opponents. The peg is called a “hob.” A certain form of quoits is played with horseshoes throughout the country districts of America. A quoit player endeavours to give the quoit such a position in mid-air that it will not roll but will cut into the ground at the point where it lands. The game is remotely similar to the ancient Greek game of throwing the discus. Iron quoits may be purchased for a dollar a set.

The average weight of the quoits used by experts is from seven to nine pounds each. Sixty-one points constitute a game. The distance from the peg shall be either 10, 15 or 18 yards. For a space three feet around the pin or peg the ground should be clay. In match games, all quoits that fall outside a radius of 18 inches from the centre of the pin are “foul,” and do not count in the score.

RACQUETS OR RACKETS

One of the numerous court games similar to lawn tennis that is now finding public favour, but played in a semi-indoor court. A racquet court is 31 feet 6 inches wide and about 63 feet long. The front wall, against which the ball is served, has a line 8 or 10 feet from the floor, above which the ball must strike. The server, as in tennis, takes his position in a service box with a racket similar to a lawn tennis racket except that it has a smaller head and a longer handle.

Either two or four players may play racquets. A game consists of fifteen “aces,” or points.

RED LINE

In this game, also called Red Lion, the goal must be a straight line, such as the crack in a sidewalk or the edge of a road. The one who is “it” runs after the rest as in tag, and when he has captured a prisoner he brings him into the “red line,” and the two start out again hand in hand and another is captured, then three together, and two pair, and so on until all are prisoners. The first prisoner is “it” for the next game.

ROLEY BOLEY

This game is also called Roll Ball and Nigger Baby, and is played by children all over the civilized world. A number of depressions are hollowed in the ground corresponding to the number of players and a hole is chosen by each one. A rubber ball is then rolled toward the holes, and if it lodges in one of them the boy who has claimed that hole must run in and pick up the ball while the rest scatter. He then attempts to hit one of the other players with the ball. If he succeeds a small stone called a “baby” is placed in the hole belonging to the boy struck. Otherwise the thrower is penalized with a “baby.” When any boy has five babies he must stand against the wall and be a free target for the rest to throw the ball at.

ROQUE

This game may be called scientific croquet. A roque mallet has a dogwood head 9½ inches long, with heavy nickel ferrules. Roque balls are made of a special composition that is both resilient and practically unbreakable.

A skilful roque player is able to make shots similar to billiard shots. The standard roque court is 60 feet long, 30 feet wide, with corner pieces 6 feet long. The playing ground is of clay and should be as smooth as it is possible to make it. A very light top dressing of sand is used on the clay. The wickets, or “arches,” are driven into blocks of wood to secure firmness and buried into the ground with the top of the arch 8 inches above the surface.

The roque balls are 3¼ inches in diameter and the arches only 3½ wide, which gives an idea of the difficulty of playing this game. To be an expert requires an accurate eye and a great deal of practice.

There is a National Roque Association, and an annual championship tournament is held to determine the champion. The home of roque is in the New England States.

ROWING RECORD

The best amateur intercollegiate record for the eight-oared race of four miles is 18 minutes 53⅕ seconds, made by Cornell, July 2, 1901.

RUBICON

This game may be played with any number of players, and is especially adapted for a school or lawn game. Two players are chosen as pursuers and the rest are divided equally and stand two by two facing each other in two columns. The two pursuers stand at the head of each column and face each other. When ready they say, “Cross the Rubicon,” and at this signal the rear couple from each line must run forward and try to reach the rear of the other line. The pursuers must not look back, but as soon as the runners are abreast of them must try to tag them before they reach the place of safety. The captured runners become pursuers, and the one who was “it” takes his or her place at the rear of the other line.

SACK RACING

A form of sport where the contestants are fastened in sacks with the hands and feet confined and where they race for a goal by jumping or hopping along at the greatest possible speed under this handicap. A sack race should not be considered one of the scientific branches of sport, but is rather to afford amusement for the spectators.

SCOTLAND’S BURNING

This game is based upon the song of the same name. The players form a ring, with three judges in the centre. Each player with appropriate gestures in turn begins the song,

“_Scotland’s burning. Scotland’s burning_, _Look out! Look out!_ _Fire! Fire! Fire! Fire!_ _Pour on water! Pour on water!_”

The whole party are soon singing, but each four are singing different words. The object of the judges is to detect some one in the circle either making gestures that are not appropriate to the words or to be singing out of order. The penalty is to turn around and sing with the back to the circle. The three who are facing in last then become judges.

