Palant with Mothers, Without Burning

Automatic translation. This text has not been verified by a person.

Translation details

Model: mistral-large-2512.

Translated text

They strike themselves, they burn themselves. A proverb from the century XIV. As widespread as the previous. Suitable for secondary schools.

Rules

The g a m e f i e l d is a rectangle whose shorter side measures 25 m., and the longer side 60 m. The space bounded at the front by one of the shorter sides of the game field and its extensions on both sides is called the k i n g d o m. The kingdom is unbounded at the rear. At a distance of 25 m from the center of the kingdom’s boundary and the game field lies the h a l f - m a r k, and at a distance of 50 m, the g o a l. These are marked by posts at least 1½ m. high, firmly dug into the ground. C B o u n d a r y f l a g s must be planted at the 4 corners of the game field and on the side lines at a distance of 25 m. from the kingdom. The boundaries should also be marked on the ground with a transverse line running through the half-mark.
The p a l a n t (bat) must be 89—100 cm. long, made of strong wood. Its cross-section is either round with a diameter of 3½ cm., or rectangular (with well-rounded edges) of 3×4 cm. The b a l l must have a diameter of 7 cm. and a weight of 80 g.
The L n u m b e r o f p l a y e r s is 11 on each side, unless otherwise agreed. By ¹) casting lots with the palant, it is decided which side begins the game with the strike.
Among the players of each side, one distinguishes the m o t h e r, the ransomer, and 9 c h i l d p l a y e r s. When a side is in the kingdom, the child players strike first in turn, according to a fixed order predetermined by the mother; then the ransomer 2 times; finally, the mother 3 times. Additionally, the ransomer strikes out of turn if there is not a single player in the kingdom with the right to strike. If, despite this, no one ransoms themselves, the side loses the kingdom. After each new conquest of the kingdom, striking begins again with the player whose turn it was at the moment of losing the kingdom. A side loses the kingdom: a) when a player drops the palant from their hand while striking; b) when, holding the palant, they step or run outside the kingdom.
S k e w s t r i k e s, from which the ball, without touching the ground or any of the opponents, passes beyond the side line, are invalid; likewise invalid are strikes from which the ball, without touching an opponent, falls to the ground before the half-mark line or on it (s h o r t s t r i k e s). Invalid, too, are strikes in which the striker has even part of their foot outside the kingdom’s boundary.
The right to the next strike (for the ransomer: 2 strikes, for the mother: 3) belongs to a player only if they have r a n s o m e d t h e m s e l v e s by running within the boundaries of the game field to the goal and back before their turn to strike comes around again. The run may be freely interrupted and the player may return to the kingdom or the goal. However, starting or continuing the run is only permitted from the moment of a valid strike until the ball returns to the kingdom. It is not permitted to ransom oneself: a) for a player who is already ransomed, and b) when the ball is lost. When the ball returns to the kingdom or is lost, the player may not move further in their run than the place where they were at the moment the ball returned to the kingdom or was lost. For the run to be valid, the player must touch the goal post with their hand. If a player crosses the side or rear boundary of the game field during the run, the run is invalid and must be repeated. However, the runner may be “shackled” during such an invalid run. If a player encounters deliberate obstruction from an opponent during the run, the run is considered completed.
If any of the opponents hits (“s h a c k l e s”) a victorious player (i.e., the striking side) with the ball when that player is outside the kingdom and not touching the goal post, the entire side loses the kingdom. Shackling is invalid: a) if the ball bounces off anything before hitting the player; b) if the opponents deliberately obstructed the player during the run; c) if the shackler previously ran with the ball in hand or held it longer than 2 seconds. Moreover, shackling a child player is invalid if, at the time of shackling, they were touching the half-mark post, having stopped on their way to the goal. A victorious player who deliberately touches the ball with any part of their body outside the kingdom’s boundaries is also considered shackled.
If any of the losing players catches the ball struck by the victorious side with one hand before it touches the ground, it counts as a c a t c h. Three catches made during one stay on the field result in a change of goal. If a player encounters deliberate obstruction from an opponent while catching, the ball is counted as caught.
The duration of the competition is one hour. If the camp that was randomly assigned the kingdom at the start of the game holds it until half of this time has elapsed, a change of met is ordered. Victory goes to the camp that, during the competition, has earned the most kreski (marks), calculated as follows. When all players of a given camp have podbijali (struck) and redeemed themselves, the camp has captured a metę (goal), for which one kreska (mark) is counted. If, however, the meta is suchą (dry), meaning it was captured in one continuous sequence without losing the kingdom, two kreski (marks) are counted. The competition is overseen by an impartial sędzia (referee), who ensures strict adherence to the rules. He resolves all disputes irrevocably. If necessary, the referee selects two assistant referees to aid him: one to monitor the game on the kingdom, count strikes and runs, and the other to pay attention to the rear part of the playing field.

