Tag, Toss & Run

by Paul Tukey

  ALSO KNOWN AS Baggo, Beanbag Toss, Corn Toss, Hillbilly Horseshoes, Tailgate Toss

  THE SETUP

  BASIC IDEA Take turns tossing beanbags at the target; closest one scores

  PLAYING AREA Any grassy or paved area

  EQUIPMENT

  • 2 slanted boards with a hole near one end

  • 4 bean bags per team (bags can also be filled with dry corn)

  AGES 3 and up

  PLAYERS 2 to 4

  Bonkers for Beanbags

  Cornhole, played using a rectangular board measuring approximately two feet wide and four feet long, emerged as the primary name of the game in the past 20 years or so in either Cincinnati, Ohio, or Chicago, Illinois, depending on whose story you believe. As vague as the origins of the name might be, one thing is certain: Everything changed when marketing guru Frank Geers began playing.

  Premade cornhole sets are readily available or you can make your own (look for plans online).

  “I’ve played cornhole in every corner of this great cornholing country of ours,” says the Cincinnati-based founder of the American Cornhole Organization (ACO). “I’ve pitched cornhole bags from the Queen City to Sin City. America needs the next great family game and this is it.”

  Although Geers said his favorite cornhole matches are the spontaneous ones he enjoys with his three sons in his own backyard, he has helped move the game from the west side of Cincinnati to the parking lot of Cincinnati Bengals games and into the mainstream. Cornhole boards can now be purchased bearing the logos of all the other National Football League and many college teams, as well as many other corporate logos. Tournaments sanctioned by Geers’ ACO offer prize money in the tens of thousands of dollars.

  Film director Timothy Clarke made a feature film called Cornhole: The Movie, a “mockumentary” about four fictitious cornhole fanatics who make their way to one of the alleged birth places of the sport, Cincinnati, Ohio. The film premiered to a packed audience of real cornhole aficio nados at the Madison Theater in Covington, Kentucky, on May 7, 2010.

  Suggested field of play; younger players may stand closer

  Rules. Scored like horseshoes and quoits, with games to 21, cornhole requires players to earn points by landing their bags (filled with beans or corn or some synthetic material) somewhere on the surface of the board. Cancellation scoring is usually used, meaning that the team with the most points per inning subtracts the other team’s total, leaving a net total. That prevents the games from ending too quickly.

  Two opposing players stand by each board and toss at the farther board; individual players aim at a single board.

  Each player tosses four bags per inning, with the pair of opponents at one end pitching all the bags before the other pair plays.

  A bag in the hole is worth three points; landing on the board is worth one.

  Knocking an opponent’s bag off the board is permitted.

  A bag that hits the ground before landing on the board is considered a foul and is removed from the board. If the foul knocks another bag off the board, that bag is replaced.

  Strategy. Because bags often stop just short of the hole, strategy always comes into play. If an opponent’s bag is blocking the hole, for example, you might use a high arching toss to try to land your bag directly in the hole so that it doesn’t inadvertently knock in the opponent’s bag for three points. Some players prefer a low, fast toss that slides toward the hole from the base of the board, which is angled at about 20 degrees.

  Rules govern the distance from the board for official matches, but for family games in the backyard, the throwing line can be set up at any distance.

  “LEARN THE LINGO”

  Ace A bag that lands on the board

  Air mail A bag that goes straight into a hole

  Dirty bag A bag that misses the board entirely

  Hanger A bag that dangles on the edge of a hole — worth two points

  Sally A bag that lands well short of the board

  Shucker A bag that knocks another bag off the board

  “Cornfusion,” as you might guess, arises when players can’t agree on the proper scoring totals.

  UPPING THE ANTE

  Some versions of beanbag toss have multiple holes on the boards, which can be square or round, with varying point totals assigned to each hole (see Chinese horseshoes, page 115). The highest point total is usually reserved for the highest hole on the board.

  These games were derived from a popular arcade game, skeeball, which was invented in 1907 by Joseph Fourestier Simpson of Vineland, New Jersey, and later improved by Princeton graduate Jonathan Dickinson Este.

  As the world’s most popular sport, soccer can and should be enjoyed by players of all ages. Many children learn to kick before they can throw and, given the tender physiology of growing bodies, it’s far safer for young children to play kicking games than throwing games. The basic game of soccer needs no further introduction. Here, we present a first cousin known as “crab soccer,” which is just about the most fun game you can play on all fours.

  ALSO KNOWN AS Cage Ball, Crab Football

  THE SETUP

  BASIC IDEA Score goals while moving like a crab

  PLAYING AREA A smooth, soft lawn

  EQUIPMENT

  • A ball

  • Markers for boundaries and goal

  AGES 5 and up

  PLAYERS At least 3 on 3

  Start Scuttling

  Crab soccer can be contested with a standard soccer ball, but it’s meant to be played with a giant cage ball up to 6 feet in diameter. The bigger the ball, the better, because more teamwork is required to advance the ball forward. The game gets its name from the position of the players, who scuttle around on feet and hands, bellies up, in “crab walk” fashion. It’s fantastic exercise that teaches agility and builds core strength, but mostly it just makes kids laugh!

