GROUND.–The playground or court should measure about forty by forty feet in outside dimensions the basket ball goals being placed at the usual height (ten feet) on opposite sides of the court. One basket belongs to each team. For instance the teams are designated as Red and Blue one basket belongs to the Red team and the other to the Blue team. The ground is then further divided into nine even squares. This may be done in any of the usual lining methods as described on page 301. The small squares are numbered in consecutive order around the outside starting in one corner the ninth one is in the center. When players are learning the game it may be advisable to mark these numbers on the ground but for players familiar with the game this may be dispensed with.

TEAMS.–While from eighteen to sixty players may play this game at once eighteen makes the best playing number. Where there is a larger number it may be found best to divide them into two sets each set to play for ten minutes and then give place to the other and so on alternately.

The players are divided into two teams each with a captain. The teams are chosen by the following method

The players are lined up according to height and either by marching (one to the right and one to the left) or by numbering off (the even numbers stepping out of the line) are divided into two files standing side by side. Each file constitutes a team and each member of a team is paired off with the opponent standing in the file beside him. By this method the two opponents forming a couple are of practically equal height.

The couples are numbered as they pair off the number indicating to which court they shall go for the opening of the game. Thus couple Number One will go to the small court marked 1 couple Number Two to the court marked 2 etc. Should there be more than nine couples the tenth couple will go to court number 1 the next couple to court number 2 etc. Usually only one or two couples go to each small court but sometimes three or four couples must be so assigned to accommodate a large number of players. Where there are so many however it will be found best to divide the number into halves one half playing at a time as previously mentioned. Should there be an odd player (without a partner) he is placed in the center court (number nine) and remains there throughout the game. A good leader however will see that some player changes off with this odd individual during the game.

It will thus be seen that each court contains an equal number of players of each team. For instance if there be but two players in a court one of them belongs to the Red team and the other to the Blue team. If there be four players in the court two of these belong to the Red team and two to the Blue team etc.

OBJECTS OF THE GAME.–The objects of the game for each team are (1) to throw the ball into its own basket this may be done from any court in the diagram and (2) to prevent the opponents from putting the ball into their basket.

One of the marked characteristics of this game is the constant change or progression in the position of players as every time that a goal is made with the ball the players all move to the next square or small court. This is done in order to give each player an opportunity to play from all positions on the field. This makes all-round players and gives the retiring less aggressive ones a fair share of the play. It also prevents certain players having the most desirable positions throughout the game.

START.–The game is started by the teacher or referee tossing the ball in the air between two opposing players in court nine each facing his own basket. Each player tries to send the ball toward his own basket others playing upon the ball immediately.

RULES AND POINTS OF PLAY.–The ball may be thrown for a basket from any of the courts. In other words it is not necessary for the ball to be passed to a player in court two to be thrown for the red basket or to court six in order to be thrown to the blue basket though that may be a desirable play. Experience has shown however that when a player on the Blue team is standing in one of the courts farthest away even in court two it is not usually wise to throw to court six by way of the center (court nine) as too much massing of players results. The Blue team player in court two will often find it better to throw the ball to a player of this team in court one or three and so on around the outer edge to court six although there is no rule to prevent throwing the ball wherever a player pleases. As a general rule the more zigzag the path of the ball the more open the game. Short passes make a better game than long ones.

Players must remain in their own small courts except when progressing. It is optional however whether any penalty shall be attached to momentary stepping over the lines between small courts in the excitement of rapid catching and passing. This point should be decided before the game opens and would probably be used only with experienced players. No player may step over the outer boundary lines except to get the ball when it goes afield. A throw for a basket made with even one foot outside of the outer boundary lines is a foul.

Guarding is done by holding the hands or arms over the opponents ball to hinder the aim but neither the ball nor the holder of it may be touched. Only one player is allowed to guard a thrower no matter how many players may be in the small court where the thrower stands. The two opponents who first pair off at the opening of the game when places are assigned act thereafter as guards one to the other no other players being allowed to fill that office.

