Art of Game

What is now a popular mobile phone application started out as just a bouncing ball (anything the size of a volleyball or larger will do) and a chalk outline the playground side walk. To begin, simply draw out a square big enough for 4 individual players to move freely. Maybe make it a little bigger than you than you did back in the day, unless you and your 3 friends have Tyrannosaurus arms. Divide the large square into 4 frames, clearly labeled 1 through 4. Square 4 will serve by bouncing the ball to square 2, at which point square 2 can return the ball to any other square. Each player aims to hit the ball after it has bounced in his or her square without the ball sailing out of bounds or landing in the same square a second time. This isn’t a team effort to see how long the group can keep a rally going; it’s a completion to see which player will be eliminated, so if possible, put some spin on the ball and aim for corners and hard to reach places. If a ball lands outside the larger square boundary or inside the smaller square from which it was hit, the last player to touch the ball must either return to square 1 or the end of the waiting line, depending on how many people are playing. If a ball lands in a player’s square and goes untouched before bouncing again, then the player standing in that square is out. Only one participant can be eliminated per turn. (more…)