  Rules. Because the game is inherently tiring, the field size is generally laid out in proportion to how many players are available on each side. Some gym classes will pit 20 against 20, but in a backyard setting of 3 against 3, a 30-foot-long field is plenty big.

  The goal of the game is identical to that of regular soccer: to score goals.

  Field players cannot hit the ball with their hands or cradle the ball on their stomachs.

  The only player allowed to stand or touch the ball with his or her hands is the goalie.

  Players at rest can sit on the ground, but any movement toward the ball must be belly up on all fours.

  Many rules require that one foot be on the ground while a player is in the act of kicking, so that the overly powerful “roll” or “cycle” kicks are not allowed.

  Other rules require that the ball always remain low to the ground.

  Kicking and pushing other players is never allowed.

  In some versions of the game, especially if adults are concerned about opposing teams of crab soccer players harming each other, play is against the clock and a single goalie. The ball must be touched by all players as it is advanced down the field toward the goal; in three to five minutes, the team tries to score as many goals as possible before the other team takes its turn.

  Variation: Omnikin

  The game of Omnikin, or Kin-Ball, uses the same giant cage ball adapted for crab soccer. In this game, the players from a minimum of three teams are standing. One team, in which all players must be touching the ball, hollers out the color or name of one of the other teams and hits the ball into the air. That team must keep the ball from hitting the floor for 10 seconds before advancing it to one of the other teams. Players are not allowed to catch or cradle the ball. If a team fails to keep the ball aloft for 10 seconds, the other team is awarded points.

  FLASHBACK VICTORIA

  They really should call this game “giggle ball” because it guarantees gales of laughter, whether the players are 6 or 46 years old, and it’s a great workout, too. Try crab racing against your kids and see who can hold up the longest. Go for personal-bes
t records, maneuver around an obstacle course, balance a toy on your tummy while you scuttle — it’s a guaranteed good time!

  NO HUSTLING ALLOWED

  Variations of soccer have been played around the world for at least 3,000 years. On April 13, 1314, King Edward II decreed that “this hustling over large balls” must be banned because of the negative impact on the lives of merchants in cities and towns.

  Although it was contested as an Olympic sport in France in 1900 and serious matches are played the world over today, croquet ranks with bocce as a quintessential family lawn game. This game, combining skill and strategy with camaraderie and laughter, deserves a fresh look and a permanent space in the sheds, garages, and game closets of the future.

  ALSO KNOWN AS Gateball, Malletball, Pall Mall, Roque

  THE SETUP

  BASIC IDEA Hit the ball with the mallet through the hoops in a certain order

  PLAYING AREA Backyard croquet can be played on any turf mowed to about 3 inches. A few undulations and bumps add a little extra challenge.

  EQUIPMENT

  • 6 balls

  • 6 mallets

  • 9 metal wickets

  • 2 stakes

  AGES 5 and up

  PLAYERS 2 to 6, individually or in teams

  Start ’em Young

  Give a toddler a ball and chances are he or she will immediately throw, kick, or bounce it. Soon after, on the developmental continuum, the child will whack the ball with a stick — or in this case, a mallet. Because the ball isn’t moving as it does in many games, croquet is one of the best games to teach hand–eye coordination. By age 3, many children can at least grasp the concept of tapping the ball through a hoop. Within a few years, children can be earnest participants in croquet games with their parents, grandparents, and even great-grandparents. How many other games can truly offer a seven- or eight-decade spread in the ages of the players?

  Rules. Several official versions of the game exist, using either six wickets or nine, two to six players, and prescribed field sizes up to 100 feet long and 50 feet wide. Backyard games, however, can be set up on a patch of lawn large or small and any manner of house rules can be adopted.

  Players hit their balls through the wickets or hoops in a preordained succession.

  Balls can be hit off other balls, much like billiards, and therein lies much of the strategy.

  The first player to advance the ball through all the wickets and hit a stake at the end of the course is the winner.

  Strategy. Risk versus reward is a major consideration in the strategy of this game, as is vengeance. How forcefully, for example, do you hit your ball toward the wicket? If you hit the ball too hard and it misses, it can roll past the wicket and necessitate a makeup or backward shot on your next turn. If you leave your ball right in front of a wicket, but don’t get it through, the next players in line may easily hit it out of position.

  Hitting another player’s ball, known as “roqueting,” gives you a two-stroke bonus. You can use both of these strokes to advance your own ball, or use one of them to send an opponent’s ball off course. This is done by positioning your ball right next to the ball just hit, then placing your foot firmly on top of your ball. When you whack your ball (be careful not to whack your ankle!), it won’t move, but your opponent’s will. Mastering this technique is essential to fully enjoying croquet’s cutthroat nature!

