by Paul Tukey
Enjoying a resurgence of popularity, the American game of kickball is truly a sport, not just a game, for all ages. By applying the same basic rules of baseball and using a soft rubber ball unlikely to cause injury to players, buildings, and windows, kickball retains the universal appeal that it has had on playgrounds since World War I.
ALSO KNOWN AS
Kick Baseball, Soccer Baseball
Many young children, who often master the ability to kick way before they gain the skill to throw accurately, are drawn to kickball as a way to learn the intricacies of three outs per inning, balls and strikes, running bases, and catching a ball. Some children never quite embrace baseball and softball, perhaps out of the fear of being hit with a hard ball or the humiliation of swinging and missing time after time. Some adults, secretly or not, share those same anxieties, which kickball eliminates.
THE SETUP
BASIC IDEA
Kick the ball and run around the bases back to home while the other team tries to get you out
PLAYING AREA
A baseball field is ideal but any large, flat area will work.
EQUIPMENT
• A soft rubber ball
• Objects to mark home plate and 3 bases
AGES
4 and up
PLAYERS
Officially 8 per team, but a backyard game needs at least 4 people
The result is a game that can be enjoyed as a family activity among players of all ages, or as a more organized sport complete with umpires, uniforms, and scorecards. official leagues are found worldwide, but the greatest games are the ones where a little girl or boy makes it to first base for the first time.
Suggested field of play
Rules of the Game
The fundamental rules of kickball are nearly identical to those of baseball or softball, with one notable exception: The team in the field can throw the ball at the kicker, still called a “batter,” to get him or her out as long as the ball hits below the neck. That’s why official kickballs are large and soft, inflated to only 1.5 pounds per square inch of air pressure.
Games can be played on a standard Little League or T-ball field, or any large back lawn or playground. An improvised diamond can be set up with three bases and home plate; the pitcher’s mound can be anywhere from 20 to 45 feet away from home plate. The limits of the outfield can be delineated as either outs if the field is short or home runs if the field is large enough to accommodate the leg strength of the players.
Pitchers can either roll or bounce the ball to the batter, but the ball can’t be higher than a foot or so off the ground when it reaches home plate.
In some games, balls and strikes are called; in family games, players usually can make contact on just about every pitch.
WORLDWIDE
What began as a few folks enjoying the sport around Washington, D.C., in the mid-1990s evolved into the World Adult Kickball Association (WAKA), founded by a quartet of college friends. WAKA leagues involve tens of thousands of players 21 or older in several nations.
Kickball player and author Christopher Noxon calls the participants “rejuveniles,” which he defines as “eternally young grownups,” who almost always schedule a trip to the local pub after a match.
When a player kicks a ball and someone in the field grabs it, the biggest decision is whether to throw the ball directly at the batter or to throw it to the teammate covering a base.
Rules can easily be accommodated for games with fewer players.
In a game of three against three, for example, “ghost” runners usually factor into the outcome.
Bunting may or may not be allowed.
A fairly complete set of rules for “Kicking Baseball” was set out by Emmett Dunn Angell in his 1910 book Play: Comprising Games for the Kindergarten, Playground, Schoolroom and College.
Ramping It Up
Eric Heiberg thinks traditional kickball, where people must wait their turn to “bat” and players sometimes stand in the outfield for an entire game without fielding a ball, is far too sedentary; therefore, the full-time computer programmer and part-time comedian from Austin, Texas, invented mojo kickball, which adds elements of tag and dodgeball.
In his game, played by “mojonauts,” six kickballs of different colors are in play at any one time. Runners are guarded by “chasers,” who try to prevent them from being tagged out. With unlimited outs, strikes and foul balls, a referee is essential to keep track of it all!
A thousand-year-old Swedish game, kubb (rhymes with tube) is an interesting blend of bowling, ring toss, and team strategy. It has, thus far anyway, resisted overt migration to North America, but that will change if a University of Wisconsin student has anything to say about it.
ALSO KNOWN AS
Block Toss, V:King, Viking Chess, The Viking Game
Minnesota native Carl Schroedl received a classic wooden kubb set from a cousin in the village of Hälsingland, Sweden, during a family reunion in 2002. Schroedl soon became a missionary intent on spurring what he calls a “kubbolution.”
THE SETUP
BASIC IDEA
Knock down your opponent’s kubbs and then knock down the central pin
PLAYING AREA
Commonly played on lawns and in public parks; Scandinavians play on ice
EQUIPMENT
• 10 rectangular blocks (6 inches high)
• 1 large rectangular block (12 inches high)
• 6 batons or dowels (12 inches long)
• 4 pegs or other boundary markers
AGES
5 and up
PLAYERS
Teams of 2 to 6 players
“As a sophomore in high school, I wrote about kubb for an English paper,” he says. “People were interested. Pretty soon we started playing it every day at lunch, and then other kids in school played it at lunch, too. Then there were clubs and tournaments.” When Schroedl went to college, he helped launch the kubb craze there.
