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Lawn/Yard Games

QUOITS

History:

Popular with soldiers in ancient Greece and Rome, quoits became one of the original five events in the Greek pentathlon.  Since qoits requires little equipment, it became a favorite pastime among peasants during the Middle Ages, and is now a staple of backyard barbecues, family gatherings, and camping trips.

Object of the Game:

Players toss rings at stakes planted into the ground, attempting to land on top of the stake.  The first player to score 21 points is the winner.

Playing Field:

There is no standardized dimensions in recreational quoits.  In tournament play, the motts (stakes) are set 54 feet apart, each mott surrounded by a target.  The target is generally a white circle, five inches in diameter around the mott.  The target's size isn't critical because it has no bearing on points.

Equipment:

Quoit- a ring made of metal or hard rubber, approximately 8" in diameter, weighing roughly 3 pounds.

Rules:

A quoit that lands over the mott is worth 2 points.
A quoit that lands closer to the mott than the opponents' scores 1 point.
A quoit leaning against a mott is worth 1 point.

If score is tied at 20, play continues until one side wins by 2 points.

In singles play, both players must stand behind a mott at one end of the court.  Each player tosses two quoits at the opposite mott.  After both sides have tossed their quoits, the players walk to the target area and record their scores.  The higher-scoring player is first to toss towards the other mott.


BOCCE

Bocce was brought to America by Italian immigrants in the 19th century, and the game is believed to date back to 4000 B.C.  Early versions of the game were believed to have been played in Egypt, Asia Minor, and Rome.  Every region has different rules for the game, but this article will focus on the rules created by the United States Bocce Federation.


Object of the Game:

Two teams comprised of one, two, or four players roll or throw balls at a smaller target ball.  After all balls have been thrown, points are awarded for balls closest to the target ball.

Playing Field:

A bocce court is 13x91 feet (a long narrow rectangle).  A center line divides the court.  A foot line extends 12-15 feet from each end.  The court is framed 10 inch high walls.

Equipment:

Bocce ball- Can be made of any material, 4 1/4 inches in diameter, weighing 2.2 pounds.
Target ball (or pallino)- made of any material, 1 3/8 inches in diameter.
Measuring device- a yardstick or tape measure may be used to measure distances between balls.

Rules:

Each team consists of an even number of players.  Half of each team stands at each end of the court. (two team members at one end, two other team members at opposing end, for instance).

If a player's bocce ball makes contact with the backboard (the two short walls of the rectangle), it is considered dead and is removed from play until the end of the frame.

Throws can be made from a standing position or a running position, but a player cannot step on or over the foot line.

A player is allowed to intentionally displace an opponent's ball.

Play begins with a coin toss.  The winner gets the first toss of the pallino (target ball).  The player has two attempts to toss the pallino past the center line.  If the player fails, the opposing team has two chances to put the pallino in play.  The first bocce ball is thrown by whichever team successfully puts the pallino in play.

If the bocce ball hits the backboard, the team must roll again.  After a successful roll, the player steps back and allows the opposing team to roll a ball.

The team whose bocce ball is closest to the pallino is called the inside team, the other team is the outside team.  Once a team gets inside, it stops rolling and lets the outside team play.  This team continues rolling until it beats the inside team.  This order continues until all bocce balls are thrown.  Each frame is complete when both teams have thrown/rolled all of the balls.

Only the inside team scores.  One point is given for each ball from the inside team that is closer to the pallino than any ball of the outside team.  The first team to score 12 points wins the game.  There can be any number of frames in a match.

BADMINTON

History:

The roots of this game date back to 5th century BC in China, which was a sport in which a feathered object ws kicked back and forth.  The game evolved into a sport called poona played in India, where it was discovered by British officers and brought back to England.  Badminton is named after the estate where the current version of the game was first played in 1873.

Object of the Game:

Two or four players use racquets to hit a shuttlecock over a net so that it lands within the opposite court and cannot be hit for a successful return.

Playing Field:

The court is 17x44 feet for singles play, 20x44 feet for doubles.
The short service line is 6'6" from the net.
The long service line is 13 feet behind the short service line.
The back boundary line is 22 feet from the net.
The singles side line is 1'6" inside the doubles side line.
The center line seperates the left and right service courts.

Equipment:

Racquet- must have crossed strings and a flat surface and may not exceed 26 3/4 inches in length

Shuttlecock- consists of 14 or 16 feathers extending 2 3/4 inches from a cork or rubber base, and cannot exceed 1/5 ounces in weight.

