Foursquare Games Progressive Dodgeball
( Foursquare, Handball, Kickball, Physical Contest, Team Wars and Battle )GROUND.–The ground is divided into three equal courts each 30 x 30 feet. The end courts may be shorter if full space be not available.
TEAMS.–The players are divided into three equal teams which for convenience may be designated by colors Red White and Blue. There are no officers for the teams but one referee for the game who should also act as score keeper is desirable and for match games necessary. At the opening of the game the two outer teams line up each on its inner boundary line each player standing with one foot on the line. The center team is grouped promiscuously near the middle of the center court. The teams change courts at the end of each inning and the formation or line-up just described is resumed at the opening of each inning.
OBJECT OF THE GAME.–The game consists in hitting players with a flying ball (not a bounce) any player so hit being out and leaving the field. For this purpose the two end teams play against the center team (but not against each other) and the center team also plays the ball in a retaliatory or aggressive game trying to hit players on either of the end teams.
START.–The game is played in three innings each of five or more minutes duration. Each inning begins with the teams in the formation shown in the diagram and described under “Teams ” except that the different teams will be in different courts for each inning.
The referee puts the ball in play by tossing it to the center team (say the Whites as shown in the diagram) and at the same time blows his whistle as a signal for the game to open. The referee also blows his whistle whenever a player is hit so as to be out ( i.e. hit by a ball “on the fly ” not on a bounce). The hit player at once leaves the field and play is resumed by the referees whistle and tossing of the ball to the center team as at the beginning. The referee also calls time for the close of innings. After the ball has been put regularly in play teams may only secure the ball when it is “dead ” i.e. when it has not just been played by an opponent but has stopped rolled or bounced into its own court.
RULES AND POINTS OF PLAY.–After the referee has put the ball in play by tossing it to the center team the player catching it runs to either the left or right boundary line of his field and throws the ball at one of the opposing players (Red or Blue). These players meanwhile immediately upon hearing the whistle to start should have run toward the rear of their respective courts to lessen the chances of being hit. Should the White player succeed in hitting a player on the Red or Blue team the referees whistle is blown the hit player leaves the field and the game starts over again as at the beginning. Should the White player fail to hit one of the opponents the latter try in turn to secure the ball before it rebounds or rolls back into the center court. The player who gets it either runs up to the boundary line and throws at the Whites or passes the ball to some other player of his own team who does this. The Whites naturally scatter to the farther boundary line of their court to avoid being hit. Should the ball fail to hit a White player it is most likely to go entirely across to the Blue court where one of the Blue team should catch it and in turn try to hit the Whites.
The end teams (in this case Red and Blue) play against the center (White) but not against each other. The center team plays against both end teams. Thus a player in either of the end teams may be hit by a player on the center team but it is not a part of the game for these end teams to try to hit each other. A ball thrown by either end team across the center court may be caught however by a player on the opposite end.
A player is not out if hit by a ball that rebounds whether from the floor another player a wall or any other object.
A player is not out if the thrower of the ball overstepped the boundary lines while throwing.
The only kind of a hit that puts a player out is one from a ball “on the fly” thrown from behind a boundary line.
Players may dodge in any way they choose but a hit from a flying ball on any part of the person or clothing puts a player out.
At the close of each inning (of five or more minutes) the teams progress or change courts in regular order from right to left. That is the Blue team moves to the center the White team to the left court and the Red team to the right court. For the third inning another change is made in the same direction the Reds going to the center the Blues to the left court and the Whites to the right court. Thus in the three innings each team will have played in each court.
When a new inning is started and the teams change courts all players who have been hit and are out return to their teams. Each inning begins therefore with full teams.
SCORE.–A score is made for each team for each of the three innings and consists of a count of the players who have been hit (put “out”) during the inning. The team wins which at the close of the three innings has the smallest score that is has had the smallest number of players hit.
It adds much to the interest of a game to have the score posted on a bulletin in sight of the players. But whether on a bulletin or card the accompanying form is desirable.