“Nothing against croquet or bocce or horseshoes,” he said. “But this game is just more interesting with far more strategy, even though it involves some of the same skill sets. Kids love it, and they can also play it with their parents and grandparents. It’s the kind of game, sort of like golf, where no matter how good you get, there’s still an element of luck that keeps it interesting.”
Take Down the King
The ultimate object of kubb is to be the first to knock down the “king,” a foot-long block of wood in the middle of the playing field, but first you have to upset all five of your opponent’s kubbs — toppling the king before knocking down the others automatically loses the game. To knock down the blocks you toss six batons, which are foot-long dowels.
The official measurement for a field is 5 × 8 meters (about 15 by 25 feet), but it can vary depending on age and skill of players.
FACT OR FICTION?
A popular Scandinavian folktale perpetuates the likely myth that kubb originated with the Vikings, who some considered to be vicious pillagers. As the story goes, the Vikings whittled their own kubb game pieces out of the skulls and bones of their victims. A more likely theory holds that medieval Swedish woodsmen devised the game for their children; kubb literally means “block of wood” in Swedish.
Rules. This is a simple game at its core, but with a fairly complex set of rules and some skill required, it is more challenging than it might seem. On the other hand, it’s easy to play a simplified version of the game with a 5-year-old in the living room. Wherever you play, it’s addictive fun for all ages.
Players toss a baton at the kingpin; the one that lands closest without knocking it down goes first.
Members of a team take turns tossing the batons, dividing them evenly and rotating as necessary to ensure that all have equal turns.
The baton must be tossed underhand so that it spins vertically; overhand or sideways throws are not allowed.
The simplest rules state that once a kubb is knocked down, it is out of the game. The first team to k
nock down all five of the other team’s kubbs and then knock down the king, wins.
More commonly, the game is played so that any knocked-down kubbs are tossed onto the opponent’s side of the field, where they must be knocked down again (for a total of 10 kubbs) before the king can be attacked.
The highest quality wooden kubb sets in North America are said to come from the hands of Amish and Mennonite craftsmen in Shippensburg, Pennsylvania. Many of their ancestors settled in Sweden after religious persecution in Europe in the 1500s and the game was passed down through generations of woodworkers.
Still other variations involve “bowling” the kubbs to knock down the opponent’s kubbs.
Strategy. A game with strict adherence to international tournament rules can take two teams of two people an hour or more to play; for a backyard game, the rules can always be modified to move things along. It takes a fair amount of skill to accurately toss the batons so that they knock down the kubbs, especially if you set up the field according to the official size of 5 by 8 meters. Outdoor play can be quite competitive, with a lot of near misses and jockeying for position.
The Russians have a similar game known as gorodki. In this game, players or teams each set up a “village” of 15 wooden objects. Players then take turns tossing “bats” at the objects and the first team to destroy the other’s village wins. In some cases, players report edly use actual baseball bats!
Kubb International
With a recent surge in the popularity of kubb, the island of Gotland — the largest landmass in the Baltic Sea, 55 miles from the Swedish mainland — has held the annual Kubb World Championships in August each year since 1995. More than 200 teams from around the world participated in 2010, with more than a dozen different countries represented, including the United States, England, Germany, Italy, and Japan.
Known as “the fastest game on two feet,” lacrosse has emerged as the most popular game of many that originated with Native Americans; in the past few years, it has become the fastest-growing sport in the United States. A goal-oriented game like soccer and field hockey, lacrosse’s primary distinguishing feature is a stick with a webbed pouch at one end used to catch and propel the ball forward. The other requisites to play well include speed, agility, footwork, and teamwork, all of which make the game ideal for the primary goal of combining fun with exercise.
ALSO KNOWN AS
Baggataway, Intercrosse, Lax
THE SETUP
BASIC IDEA
Using sticks with small nets, throw the ball from player to player while advancing it toward the goal
PLAYING AREA
A large, smooth open area
EQUIPMENT
• A ball
• A stick for each player
• A framed goal area
AGES
6 and up
PLAYERS
2 on 2, up to 12 on 12 or more
The best players can throw the ball more than 100 miles per hour and sprint like the wind, but lacrosse can be easily enjoyed by players of all ages as a lawn or beach game. Simply tossing the ball back and forth is a great way to get used to the equipment and hone one’s technique.
Field size can be adjusted to accommodate the age, number and ability of players, and rules — especially about contact — become important when safety is an issue. With the exception of games involving well-protected players wearing the proper equipment, hitting with the sticks is never allowed.
Rules & Strategy
The object of the game is to score the most goals, but the challenge is keeping possession of the ball down the length of the football-size field while running or passing until a shot can be attempted. An essential skill is “cradling,” which is the equivalent of dribbling in basketball or hockey. Rocking the stick with your arms and wrists as you run creates enough centripetal force to hold the ball in place in the webbed pocket of the stick until you’re ready to release it. Generally, right-handed players place the right hand highest on the stick and the left hand at the base.