Technical instructions When striking, the player stands with their left side toward the playing field, legs apart, ensuring the left foot does not cross the kingdom’s boundary. The ball is tossed with the left hand so the palant can strike it with the tip, as this sends the ball the farthest. The right arm, wielding the palant, executes the broadest possible backward and slightly upward swing, with the elbow extended, accompanied by an energetic twist of the torso. Then the arm returns downward and forward, while the torso twists to the left; the palant strikes the ball slightly below its center. The trajectory given to the ball should be intermediate between a “candle,” flying high and too easily caught by opponents, and an ineffective “rat,” rolling along the ground. A skilled player sends the ball with such force that it flies just over the heads of opponents, making it difficult to catch, as it “burns” the hand. Moreover, they aim to direct it through momentarily unoccupied areas of the field, so no one can intercept it. When reaching for a ball returned from the field, the striker avoids extending their hand beyond the kingdom; if they catch the ball this way, they are “shackled” (see 7). During redemption, the player must pay attention not only to speed. They must keep their eyes on the ball and be ready at any moment to interrupt their run, retreat, or dodge the projectile. The latter (often called “gintasowanie” by our boys) requires great skill. If the ball is aimed at the feet or shins, the player jumps; if at the upper torso or head, they lean or crouch; if at the lower torso, they dodge to the side, drop to the ground, or the like. Sometimes a twist of the torso suffices. Among the actions of the “losing” team, catches are performed one-handed only when required by the rules, i.e., for a struck ball. A ball passed by a teammate is always caught with both hands to avoid dropping it (not “spitting” it). The palm of the hand, e.g., the right (if the ball comes from that side), is turned toward the ball’s flight, while the left hand assists. For catching struck balls, training both hands equally is essential, as the ball often flies more conveniently toward the left hand. Stopping a ball rolling on the ground (“rat”) should always be done with the hand (not the foot, which is less reliable and takes more time, as the ball must still be picked up). Immediately after lifting the ball (without straightening up), it should be passed to a teammate (for striking) or returned to the kingdom. Passing the ball is never taken literally: it means throwing the ball into a teammate’s hands. (A self-respecting player, even when standing quite close, will never accept or hand over the ball or palant except by catching or throwing.) The pass must be quick (but not so forceful as to “burn” the hand and hinder the catch); catching a ball arcing through the air takes too much time. The second condition is accuracy. The ball should arrive where it is most convenient to catch; the best target is the teammate’s chest. When the distance does not exceed 3—4 m., the ball is thrown with the arm extended downward. For greater distances, it is hurled from shoulder height with a bent arm. When returning the ball to the kingdom, accuracy is less important, but speed is sometimes crucial: a ball outpacing the runner forces them to interrupt their run. Here, a throw with a backward and upward arm swing, strong and nearly horizontal, is appropriate. Striking leads to victory if accurate; if missed, it can cause a significant loss of time and advantage for opponents. Thus, a skilled player will strike from a distance only when aiming at a runner returning from behind, so that if the ball misses, it goes to the kingdom and at least outpaces the runner. In all other cases, it is better to pass the ball to a teammate standing closer to the runner. Even the most accurate long throw gives the runner time to dodge. Aim should be at the runner’s torso when striking from the front or back; when striking from the side, aim slightly ahead of their torso. Tactical instructions The running order, established by the mother, should primarily consider the ability to strike well and dodge skillfully. The mother ensures that none of the “kids” strikes too weakly and that their redemption does not rely solely on the redeemer and mother. The weakest kid strikes first, then generally the more skilled, with the rule that a stronger player is always placed between two weaker ones. The mother encourages runs when they are safe, so that not too many runners remain at the end. Not all strikes that the redeemer and mother can perform are used to their full extent. If the first strike is so far that the waiting runners can safely redeem themselves, they run, and once redeemed, the remaining strikes are skipped. To avoid accidents, the ugly habit of beginners throwing the palant behind them after striking must be combated; it should be gently placed on the ground. For the same reason, the area in the kingdom behind and to the sides of the striker, within a width of 3 m., should be clear. Runners should be sent, if possible, along the sides of the field, as it is harder to strike them there (only a kid redeeming themselves after a not-too-strong strike and using the privilege of stopping at the halfway point on the way to the goal must run down the center). It is also good to end runs so that several runners move simultaneously in different directions and on both sides of the field: this distracts opponents and makes striking harder. However, group runs should be avoided, as opponents can easily strike by aiming at the “cluster” of runners. The tactics of the “losing” team are more complex. Among other things, the mother must acquire the difficult skill of properly positioning players on the field. The formation shown in the illustration (p. 214) is typical but cannot be an absolute rule. It must adapt to the strength of the strikes and the opponents’ general playing style, and sometimes it must be changed when the palant passes to another player. Generally, however, it will be rational (as in the illustration) to position several (weaker) players around the halfway point. These will return the struck ball from nearby and sometimes strike a “kid” running to the halfway point. Stronger players are stationed near the goal (for striking) and the sides and back of the field (mainly for catches). The overall arrangement resembles an irregular checkerboard, with larger clusters near the goal and halfway point. Players should hold their positions, only running for the ball when necessary, etc., but never getting in their teammates’ way. Regarding striking, we have already mentioned that the safest direction is toward the kingdom. If, however, we must strike to the side or back, it can only be done with the protection of a teammate, who stands on the other side of the runner and catches the ball if it misses. Without this precaution, the ball flies far beyond the field, where no one can stop it; this gives time for redemption not only for the missed runner but sometimes for many others. Occasionally, surrounding the runner with several players, who skillfully pass the ball to each other until one finds the right moment to strike, can be effective. This requires great “coordination,” i.e., harmonious cooperation, by which the most experienced players are best recognized. When playing against weak strikers, one can also try the “starvation” tactic. The goal is not to capture the kingdom through catches or strikes but to return the ball to the kingdom as quickly as possible each time, which, by shortening or preventing runs, quickly leads weak strikers to “starvation” (i.e., coming onto the field due to a lack of players entitled to strike).

¹) See General Part, V a.

Scope of transcription: text belonging to illustrations omitted; exact boundaries recorded in the extraction report.

*Source of scan: Kujawsko-Pomorska Digital Library, marked “Public Domain”. View PDF — page 218.

Metadata

Type: game
Traits: Not stated in the source
Source: Eugeniusz Piasecki, Zabawy i gry ruchowe dzieci i młodzieży (1922)
Printed pages: 214–223 / PDF 218–228
Digital edition: Digital edition · Source record
Open the edition at the relevant page: p. 214
Read the source text: zgr-131