ENGLISH III

TRADITIONAL GAME AROUND THE WORLD

HOPSCOTCH

By Group 9
1. Rangga Prananda (43114010071)
2. Friko Handoko (43114010085)
3. Rizka Amalia (41114010034)

UNIVERSITAS MERCU BUANA

2017
 HOPSCOTCH

Regardless of your location youll likely have played or heard of hopscotch (or some
variation thereof), a game which finds its origins way back in Roman times. All it takes is a
hopscotch court, usually etched in chalk on a playground, and an object you can toss into any of
the courts numbered spaces. A simple enough concept which continues to teach young kids
the essence of healthy competition, and keeps them fit at the same time.

The game is still popular all over the world, finding slight variations in the way the
course is drawn and the actual rules of the game. There are no language barriers in this age-old
kids game, and as long as you sketch your course anyone can start hopping their way to victory
watch out for those pesky pebbles your opponent might have casually laid out.

Whether youre quite the pro, with your potsies tucked away in a bag ready for
unleashing, or youre just out to have fun on one leg, its safe to assume youll know how to
play a game of hopscotch, even if you call it Laylay or Amarelinha.

Just How Old is Hopscotch?:

Yet, questions inevitably come to mind regarding this ancient game, like exactly how old
is it? Who had the bright idea to sketch a numbered course, stomp on it and make a game out
of it all? And why on earth is it called hopscotch? Put your potsies away as we take you thourgh
our brief history of hopscotch.

Hop-full Beginnings
Its hard to pinpoint exactly where the game first began, though some texts say Roman
soldiers used to play it to keep fit, on courses which were as long as 100 feet (fancy doing that
in your lunchtime break). Soldiers played the game fully clad in heavy armour, leaping about
the course with the idea of improving their stamina and endurance. In some hopscotch courses,
the home base or top box is marked as London as a tribute to the Great London Road dating
back to Roman times. The most common account of the games origins has Roman children
drawing their own courses, though just for fun, which is how the game eventually became
popular throughout Europe.

China the birthplace of Hopscotch?:

Other stories say the game was born in China, and it pretty much resembled the course
you see in many school playgrounds today, though the stone or object was used to represent
the players soul (scary stuff). The symbolism behind the game was to overcome all the
obstacles, which were portrayed by the lines, to eventually reach the pot/cats cradle which
represented heaven. Some hopscotch variants in England still have the last square marked as
heaven and if youll read on, as I hope you will, youll see the German version of the game is still
referred to as Heaven and Hell, though it might be a bit too intense for my likings.

Yet there are other accounts which tell of hopscotch used as a rite of initiation for the
young, playing a similar part as the labyrinth in many cultures of the past (like ancient Greece).
Historians, who have researched hopscotch in relation to coming-of-age ceremonies, believe
the game has some hidden symbolism attached, in a similar way to the Chinese version which
we mentioned; the player overcomes various trials and tribulations, marked by the squares and
lines of the games course. In any case, most historical accounts clearly make reference to it
being challenging, despite its inherent simplicity.

Wherever the game begun, or whoever invented it first, one thing remains: it is fun
because it is simple. You dont need any particular equipment to play hopscotch, and its easy
to draw the course on pretty much any ground surface, whether its asphalt, sand or other.

The course is made of numbered boxes, usually from one to ten, the first three of which
are drawn on top of each other. Square four and five are drawn side by side, so if your stone
lands on any number other than those two you can use both feet. It then goes on, with square
six and nine drawn on their own, and seven and eight standing side by side. The last square is
usually curved and the player can rest with both feet (like the side by side squares).

After setting up a course, all you need is a stone, coin or similar object to set you off on
your hopping frenzy. The player throws the object, usually a small stone, in order to land in one
of the numbered squares, though without hitting the lines which make up the squares (the
scotch). Once the stone lands, the player skips the number the stone is on, while bouncing
across the course, reaching the base (pot or cats cradle) then doing the course backwards
while skipping the same number. As mentioned, the player can use both feet on squares
standing side-by-side (i.e. four and five) as long as there is no stone there.

Those are your standard hopscotch course and rules, though designs vary quite a bit
depending on country. Below well have a look at a few variations from around the world, some
of which have different rules and courses. There are all manners of courses, from square to
spiral ones.
Hopscotching Around the World
As mentioned the game is a bit different around the globe, and variations are plenty,
from the French version which features a spiral instead of the usual set up, to Ekhat-Dukhat in
India which only has two squares.