When two players have possession of a ball the one who touched it first has the right to it. If this cannot be decided instantly the ball is thrown up between them as at the start of the game the nearest player tossing it. For a good game this rule should be strictly enforced no discussion over the possession of a ball being allowed.

When the ball goes outside of the outer boundaries of the court only one player may go after it. All of the players in the small court through which it left this boundary may start for it but the first one over the line continues and secures the ball. Players from other courts may not try to get a ball that thus goes afield. When a ball has gone afield the player picking it up must throw it from the point where it is picked up to any court player. No running or walking with the ball is allowed in thus returning the ball to the courts.

In playing on the ball no player is allowed to hold the ball or to run or walk with it. A player may turn around quickly with the ball but must throw it at once. A player transgressing these rules must give the ball to his opponents–that is to the opponent who has been paired off with him.

FOULS.–No scoring is made on the fouls. Transgression of any of the rules given above is punished by giving the ball to the opponents the transgressor in each case giving it to the opponent paired off with him.

SCORE.–A team scores one point each time that it makes a goal. The game is played on time limits the team winning which has the highest score at the end. Where a large number of players is divided into two parties to take turns at playing the time limits for each are generally ten minutes with such rest intervals the two parties may play indefinitely. Where all of the players are engaged in one game the period may be anywhere from thirty to sixty minutes.

If desired the Numbers One may each tie a handkerchief on one arm to distinguish them from the Numbers Two.

This game may be made more interesting and require much more alertness on the part of the players by putting more balls into play. This may be done by the starters starting a second ball around the circle as soon as the first has reached the third player. In this way several balls may be used at once.

As in all zigzag games each player should observe closely before the game begins from which player he is to catch the ball and to which player he is to throw. This will facilitate the rapidity of the play a feature on which much of the sport depends. For very young or unskilled players the action should be rather slow especially when the game is being learned.

GROUND.–The ground for this game should be outlined in a square measuring about forty by forty feet. In each corner is marked a small goal the two goals at one end belonging to one team say the Blues and the two goals at the other end belonging to the opposing or Red team. Near the center are marked two small circular goals for the throwers of the different teams. The thrower for the Red team stands in the center goal farthest removed from the red corners the thrower for the Blue team in the goal farthest removed from the Blue corners.

Two basket balls are needed for the game.

TEAMS.–Any number of players from fourteen to one hundred may play. These are divided into two teams. While it is advisable to have the two teams even in numbers an odd player may be assigned to either team.

Each team chooses its own captain. Each captain selects two goal keepers players who can jump and catch well being best for this position. These two goal keepers are assigned to goals at the same end of the ground each being guarded by guards from the opposite team. If desired a halt may be called during the game and the goal keepers changed for others designated by the captain. This is sometimes desirable to rest players filling this arduous position and sometimes for the purpose of distributing among the players opportunities for this kind of play.

The remaining players are guards and are divided by the captain into two parties one for each of the opponents corner goals. The following method has been found to work quickly and well for this purpose The captain lines up his players and numbers them taking any number that he chooses for himself. Those having odd numbers are sent to guard one goal and those having even numbers to guard the other goal. Each guard should remember well his number as there is a constant rotation of players according to number.

OBJECTS OF GAME.–The first object of the game is for a thrower on the center base to throw a ball to one of the corner goal men of his own team each ball so caught by the goal keeper scores. One very distinctive feature of this game is the fact that each guard becomes in turn thrower for his team.

Another object of the game is for the guards to prevent the corner goal men from catching the ball. This is not only for defensive play to prevent the opponents from scoring but has a positive value there being a separate guard score each ball that a guard catches and holds scoring for his team. This scoring for catches by the guards has the advantage of calling for especially active work from the guards with much jumping in it and leads to skillful play for catching the ball so as to hold it instead of merely touching it.

START.–The game starts with Number One of each team in his respective throwing base in the center the guards being disposed in one or two ranks around the goals they are to guard. Each center baseman holds a ball which he puts in play at the referees whistle or other signal by throwing to one of the corner goal keepers of his team.

