Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 16, 1905.djvu/105

 Collectanea. 83

House Ball

Is the name for the ordinary English game of " Rounders," the ball being struck out by hand by each runner in succession of the party to the pitching of one of the party " out." The number of stations depends on the number playing. The striker out must run. No two can occupy the same station, and any one of the party if struck between stations puts that side out, unless one can catch the ball and hit one of those out before they all assemble in the " den."

(P. 10, continuing at line 20.) ("Description of cricket.")

There are, however, traditions of " Kick Ball " as played before the introduction of the rules for " Rugby " and "Association." It was a great game in Cowal ; Tom na Bhoid, at Dunoon, being a regular meeting-place. There, a certain Donald White is by tradition said to have kicked the ball over the Parish Church, and with the same kick, sending his pump flying, causing a " bad eye " to another player.

In primitive " Kick Ball " each game seems to have ended by the winning of a goal. The distance between goals depended on the extent of ground at command. The sides are said to have tossed for first kick, the game commencing from the centre of the ground. Two persons were appointed, one from each side, who moved along on either flank as necessary, whose duty was to prevent the ball being sent too far a-field.

If the play-ground did not yield what was considered a suffi- ciently long course, the game was not a time one, but was won by one side or the other getting an agreed-on number of goals.

Shoot for Goal.

Now played, is evidently a modern invention. A goal is fixed and one appointed goal-keeper, the others spreading themselves out in front. Any convenient ball is used, which is kicked out by the keeper, who has then to prevent the others landing it within the goal. A reckoning of the number of times that any player has kicked it through the goal is kept, and when a certain number is reached it is the privilege of that player to become goal-keeper.