Progressive Captain Ball

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



(Captain Bal
V)


_20 to 60 players._

_Playground; gymnasium._

_Basket ball._

This game differs from any other form of Captain Ball in the
fact that the players progress after each score from base to
base. Each player thus completes the round of outer bases in
his own field, then becomes captain for his team, then a
fielder, and then starts on the round as guard for each base,
in turn, in the opposite field. The use of progression in this
game was originated by Miss Cora B. Clark of New York. It is
obviously best adapted to older players
of high school
age
but once understood, the progression is simple and well
within the ability of younger players.

This form of the game as to grounds and rules may be played
without the progression if desired.



GROUND
The ground is divided into two equal parts, with a line
through the center. In the center of each of the two fields a circle
is drawn for the captain's base, four feet in diameter. At equal
distances around this a series of small circles for bases is drawn,
the series outlining the arc of a large circle open to the center or
dividing line. The small bases (circles) should be each three feet in
diameter. Their number will depend upon the number of players, but
they should not be closer than six feet to each other and ten feet
from the center base.

Each base in the accompanying diagram is lettered to make clearer the
order of progression, but when this order is once understood, it is
not necessary to number the bases on the ground.

TEAMS
The players are divided into two even teams, each consisting
of a captain, two fielders, and a number of basemen, one for each of
the small outer circles or bases. In addition, there should be a guard
for each baseman and one for the captain.

The players are disposed as follows: The captain stands in the center
base, with a guard outside the base. Each of the basemen stands in one
of the smaller outer bases, with a guard outside his base. The
fielders, at the opening of the game, face each other at the center of
the dividing line.

OBJECTS OF THE GAME
The objects of the game are (1) to send the ball
in a complete circuit of the outer bases; and (2) to throw the ball
from a baseman to the captain on his side of the field.

START
The game is started by the referee throwing the ball up
between the fielders, who jump for it and try to bat it toward their
own captain and basemen. Whenever a score is made, the ball is put in
play again as at first.

RULES
The captain may not step outside his base. A ball caught in
this way does not score, but the misstep is not a foul unless with
both feet. The outer basemen may put one foot outside their bases when
trying to catch the ball. A guard must stay within three feet of the
base he guards, and may not step within it. Guards, of course, try to
prevent the basemen from getting the ball or to prevent its being
thrown to the captain, and to intercept it as it makes the round of
the circle. They also try to get the ball to throw to the basemen on
their own side. The fielders, aside from jumping for the ball when it
is put into play, may move anywhere in the field. Their chief office
is to get the balls which go out of bounds, no one else being allowed
to do this. Fielders may play the ball if it comes their way, but they
must not interfere with guards. A ball thrown from a guard or fielder
does not score.

PROGRESSION
The distinctive feature of this game is the method of
progression. To make this plainer, the players in the diagram are
designated by numbers as well as by teams. Thus, "_X_" indicates all
players on one team, and "_O_" all players on the other team, each
player carrying a number, _X-1_, _X-2_, _X-3_, etc. The method of
progression is as follows


After the ball has scored a point, the two fielders, _X-13_ and
_O-13_, move to base _A_. _O-13_, as he is now crossing to his home
side of the field, goes inside of base _A_ as baseman, and _X-13_
becomes his guard; the other two fielders, _X-14_ and _O-14_, go to
base _F_, the home man, _X-14_, going inside the base, and _O-14_
becoming his guard. It will thus be seen that the two fielders bearing
the lower number (_13_) go to the first base, _A_, and those bearing
the higher number (_14_) go to the base bearing the highest letter,
_F_. At the same time that the fielders make this change, each baseman
and his attendant guard move one base farther up; that is, baseman
_O-1_ and guard _X-7_ move from base _A_ to base _B_; baseman _O-2_
and his guard _X-8_ move from base _B_ to base _C_; and so on. The
last baseman on this side, _O-5_, and his guard, _X-11_, move to the
center or captain's base, the previous captain and his guard taking
the place of the fielders who stood nearest base _E_. On the other
side of the field the progression is made in the same way, so that the
order of progression is always from bases _A_, _B_, _C_, _D_, and _E_
to the captain's base, and from the captain's base to fielders. When a
player has made the complete circuit of one side, he progresses from
fielder's position to the opposite side; that is, after the players
who started in base _A_ (basemen _O-1_ and guard _X-7_) become
fielders, they progress by going to base _F_, instead of back to base
_A_. This change comes easily if the captain from the base occupied at
first by _X-6_ always takes his place as fielder nearest base _A_; the
fielders nearest _A_ always going to _A_, and the other fielders to
_F_.

FOULS
(1) Touching the ball when it is in another player's hands;
(2) walking or running with the ball; (3) stepping out of his base by
the captain to catch the ball; (4) stepping out of the bases with both
feet by the basemen; (5) moving by a guard more than three feet from
the base he guards; (6) stepping over the center line into the
opponents' territory; (7) two fielders from the same side going after
the ball at once when it goes out of bounds.

PENALTY FOR FOULS
No score is made on fouls, the penalty being the
loss of the ball to the opposite side. The ball under these
circumstances goes to the player on the other side, who stands in a
corresponding position to the one who made the foul.

SCORE
A ball thrown from a baseman to his captain scores one point.
A ball completing a circuit of the outer basemen scores two points.
The side wins which has the highest score when time is called. The
game may be played in from thirty to sixty minutes' time.


Next: Schoolroom Captain Ball

Previous: Emperor Ball

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