Basketball Games Pig In A Hole
( Basketball, Defense and Attack, Kickball, Physical Contest, Running, Volleyball )Each player should be provided with a stick about three feet long. This may be made by whittling branches or a gymnasium wand or piece of broomstick may be used. A hole is dug in the ground measuring twelve or fifteen inches in diameter. All of the players but one stand in a circle around this with several feet between each two players so that they may move freely. Each player digs a small hole in the ground in front of his place in the circle the hole to measure about four inches in diameter. The game is played with a basket ball although a smaller ball may be used in which case the center hole need not be quite so large though it should be somewhat larger than the ball used.
The game consists in the odd player trying (1) to get the ball (the “pig”) into the center hole with his stick which all of the other players will try to prevent and (2) the odd player trying to be released from his position by placing the end of his stick in one of the small holes belonging to one of the circle players which he can only do when the player in question has his own stick out of it.
The game starts by all of the players putting their sticks in the center hole under the ball. They count “One two three ” and on the last word all lift the ball with the sticks and then rush for the small holes each player placing the end of his stick in a hole. As there is one less hole than the number of players one odd player will be left out. It thereupon becomes his duty to drive the pig into the hole from whatever point it may have landed through the combined effort and toss with which the game opened. The circle players try to prevent the pig getting into the hole by blocking its passage with their sticks. They may not kick it or play upon it in any other way. The odd player will try to ward off the interference of the sticks by clearing a way in front of the ball with his own. The other players may leave their places at any time to block the passage of the ball but this is a dangerous thing to do for the odd player may at any moment leave his work with the ball and place his stick in one of the vacant holes. It therefore behooves the circle players to leave their holes unguarded only when there is imminent danger of the ball entering the center hole from that side of the ring or when a good opportunity comes for aggressive play to drive the ball out of the ring which should also be one of their objects.
It is not necessary for a player to return to his own hole after having removed his stick from it. Any hole may be taken by any player and much of the interest of the game lies in the freedom with which players will move about and take chances in this way.
If the driver succeeds in getting his pig in the center hole he is considered to have won and the game begins again. Should the driver succeed in placing his stick in an unoccupied hole in the circle the odd player thus left out must become driver.
FOR THE GYMNASIUM.–This game may be adapted to the gymnasium by drawing chalk circles in place of those that would be dug in the ground out of doors. The same rules apply for the game which may be played either with a basket ball or a bean bag.