  “LEARN THE LINGO”

  Peg out To cause a rover ball to hit the last stake, ending its participation in the game

  Roquet To hit another player’s ball with your own

  Rover ball In team play, a ball that has gone through all the wickets but remains in play to help teammates

  Send To move another player’s ball off course

  Tice A ball that has landed in a location that will entice an opponent to shoot at it, but most likely miss

  This is the official setup for a croquet game, but you can set up your wickets in any pattern you desire. Dotted line indicates the official path of play.

  Extreme Croquet

  Leaving the genteel confines of a well-manicured lawn behind, the game of extreme croquet knows no boundaries — the more hills, tree roots, or even cliffs, the better. “We started playing in the backyard, putting wickets in weird places and then decided it was too small, so we went out to one of the parks. It just went farther and farther,” says Bob Warseck, who cofounded the Connecticut Extreme Croquet Society in 1984.

  Because the standard equipment breaks easily when whacked against tree roots and rocks, the extreme mallets are fashioned from hardwoods such as ash and birch. Mallet heads are wedge shaped so balls can easily be lifted into the air. Wickets are placed anywhere and everywhere and matches can be daylong outings, complete with picnic baskets and beverages of choice.

  The first croquet club in the United States was formed at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1865, and by 1882, a group of 25 clubs formed the National American Croquet Association. Today, the organization sanctions hundreds of tournaments each year and retains an affiliation with the World Croquet Federation’s World Championship.

  STILL IN BUSINESS

  Six million people from around the world visited the first Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, opened by Queen Victoria on May 1, 1851. Among the exhibits were balls and mallets for croquet, manufactured by John Jaques II, who claimed to be the inventor of the game that soon swept across Great Britain.

  Because variations of croquet’s predecessor, pall mall, have been played since at least the 1400s, his claim may be dubious; however, Jaques of London, founded in 1795, remains the world’s oldest commercial manufacturer of children’s games.

  The French version of this game, paille-maille, was very popular in the time of King James I of England. His grandson, Charles II, played it so often in St James’s Park, London, that a nearby road, popular for walking, became known as Pall Mall. A “mall” came to mean an urban area pleasant for walking, and now the meaning extends to shopping malls around the world.

  Afacetious historian might place dodgeball at the top of the list as the oldest game on the planet. Presumably, cavemen would have had no qualms about picking up a rock and whipping it toward another caveman who possessed coveted food, shelter, or companionship. That dubious perception may be why certain people consider this game practically barbaric, as if launching a ball at another human being for the sake of pleasure has no place on the playground. In fact, in many communities, dodgeball is banned.

  ALSO KNOWN AS Battle Ball, Death Ball, Ga-Ga, Kill Ball, Mash, Monster Ball, Prison Ball, War Ball

  THE SETUP

  BASIC IDEA Be the first team to eliminate all the opposing players by hitting them with a rubber ball

  PLAYING AREA A smooth, open area (paved or grassy) with boundaries to keep the ball from rolling off

  EQUIPMENT

  • 5 to 10 balls

  • Boundary markers

  AGES 5 and up

  PLAYERS At least 3 on 3

  “Dodgeball is just not a game that has values that we should be teaching to our children,” said Neil Williams, a professor from Eastern Connecticut State College who has been the unofficial leader of a crusade to rid playgrounds of the game.

  We’re here to say, loudly, clearly, and respectfully, that dodgeball, like British bulldogs (page 33), Red Rover (page 158), and tug of war (page 176), deserves a continued place among the cherished games of the past and future. Absolutely, use the right kind of ball and realize that games may need to be overseen by an adult. Bullying, which is certainly possible in this and so many other children’s games, should never be tolerated.

  Initial setup

  “LEARN THE LINGO”

  One of the mistakes inexperienced players make is to throw balls aimlessly. Here are a few key phrases to help you improve your percentage of hits.

  The shinsplinter A low ball that is more difficult to catch

  The look-away Looking at one player, but throwing it at anoth
er to catch them off guard

  The boomerang Throwing the ball at an opposing player who has just wound up to throw and is momentarily defenseless

  Benefits of the Game

  With common sense and some restrictions, dodgeball can teach all sorts of beneficial skills, from throwing and catching, spinning, twisting, and balance to tactical consideration of risk/reward strategies — or what military and sports leaders refer to as “situational awareness.” In other words, do you stand near the front of the line where the action is, or hang back and wait for your opening?

  Rules. Dodgeball is usually played with two to six large rubber balls, the kind used in kickball, inflated to a low pressure of about 1.5 pounds per square inch. Foam-core balls with a soft rubber coating can also be used. Thrown from a reasonable distance (many rules call for at least a 10- or 20-foot minimum) by players of similar age and size, the ball should not inflict bodily harm.

  The field is usually broken into equal halves.

  Games usually begin with all the balls on the centerline, though they can also be evenly divided between the teams.

  Players line up along the end lines and sprint toward the balls to gather as many as possible for an opening advantage. They may roll the balls back to their teammates but may not begin throwing at opponents until back out of the neutral zone.