The teams are seated in alternate rows. The As represent the players on one team the Bs the players on the opposing team. The balloon is thrown in the air in the center by the teacher and the players of both teams strike it with open hand.

Object.–The players of team A try to bat the balloon over goal A the players of team B try to send it over goal B.

Fouls.–Fouls are called for the following —

Standing more than half erect.
Leaving seat entirely.
Raising desk (if movable).
Striking ball with clinched hand.

Score.–Each goal made counts two points. One point is also awarded to the opposing team for each foul.

This game may be varied by having a goal keeper for each team whose duty shall be to prevent the balloon from crossing his or her goal line. This goal keeper should stand and should have a free use of the aisle in front of the goal.

The class is divided into two teams preferably designated by colors corresponding to the balls worn on the arm or otherwise. The teams are assigned by rows across the room from side to side the first row of pupils belonging to the red team the second to the blue the third to the red etc. Four goals are formed by stretching a tape diagonally across each of the four corners of the room about five feet from the floor the goals in the diagonally opposite corners having the same colors two of red and two of blue. The game consists in hitting the balloon with the open hand so that it will float down behind a goal tape the red balloon scoring when it enters the red goals and the blue balloon when it enters the blue goals. There are no goal guards but it is the object of all players belonging to the red team to get the red balloon into the red goals and of the blue team to keep it out. Similarly the object of the blue team is to get the blue balloon into the blue goals and of the red team to keep it out.

The game starts by the teacher putting the balloons in play by tossing them up in the center of the room when each side immediately begins to play for them. It has been found that with two balloons and four goals and the interference offered by fixed seats and desks it is unnecessary to limit the players to any given area. This however may be done should play become rough.

A score keeper scores one for each team making a goal with its balloon but the game continues without interruption the balloon being at once put in play again by the teacher.

A fifteen-minute game should be divided into at least three periods the teacher signaling for a rest at the end of each five minutes.

GROUND.–Boundary lines for the entire court should be outlined measuring about fifty feet in length by twenty-five in width though these dimensions are not invariable. The ground is then divided by a line into two equal parts. In a gymnasium balance beams may be set up for this purpose. Out of doors a board or log may be used or the mere drawing of a line on the ground will suffice.

PLAYERS.–The players are divided into two equal parties which take their places on either side of the dividing line scattered over their respective courts without regular formation.

OBJECT.–The game consists in batting a tennis or hand ball with the hand from one side to the other of the dividing line after it has first bounded in ones own territory.

START.–The leader of the game or any player on either side puts the ball in play by throwing it among the players of the opposite side. Whoever catches the ball acts as the first server. The server serves by bounding the ball once and then hitting or batting it with the open palm on the rebound so that it will go over into the opponents court. Should a served ball fail to rebound in the antagonists court it is returned to the party from which it came that they may have a second trial. One player continues to serve until his side scores five when the ball is thrown to the opponents. The players on a side serve in rotation.

RULES AND POINTS OF PLAY.–In returning a serve or keeping the ball in play at any time it may be bounced any number of times before being sent into the opponents court. The one essential point is that it should be kept bounding a ball that is dead being thrown back to the server. In bounding the ball it must always be hit or batted from the upper side with the palm of the hand. Should the ball bound very low so as to give slight opportunity for batting into the opponents court a player may coax it to a higher point before batting. A ball may also be worked forward or to any advantageous point of the ground by bounding or “dribbling” in this way before batting it. Whenever a ball enters a court any member of the party on that side may play upon it. The players in each court will naturally scatter to be ready to receive the ball. Players will use in this game many points of tennis such as sending the ball into the opponents territory with a long glancing stroke which may make it bound unexpectedly toward the rear of the opponents court or on the contrary with a small bound that shall just barely cross the line. A ball going out of bounds is out of play and must be returned to the server unless it should rebound in the court for which it was intended when it should still be considered in play.

SCORE.–The score is entirely for a defensive game being wholly on the opponents failures. If desired the score may be the same as in tennis but is generally as follows —

One point is scored for ( a ) failure to strike the ball as directed (from above with the open palm) ( b ) failure to bound the ball before sending it into the opponents ground ( c ) failure to return a good serve or play.