Another key skill is learning to efficiently scoop up balls on the ground. The best players will tell you that’s where games are won and lost. The trick is to bend down low, with your back and stick parallel to the ground. After collecting the ball, you usually must pass quickly, because another player will almost always be in pursuit.
≪FLASHBACK PAUL≪
We had a shed roof at our house that was only slightly pitched and ideal for practicing catching, cradling, and throwing skills. For those times when no friends or family can be found for practice, find a roof or wall and practice, not just lacrosse, but all throwing and kicking skills. It’s during these solitary times, when no one is watching or critiquing, that a kid can really develop a personal comfort zone with the equipment and game. Of course, it’s always a good idea to have permission and be sure not to crack anyone’s siding or windows.
This pair of Menominee wooden lacrosse game sticks are carved with intricate designs. One of the lacrosse balls is made from animal skin and the other is carved from hardwood. Compare to modern equipment on the facing page.
BACK IN TIME
Though versions of lacrosse have been played by Native Americans for centuries, the modern game was discovered by Jesuit missionaries from France who witnessed the Iroquois Indians of what is now upstate New York and southern Ontario playing what they still call baggataway. The French thought the sticks resembled bishops’ crosiers and immediately called the game “la crosse.”
Montreal’s Olympic Club organized what is believed to be North America’s first non-Indian team in 1844 and a Canadian dentist, George Beers, published official rules of the game in 1867.
Rooting for the Iroquois
Though they are credited with inventing the game, the six tribes of the Iroquois Confederacy — the Onondaga, Mohawk, Seneca, Oneida, Tuscarora, and Cayuga — were restricted from playing in international lacrosse competition until 1990. The Iroquois Nationals placed fourth in the world in 1998, 2002, and 2006, but were again restricted from participating in 2010 when the United States and England could not agree on the legitimacy of the Iroquois passports.
The team was heartbroken, according to Oren Lyons, an Onondaga clergyman and former player. “When you talk about lacrosse, you’re talking about the lifeblood of the Six Nations,” he said. “The game is ingrained into our culture and our lives. This is our game and our gift to the world.”
A close cousin of horseshoes, cornhole, quoits, and other underhand-throwing contests, ladder toss is a descendant of a game played by both Native Americans and cowboys out on the range. In that version, the players held live snakes by the tail and flung them toward a fence post or tree limb. Points were scored if the snake wrapped around the fence or limb.
ALSO KNOWN AS
Blongo Ball, Bolo Ball, Hillbilly Golf, Ladder Ball, Ladder Golf, Monkeyball, Rattletail Toss, Snake Toss, Tailgate Golf
No Snakes Needed
Today’s version uses bolas (two balls connected by a short piece of rope) instead of snakes. The object is to toss the bolas so that they wrap around the rungs of the target. Points are scored depending on which rung is hit and trying to knock your opponent’s bolas off the target is part of the game.
THE SETUP
BASIC IDEA
Throw the bolas so that it wraps around the bars of the target; points are awarded based on which bar is hit
PLAYING AREA
Can be played on grass, gravel, or pavement
EQUIPMENT
• At least 1 bolas, but preferably 1 per team
• A target with at least 3 horizontal bars
AGES
5 and up
PLAYERS
Teams of 1–3 are optimal, but any number can play
Although the complete components of the non-snake version of the game can be readily purchased online or at toy and sporting goods stores, an old painter’s ladder works just fine, and DIY tinkerers can easily cobble together ladders from d
owels, pipes, or tubing. Ladders typically have three rungs, although homemade versions can be built with any number of rungs. Perpendicular bases fastened to the bottom keep the ladders upright.
For the game’s double ball, also known as a “bolo,” “bola,” or “bolas” many players drill holes through golf balls and connect them with a thin rope or thick string that is knotted on each end. In addition to being less expensive than the manufactured models, the homemade sets offer something money can’t buy: a comfortable “home court” advantage from knowing your own equipment. (For another game played with bolas, see Double Ball, page 72.)
Rules. If you’ve ever tried throwing a bolas underhand toward a horizontal bar, you know the apparatus travels end over end through the air; if thrown in the right direction at the proper height, it hooks and grabs the bar. You also know the bolas can be quite unruly!
To throw the bolas, start with one ball in your hand and let the other one dangle with the connecting rope running through your fingers. Standing about five paces away, lob the ball underhand, the same way you would a bocce ball, toward the ladder.
Ladder toss equipment is easy to make; this version uses PVC piping and some old golf balls.
The official game calls for three bolas to be thrown per player or team per round.
Games are usually played to exactly 21 points. In the event of a tie game at 21, extra rounds are played until one team or player is leading by at least two points.
