Bound Ball

Source: Games For The Playground, Home, School And Gymnasium
Category: BALL GAMES



_10 to 30 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Tennis ball; hand ball._

This game somewhat resembles tennis, but is played over a lower
dividing line, and the ball is batted with the hand instead of with a
racket; it is always played from a bound, never "on the fly."

GROUND
Boundary lines for the entire court should be outlined,
measuring about fifty feet in length by twenty-five in width, though
these dimensions are not invariable. The ground is then divided by a
line into two equal parts. In a gymnasium balance beams may be set up
for this purpose. Out of doors a board or log may be used, or the mere
drawing of a line on the ground will suffice.

PLAYERS
The players are divided into two equal parties which take
their places on either side of the dividing line, scattered over their
respective courts without regular formation.

OBJECT
The game consists in batting a tennis or hand ball with the
hand from one side to the other of the dividing line, after it has
first bounded in one's own territory.

START
The leader of the game, or any player on either side, puts the
ball in play by throwing it among the players of the opposite side.
Whoever catches the ball acts as the first server. The server serves
by bounding the ball once and then hitting or batting it with the open
palm on the rebound, so that it will go over into the opponents'
court. Should a served ball fail to rebound in the antagonists' court,
it is returned to the party from which it came, that they may have a
second trial. One player continues to serve until his side scores
five, when the ball is thrown to the opponents. The players on a side
serve in rotation.

RULES AND POINTS OF PLAY
In returning a serve or keeping the ball in
play at any time, it may be bounced any number of times before being
sent into the opponents' court. The one essential point is that it
should be kept bounding, a ball that is dead being thrown back to the
server. In bounding the ball it must always be hit or batted from the
upper side with the palm of the hand. Should the ball bound very low
so as to give slight opportunity for batting into the opponents'
court, a player may coax it to a higher point before batting. A ball
may also be worked forward or to any advantageous point of the ground
by bounding or "dribbling" in this way before batting it. Whenever a
ball enters a court, any member of the party on that side may play
upon it. The players in each court will naturally scatter to be ready
to receive the ball. Players will use in this game many points of
tennis, such as sending the ball into the opponents' territory with a
long glancing stroke, which may make it bound unexpectedly toward the
rear of the opponents' court; or on the contrary, with a small bound
that shall just barely cross the line. A ball going out of bounds is
out of play, and must be returned to the server unless it should
rebound in the court for which it was intended, when it should still
be considered in play.

SCORE
The score is entirely for a defensive game, being wholly on
the opponents' failures. If desired, the score may be the same as in
tennis, but is generally as follows


One point is scored for (_a_) failure to strike the ball as directed
(from above with the open palm); (_b_) failure to bound the ball
before sending it into the opponents' ground; (_c_) failure to return
a good serve or play.


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Previous: Boundary Ball

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