Choreographed Games Circle Dodgeball
( Choreographed, Foursquare, Kickball, Physical Contest, Team Wars and Battle, Volleyball )GROUND.–A circle is drawn on the ground. For practice play a temporary marking may most quickly be made by the players forming a circle dropping hands and each player then marking the arc of the circle in front of himself joining it to those of the adjacent players. For match games the circle should be marked in advance and should be accurate and measure thirty-five feet in diameter.
TEAMS.–Any number of players may take part. They are divided into two equal teams one of which stands around and outside of the circle the other team is grouped promiscuously within the circle. There are no officers of the teams but for match games a referee is necessary who should also act as score keeper.
OBJECT OF GAME.–The object of the game is for the outer or circle team to hit the players of the inner team with a basket ball any player so hit being “out” and having to leave the game. With one slight exception explained farther on only the inner players score and this on the basis of the number of players left in the circle when time limits are called. There is no retaliatory play from the inner team.
START.–The game starts on a signal from the referee with the ball in the hands of the outer circle. The referee blows his whistle for play to cease whenever an inner player is fairly touched with the ball and again for play to resume. He also signals for time limits explained under “Score.”
RULES AND POINTS OF PLAY.–The players in the outer team must not step within the circle when throwing. A center player hit by such a throw is not out.
A ball that does not hit a center player is usually recovered by the outer circle by rolling or otherwise making its own way to the opposite side of the circle. If a ball remains in the circle or rebounds into it one of the outer team may run in to get it. He may throw it while within the circle to one of his teamsmen who is in place outside the circle or he may return with it to his own place and throw from there but he may not throw at one of the inner players while himself within the circle.
The inner team does not play the ball it only dodges the ball. Any tactics may be used for this except leaving the ring. The dodging may be done by stepping quickly in one direction or another by twisting stooping jumping or any other methods that suggest themselves.
A player of the inner team hit on any part of his person or clothing by a ball is out. This may be either from the ball on the fly or on a bounce or rolling. Only one player may be put out for one throw of the ball. Should two players be hit by one throw of the ball the first one touched by the ball is the one to go out. When a player is hit the referee blows his whistle the play ceases and the player hit quickly leaves the circle. The referee blows his whistle again for the play to resume but should the hit player not then have left the circle so that he may be hit a second time such a second hit scores one point for the opponents.
SCORE.–The game is played in two halves of ten minutes each the teams changing places at the end of the first half. The main scoring is done by the inner team which scores one point for each player left within the circle at the end of its half. The only other scoring is by the outer team whenever a player is hit a second time before leaving the circle each such hit scoring one point for the throwing party.
The team wins which at the end of the second half has the highest score from these two sources together.