Net- 30 inches deep, five feet in height.

Game length:

Men's singles and all doubles games are played to 15 points.  Women's singles games are played to 11 points. Games are extended with additional sets if the score is tied near completion of the game.

In a 15-point game, if the score is tied at 13, the set to win is five.  If score is tied at 14, the set is three.

In an 11-point game, if the score is tied at 9, the set is three, if tied at 10 the set is two.

A match is won by winning two out of three games.

After each game, the score goes back to 0-0, or love-all.

Serving and Returning Rules:

A serve is made from inside the serving player's court, not from behind the back line as in tennis.  The shuttle (or shuttlecock) must be hit underhand into the service court diagonally opposite the server.  Both the server and receiver must be in their service courts during the serve.  A return must be made before the shuttle hits the ground.  The server calls the score after each point, similar to volleyball.

A shuttle that lands on the line is considered in-bounds.

In singles play, the service areas are bordered by a short service line, a long service line, and singles side lines.  Te outside alleys are not in-bounds.  If the score adds up to an even number, the serve is made from the right service court.  If the score adds up to an odd number, the serve is made from the left.

In doubles play, the service areas are bordered by a short service line, a doubles long line, and doubles side lines.  The server winning the first point continues serving, switching service courts for each point.  The receiving players do not switch.  Service changes to the opponent in the right service court, who continues serving as long as points are scored.  When the new server fails to score, the partner serves.

Faults:

A fault is any error that ends play.  There are three types of faults- service faults, receiving faults, and rally faults.

Service faults:

Shuttle fails to cross the net or lands in wrong court
Shuttle is not hit on its base
Shuttle is higher than server's waist when hit
Shuttle is hit with an overhand motion
Server is outside of service court, has one or both feet off the ground while serving, or steps on any line.
Server misses the shuttle while serving.

A receiving fault occurs when the receiving player fails to stand in the correct service court, or moves before the serve is made.

Rally faults:

Shuttle touches the ground
Shuttle lands outside of playing area
Shuttle is hit more than once by a side before it is returned over the net
Player touches the net with racquet or body
Player reaches over the net
Player is hit by the shuttle

Lets:

A let occurs when a point doesn't count and must be replayed.  A let includes the following infractions: serve taken out of turn, serve takes place before receiver is set, simultaneous faults by both sides, or the shuttle becomes entangled in the net.  It is not considered a let if the shuttle hits the top of the net while passing over it.

 
CROQUET

Croquet (Standard American Six-Wicket)

History:

The history of croquet dates back to 16th century England and was one of the first games to be played by both sexes.  Croquet became an Olympic sport in 1904.  The rules of the game found below were established by the United States Croquet Association; rules may differ in other countries.

Object of the Game:

A player or team attempts to hit balls through a layout of wickets until the center stake is reached.  A winner is determined by being the first side to finish the course or by scoring the most points.

Playing Field:

The court is a grass rectangle 105 feet long on its east and west sides and 84 feet on the north and south sides.  Smaller courts may be used, but must adhere to a 5:4 ratio.

The course is comprised of white metal hoops called wickets, each wicket is 12 inches high.  The top of the first wicket is blue, the last wicket is red.

The stake in the center of the course is wood, 18 inches in height.  The stake is white with bands of blue, red, black, and yellow.  These colors denote the order of play.

There are flags at each corner, the SW corner is blue, the SE corner is yellow, the NW corner is red, and the NE corner is black.

Equipment:

Mallet- made of wood, approximately 30 inches long.
Balls- usually made of wood, they are blue, red, black, and yellow with a diameter of 3 5/8 inches
Clips- same color as balls, placed on wickets to indicate direction of play
Deadness Board- displays which balls cannot be hit

Rules:

The game can be played as singles or doubles.  Each side plays two colors.  One side plays the blue and black balls, the other side plays the red and yellow balls.

The order of play is always blue, red, black, yellow.

The player whose turn it is is known as the striker.  A striker gets one shot, unless he can hit another ball that player is alive on, or score a wicket by hitting a ball completely through a wicket in the correct order and direction.  The striker then becomes alive.  If the striker is alive on a ball and hits it, the striker earns two free shots.

A croquet is the first of two extra shots.  Players may set their own ball against the other and hit it so that both balls move.  After the croquet shot, the player takes a free shot, called a continuation.

The striker that scores a wicket earns a continuation shot.  This free shot can be used to go to another hoop or to hit another ball.