SKIING

This sport has recently received wide popularity in sections of the country where the winters make it possible. Skis—or, as they are sometimes spelled, skee,—are a pair of flat runners from five to ten feet long which are attached to the feet in such a way as to be easily cast off in case of accident. By means of skis a ski-runner may either make rapid progress over level snow or may coast down sharp declivities and make jumps of great extent.

Skis are usually made of ash and the standard lengths are from six to eight feet. They cost from five to seven dollars a pair. In skiing it is customary to use a pair of steel-shod poles with leather wrist straps, but in ski-running or coasting the use of poles is very dangerous.

SPANISH FLY

In this game of leap frog various tricks are attempted by the leader, as in the game of “stump master.” Each of the boys following is expected to do as the leader or to drop out and become “down” himself. “Torchlight” is to jump with one hand only, using the other to wave his cap as if it were a torch. In “hats on deck” each jumper in turn is supposed to leave his cap on “down’s” back. Naturally the last one over may have a large pile of hats to clear. If he disturbs any of them or knocks them off, he is “it.” “Hats off” means for each jumper in turn to take his own hat without knocking off any of the others. In all games of leap frog it is considered proper for the jumper to direct “down” to give him the kind of a “back” he desires. Consequently he will say high or low back, depending upon whether he wishes “down” to stand almost upright or to bend close to the ground.

SQUASH

This game is similar to racquets, but is less violent or severe on a player. It is played in a court 31 feet 6 inches wide. The front wall must be 16 feet high. The service line above which the ball must strike on the serve is 6 feet from the floor. Below this line and 2 feet from the floor is the “tell tale,” above which the ball must strike in play. A squash racket is similar to a tennis racket, but slightly smaller.

In squash, a game is “fifteen up.” At the score of 13 a player may “set the score” back to 3 or 5, after which the player first winning either 3 or 5 points, or aces, as they are called, is the winner. The object of this is to endeavour to overcome the advantage that the server may have.

In a regulation squash court the spectators’ gallery is above the walls of the court, and the game is played in the pit below the gallery.

STUMP MASTER

In this game one of the players is chosen master. It is usually the one who first suggests the game by saying. “Let’s play stump master.” He then leads the line of players, going through various “stumps,” or, as we should call them now, “stunts,” such as climbing fences and trees, turning somersaults, crawling through narrow places, or whatever will be difficult for the rest to copy. The game is capable of all sorts of variations.

SUCKERS

This can scarcely be called a game, but the use of the sucker is so familiar to most boys that a description of it is surely not out of place in this chapter. A piece of sole leather is used, three or four inches square. It is cut into a circle and the edges carefully pared thin. A hole is made in the centre and a piece of string or top twine is knotted and run through the hole. The sucker is then soaked in water until it is soft and pliable. The object of the sucker is to lift stones or bricks with it. This, too, is of especial interest in New England towns, where there are brick sidewalks. The sucker is pressed firmly on a brick by means of the foot, and it will be found to adhere to it with sufficient force to lift it clear of the ground.

TETHER BALL

The same as tether tennis, which see.

TETHER TENNIS

This game has been developed out of lawn tennis. A wooden pole extending 10 feet above the surface is placed in a vertical position and firmly imbedded in the ground. The pole must be 7½ inches in circumference at the ground and may taper to the top. Six feet above the ground a black band 2 inches wide is painted around the pole. The court is a smooth piece of sod or clay similar to a tennis court, but a piece of ground 20 feet square is sufficient.

At the base of the pole a circle is described with a 3-foot radius. A line 20 feet long bisects this circle, and 6 feet from the pole on each side are two crosses, which are known as service crosses.

An ordinary tennis ball is used which has been fitted with a tight-fitting linen cover. The ball is fastened to the pole by means of a piece of heavy braided line. Ordinary heavy fish line will do. The ball should hang 7½ feet from the top of the pole or 2½ feet from the ground. Regulation tennis rackets are used.

The game consists in endeavouring to wind the ball and string around the pole above the black mark in a direction previously determined. The opponent meanwhile tries to prevent this and to wind the ball in the opposite direction by striking it as one would volley in tennis.

Each player must keep in his own court. The points are scored as “fouls.” Eleven games constitute a set. A game is won when the string is completely wound around the pole above the black mark. The penalty for a foul, such as stepping outside of one’s court, allowing the string to wind around the handle of the racket or around the pole below the black mark, provides for a free hit by one’s opponent.