The New York version of the game is Potsie, which comes from pot or the home base
which a player gets too (if he doesnt fall off). The New York term for hopscotch, which is played
pretty much the same as the English one, dates back to the late 19th century.

The French version might be a bit harder to play if you are used to English hopscotch.
The course is a spiral, much like a snails shell, and players need to hop to the centre and back.
A player can also pick out a square of choice and can land on this square with both feet; this is
because there arent any squares side-by-side.

Hopscotch in German-speaking countries is called Heaven and Hell and has different
rules; players need to kick the stone from square to square when advancing, and cannot stop at
the Hell square which is the second-to-last in the game.

In Cyprus and Greece, they play Ayaktasi (try saying that with a mouthful) which is
similar to how the Australians play hopscotch. The player throws a stone into a square in the
usual way, but the game is played in stages and only ends once the stone has landed on all
possible squares.

HOPSCOTCH RULES
Rules of Hopscotch
Hopscotch is a game that has been around for over three hundred years. A favorite of
children everywhere, you can play it with friends or all alone. The word hopscotch means hop-
scratch, since players sometimes scratch the court into dirt or slate on the ground, and then
play by hopping over the scratched lines. There are many variations to choose from, but they all
have a few rules in common.

Start With Your Court

Begin by drawing a court on the pavement with chalk, or in firm dirt with a stick. You
can choose from various classic courts, or invent your own.

Youll want it to be between six and eight feet long by three or four feet wide, but it
doesnt have to be perfect. This game is for fun!
Get your Markers
Each player will need a distinct object to act as a marker. It will need to be heavy
enough not to blow away, and flat enough to not roll. Nearby rocks make great markers, as long
as you keep track of whose rocks are whose.

Determine Player Order

Choose who goes first, second, and so on. You will go in the same order every round.

Pitch Your Marker

Throw your marker, trying to make it land in the number one square. If you make it,
good for you! If not, your turn is over, time for the next person to try.

Hop
If your marker lands in the right place, now its time for you to hop. Avoiding the
number one square, hop on one foot in each of the other squares in order. If two squares are
next to each other, use both feet to hop on them at the same time. If you make it all the way to
home without tripping or missing a square, good for you! If not, you must try again on your
next turn. Either way, its now time for the next person to have a turn.

Ascend
Pitch to the next number in order and if your pitch was successful hop, avoiding the
stone that contains your marker. Each turn should either include a successful pitch and hop, a
successful pitch and unsuccessful hop, or an unsuccessful pitch. Only players who have
successful pitches and hops can try for the next highest number on their next turn. It might take
several turns to get some numbers right.

Winning
Win in a group by being the first to get all the way to home, having successfully pitched
and hopped every number in order. Win alone by getting all the way to home, having
successfully pitched and hopped every number.

Groups
Hopscotch has no boards or ruling authorities other than children everywhere
How to play Hopscotch?

1. Draw a hopscotch design on the ground.

Chalk is the best drawing medium on asphalt, patio stones or concrete. The
squares should be large enough to fit one foot and to make sure that a stone thrown
into the square will not bounce out too easily. While there are variants on drawing the
design, a common schoolyard design is shown here.
It is common to designate the "10" section shown here as a rest or stop area.
This is where the player can take a moment to turn around and/or regain their balance.
Sometimes a more creative name, like "Heaven" is given to the space

2. Throw a flat stone or similar object (small beanbag, shell, button, plastic toy) to land
on square one.
It has to land inside the square without touching the border or bouncing out. If
you don't get it within the lines, you lose your turn and pass the stone to the next
person. If you do get it, however, go on to the next step.
 Hopscotch can be played with just one person. If that's your case, make up the rules as
you see fit!

3. Hop through the squares, skipping the one you have your marker on.
Each square gets one foot. Which foot you start with is up to you. You can't have
more than one foot on the ground at a time, unless there are two number squares right
next to each other. In that case, you can put down both feet simultaneously (one in
each square). Always keep your feet inside the appropriate square(s); if you step on a
line, hop on the wrong square, or step out of the square, you lose your turn.

4. Pick up the marker on your way back.

When you get to the last number, turn around (remaining on one foot) and hop
your way back in reverse order. While you're on the square right before the one with
your marker, lean down (probably on one foot still!) and pick it up. Then, skip over that
square and finish up
5. Pass the marker on to the next person.
If you completed the course with your marker on square one (and without losing
your turn), then throw your marker onto square two on your next turn. Your goal is to
complete the course with the marker on each square. The first person to do this wins
the game!