After a ball has hit another ball it is dead on that particular ball.  The ball is not alive again until the striker's ball has cleared the next wicket.  If two balls are hit at the same time, the first ball hit is known as the roqueted ball.

When a ball goes out of bounds, it is placed in-bounds the length of a mallet head (9 inches) from whichever point it went out of bounds.

A player pciks up a clip after scoring a wicket and puts it on the next wicket after the turn ends.

A player may elect to pass a turn.

Procedure:

Play begins with a single shot from 3 feet behind the first wicket.

Players who have not gone through the first wicket cannot hit balls that have also not gone through the wicket.  Balls that have gone through the wicket cannot hit balls not yet through it.

Players attempt to score the first 6 wickets in a clockwise direction.  At the 7th wicket (known as the 1-back) the same six wickets are played in a counter-clockwise direction for a maximum total of 12 points.  Hitting the stake is the 13th point.

As each ball scores number 7, the opposing side gets to free one ball of deadness.

After a ball has scored number 12 it becomes a rover and can clear its deadness on all balls by going through any wicket in any direction.  Once cleared, a rover cannot hit the last ball on which it was dead until it hits a different ball.  A rover ball may not hit a ball twice in the same direction.

The winner is the first side to reach 26 points.  In order to win, both balls have to go through the 12 wickets (6 clockwise, 6 counter-clockwise), and hit the stake.

Although croquet is most often played recreationally, a referee is used in tournament play.


Croquet (Standard American Nine-Wicket)

Nine-wicket is played in a similar fashion to the traditional six-wicket, but there are some significant differences.  Standard court size is 50x100 feet, and two stakes are used instead of one.  These stakes are placed at the north and south ends of the court, and all 9 wickets are white.

Rules:

The first player to score 32 points is the winner.  A player wins after both balls have gone through 14 wickets (each of the seven wickets passed twice) and hit both stakes.

One point is scored for hitting the ball through a wicket and another point is scored for hitting the stake.  Each ball can score a maximum of 16 points.


HORSESHOES


History:

Much like quoits, horseshoes were tossed at targets since ancient Roman times, but there were no standardized rules until 1914, when a coalition of amateur groups joined together to form the National Horseshoe Pitchers Association.  The rules set forth below are the rules used by the NHPA for their annual national and world tournaments.

Object of the Game:

Players toss horseshoes underhand at stakes in the ground, attempting to land the horseshoe around the stake or as close to it as possible.

Playing Field:

The court is 6x46 feet with a pit at each end.  Stakes are set 40 feet apart and are 15 inches high and one inch in diameter.  The stakes should be slightly inclined toward each other at a 12 degree tilt.

A foul line is located 3 feet in front of each stake.

The target area is a 3x4 foot pit which starts one foot behind the foul line, with the stake in the center.  The pit can be comprised of sand, dirt, or clay.

The pitcher's platform is 6' wide, with 18 inches on each side of the pit.

Equipment:

Horseshoes- thowing horseshoes have a maximum weight of 2 pounds 10 ounces, and a minimum weight of 2 pounds 4 ounces.  Maximum size allowed is 7 1/4 by 7 5/8 inches.

Rules:

A game is divided into innings, with four shoes pitched (two by each player).  Games may consist of 25 innings (50 shoes), 20 innings (40 shoes), or 15 innings (30 shoes).  Ties are broken by pitching two extra innings.

First toss is decided by a coin flip, and the winner has the choice of pitching first or second.

The pitcher's feet must be on the pitcher's platform and behind the foul line.  A pitcher may throw from either side of the platform, but both shoes must be pitched from the same side.

Each player gets two throws toward the target.  The first pitcher tosses twice, followed by the opponent.  Both players then walk to the target stake and record their scores for the inning.

The players pitch the second inning in the opposite direction, toward the original stake.  This cycle is repeated until the completion of the game.

Scoring:

Only one player scores per inning.  Ringers cancel each other and the closest horseshoe scores.  Only shoes landing within 6 inches of the stake are eligible for scoring points.

A ringer is a shoe that lands around a stake.

The shoe closest to the stake earns one point.

If two shoes from one player land closer than both of the opponent's shoes, the player earns two points.

One ringer scores 3 points, two ringers score 6 points.

One ringer and one shoe closer to the stake than the opponent is worth 4 points.

Only the difference between the scores of an inning count.  If scores are the same, no points are awarded.  Equal scores are considered ties, canceling each other out.  This type of scoring is known as the cancellation method.

A shoe leaning against the stake scores one point.