THREE-LEGGED RACING

A race in which the contestants are paired off by being strapped together at the ankles and thighs. Remarkable speed can be obtained by practice under this handicap. There are definite rules to govern three-legged races, and official harness may be bought from sporting goods outfitters. As a race, however, it is like sack racing, to be classed among the sports designed to afford amusement rather than as a display of skill.

TUB RACING

These races are often held in shallow lakes. Each contestant sits in a wash tub, and by using his hands as paddles endeavours to paddle the course first. As a wash tub is not a particularly seaworthy craft, and spills are of frequent occurrence, it is well for the tub racers also to know how to swim.

VOLLEY BALL

This game is extremely simple and may be played by any number of players, provided that there is space and that the sides are evenly divided. The best dimensions for a volley ball court are 25 feet wide and 50 feet long, but any square space evenly divided into two courts will do. The game consists of twenty-one points.

The ball is made of white leather and inflated with a rubber bladder. A net divides the two courts and is 7 feet high. The standard volley ball is 27 inches in circumference and weighs between 9 and 12 ounces.

The whole object of the game is to pass the ball back and forth over the net without permitting it to touch the floor or to bound. In this way it somewhat resembles both tennis and hand ball.

Volley ball is an excellent game for gymnasiums and has the decided advantage of permitting almost any number to play.

WARNING

The “warner” takes his position at a space called “home” and the rest of the players stand some distance from him. He then clasps his hands and runs out, trying to tag an opponent with his clasped hands. This would be practically impossible except that the players endeavour to make him unclasp his hands by pulling at his arms and drawing temptingly near him. As soon as he has tagged a victim he runs for home as fast as possible. If he himself is tagged before he reaches home he is out, and the tagger becomes “warner.” If both the warner and the one tagged reach home safely they clasp hands, and finally the line contains all the players but one, who has the honour of being warner for the next game. The game receives its name from the call, “Warning!” which the warner gives three times before leaving home.

WASHINGTON

In this game a player stands blindfolded and another player comes up and taps him. The one who is “it” then gives a penalty, such as “climb a tree or run to the corner and back,” and then tries to guess who it was that tapped him. The one tapped must answer some question so that he may be recognized by his voice or laugh. If “it” is correct in his guess, the player must do as directed, but if his guess is wrong he must do it himself. The result of this game is that the blindfolded player will measure the severity of his “forfeits,” or “penalties,” to his certainty of guessing correctly the name of the player.

WATER POLO

This game is played in a swimming pool. A white ball made of rubber fabric is used. The ball must be between 7 and 8 inches in diameter. The goals are spaces 4 feet long and 12 inches wide at each end of the tank and placed 18 inches above the water line. Six men on a side constitute a team.

It is a game in which skill in swimming is absolutely essential. It is also a very rough game. The player endeavours to score goals by swimming with the ball, and his opponents are privileged to tackle him and to force him under water or in other ways to attempt to secure the ball from him. Meanwhile the other players are blocking off opponents, and in general the game resembles a football game in its rudiments.

WATER RACE

In this game the contestants run a race carrying a glass or tin cup full of water on top of the head, which must not be touched by the hands. The one finishing first with a minimum loss of water from his cup is the winner.

WICKET POLO

A game played by two teams of four players each. The ball used is a regulation polo ball. A wicket polo surface is 44 feet square, in which sticks or wickets are set up. The object of the game is to knock down the wickets of one’s opponents by a batted ball and to prevent them from displacing our own. A crooked stick 4 feet in length and a little over an inch in diameter is used. Each player has a fixed position on the field or surface.

WOLF AND SHEEP

In this game “it” is the wolf. The sheep choose a shepherd to guard them. The wolf then secures a hiding place and the sheep and shepherd leave the fold and endeavour to locate him. When this is done the shepherd cries, “I spy a wolf!” and every one stands while he counts ten. Then the sheep and shepherd scatter for the fold, and if tagged before they reach it the first becomes wolf for the next game.

WOOD TAG

In this class are also “iron tag,” “stone tag,” and “tree tag.” They are all simply the game of tag with the additional rule that when a player is in contact with iron, stone, trees, wood, and so on he is safe from being tagged by the one who is “it.” The game of “squat tag” is similar, except that to be safe the one pursued must squat quickly on the ground before “it” catches him. In cross tag, “it” must select a victim and continue to run after him until some one runs ahead and crosses his path, when “it,” who may be breathless by this time, must abandon his victim for a fresh one, who may soon be relieved and so on until some one is tagged, or “it” is exhausted.

The Country Life Press, Garden City, N.Y.