Each guard as he becomes thrower throws only to the corner on his side of the field. For instance the guards bearing odd numbers being on the right side of the field when player Number One throws from the center base he will throw to the corner man on the right. Similarly when player Number Two takes his turn at the throwing base he will throw to the corner goal on the left-hand side of the field as his party of guards are stationed at the left-hand side.

RULES AND POINTS OF PLAY.–The game opens with guard Number One in the center base ready to throw the ball to the corner. Each thrower has but one throw at a turn whether it be successful or not. Immediately that a thrower has tossed the ball he steps back to his place among the guards and the guard bearing the next number steps into the throwing base. The players must keep their own watch for turns to do this and each should therefore observe at the opening of the game which guard bears the number next before his. This will be a player in the opposite division of guards of his team as the odd numbers are guarding one corner and the even numbers another.

When each player of a team has thrown from a center base the numbers begin over again in regular rotation. Thus if Number Sixteen be the last thrower Number One follows him.

Whoever catches a ball thrown to a corner whether it be the corner goal keeper or one of the guards surrounding him throws the ball immediately back to the center base supposedly to the next player who should have stepped at once to the base when the previous thrower left it. Should this next player not have reached the center base in time to catch the ball he picks up the ball and throws it to the proper goal keeper but it behooves a player to be at the center base in time to catch a ball returned from a corner because every such catch scores.

A ball caught on the center base is of course a return ball from the corner to which a predecessor threw it and must be a fair throw whether sent by one of the opponents guards or his own goal keeper.

It may make clearer the rotation of the play to illustrate as follows The game opens with Number One ready on the center base belonging to his team. His group of guards that is those bearing the odd numbers are guarding the corner behind him on the right-hand side of the field. He therefore throws the ball on the referees signal to the corner goal keeper for his team at the opposite end of the ground on the right-hand side. Immediately that he has thrown the ball he steps back among his group of guards bearing the odd numbers and Number Two of his team who belongs to the group of guards on the left-hand side of the field steps forward at once to the center base. Meanwhile the ball may have been caught by the goal keeper to whom it was thrown or by one of the guards surrounding him. It is at once tossed back to the center base from which it came and Number Two guard should be there to catch it.

Number Two then throws the ball to the goal keeper for his team on the left-hand side of the ground. Whoever catches it at once throws it back to the same throwing base and Number Three should be there to receive it Number Two having returned to the ranks of his guards. So the game goes on the guards each taking a turn at the throwing base and each throwing the ball to the corner goal keeper on his side of the field.

Meanwhile the same sort of game is being played by the opposite team two balls being in play at once and each guard taking part in each game for each team according as he is guard around an opponents corner goal or a thrower from the center base to his own goal men.

Each goal keeper and thrower must keep one foot in his goal or base. It is thus permissible for a goal keeper to step out of his goal with one foot or lean far out of the goal to catch the ball. Of course the best kind of a throw to a goal keeper is a high curved ball that will go over the heads of the guards and fall within his goal. No guard may step within the goal he guards.

Violation of the rules about overstepping territory constitutes a foul and scores for the opposing team.

Very alert and rapid play is needed to make this game a success. As one team (Blues) may play faster than the other (Reds) it is not necessary that Number Six of the Red team and Number Six of the Blue team for example should be on the center throwing bases at the same time. The two games go on independently of each other.

FOULS.–The overstepping of boundaries in ways not allowed by the rules score one for the opponents.

SCORE.–A goal keeper scores one point for his team every time that he catches a ball which has not been touched by one of the guards around his goal. A ball caught by a goal keeper after
being touched by a guard does not score.

In addition to the score made by goal keepers a guards score is kept each player counting the number of balls he catches and holds no matter where he be standing whether in his position as guard or in the center base from which he is to be thrower. Such a catch by a guard scores one point the guards reporting their points at the end of the game. Touching the ball does not score under any circumstances. It must be caught and held.

Fouls score for opponents as stated under “Fouls.”

The score for the game for either side is the sum of all of the balls caught according to the above rules by the goal keepers and guards on that side. The game is usually played on time limits of from twenty to forty minutes.

For experienced players scoring by guards may be omitted if desired. The particular object of this feature is to encourage guards to expert work in catching the ball instead of merely interfering.