Mason and Mitchell, Active Games and Contests.
Mumblety-Peg
Lawn, Playground
Elementary and Junior High Schools
Mumblety-Peg is an old pastime, consisting of tossing a pocket-knife
from various
positions so that the blade will stick in the ground.
Equipment.--While any pocket knife may be used, the Boy-Scout knife is
official for
tournament play. The leather punch which this type of knife carries is
used instead of the blade -
this reduces the danger of players cutting themselves.
Matches.--A match consists of three long games or seven short games. The
best two out of
three long games or four out of seven short games determines the winner.
Playing Rules.--Players may either sit or kneel on the ground. All
throws are made with
the right hand unless otherwise specified below. The knife when thrown
must stick in the ground
so that the referee can place at least two fingers between the ground and
the handle of the knife.
Each contestant performs the following series of stunts in order. The
long game is for boys, and
the short game for girls.
The following series of stunts is that considered as official by the
National Recreation
Association.
Penknife Rules (Long Game):
Front..--Knife on palm of right hand with blade toward finger tips, toss
knife upward and inward
causing blade to stick in ground.
Back.--Place knife on back of right hand and toss as for front.
Punch.--Make a fist with right hand. Place knife handle across the
fingernails with blade toward
thumb; twist hand quickly toward the left sticking blade into the ground.
Snaps.--Hold blade between thumb and forefinger of left hand with handle
pointing toward the
right. Strike the handle downward sharply with right hand, causing blade
to stick into the ground.
Seven Pennies.--Hold blade between thumb and first finger of right hand
with handle away from
contestant and snap knife away from tosser, sticking it into the ground.
This must be done seven
times in succession.
Around the Horn.--Hold blade of knife between the index finger and thumb
of right hand, as for
Pennies, and swing the knife, with handle toward the ground, around the
head from left to right;
then snap away from tosser as in Seven Pennies.
Shave the Peg.--Place blade between the first and second fingers and hold
with thumb, have
handle pointing away from body and point of blade toward person tossing;
snap knife away from
tosser.
Cut Left.--Hold knife as for Pennies and snap downward across left arm
striking left wrist with the
right.
Cut Right.--Opposite to Cut Left.
Headings.--Same as for Seven Pennies except the handle of the knife is
touched against the
forehead before snapping.
Chinnings.--Same as Headings except that chin is touched with handle.
Snaps.--See Rule 4; must be done three times in succession.
Drop In and Pull Out.--Hold knife handle between thumb and forefinger of
right hand and drop the
knife through a hole made by touching the tips of the forefinger and
thumb of the left hand. After
blade sticks in ground, pull knife back through the hole by the blade
with the handle touching
ground and the index finger and thumb holding blade; snap as in Seven
Pennies.
Shave the Barber.--Hold left hand with palm in and little finger toward
the ground. Place knife flat
against the palm of left hand with cutting edge toward tosser and handle
toward the ground. With
the fingers of the right hand pull blade of knife toward the contestant,
giving a downward snap.
Lady Dives.--Hold right hand vertical with back of it toward the players;
place point of knife
against the heel of the hand and the handle against the fingertips; push
upward and forward, giving
a loop effect to the knife.
Pinwheel--With the handle at right angles to the right hand and the arm
at right angles to the body,
hold the point of the blade loosely between thumb and first finger; flip
the knife toward the left
with a downward push of the thumb.
Kick 'Em Out.--Place handle of knife flat on palm of left hand with the
blade protruding over the
little finger side; strike blade downward with right hand.
Cop's Club.--Hold knife as for Seven Pennies, but flip toward tosser.
Immediately strike upward
with same hand causing knife to spin in opposite direction.
Tony Chestnut.--Starting at toe place point of blade on end of shoe and
snap away from player.
Repeat same at knee, again at the chest, and then from front part of the
head. The toe may be
elevated and the point of the knife may be placed against thumb when
snapping from chest.
Fingers.--Same as Pennies except that the blade is held between the thumb
and each finger
consecutively and two snaps are made with the first finger and thumb and
one with the second,
third and little fingers.
Johnny Jump the Fence.--Stick knife into ground at an angle and about one
foot away place left
hand with palm toward the knife and little finger touching the ground;
with the right hand strike the
knife up and forward, causing it to go over the left hand or fence and
stick into the ground.
O-U-T Period.--Place point of knife on left wrist and with right thumb
and forefinger on top of
knife snap to ground; at the same time say "0," repeat at elbow and say
"U," repeat at shoulder and
say "T." Make a fist as in "Punch" and place knife along fingernails with
blade toward little finger
side; twist wrist inward quickly and say "period." These last four stunts
must be performed
consecutively in order to complete the game.
Penknife Rules (Short Game):
Front.--Same as Long Game.
Back.--Same as Long Game.
Punch.--Same as Long Game.
Rabbit's Ears.--Extend index and little fingers; hold the second and
third fingers closed with
thumb; rest knife on extended fingers with blade toward thumb side; stick
knife into ground with
inward twist of wrist.
Snaps.--Same as Long Game.
Five Pennies.--Same as Long Game except five flips are made in succession
instead of seven.
Slice the Ham --With the left palm toward the player place point of knife
against the thick of the
hand near the little finger side, handle of knife toward the thumb side
of hand. With right
forefinger and thumb end of the handle pull the knife toward the
contestant.
Lady Dives.--Same as Long Game.
Shave the Peg.--Same as Long Game.
Cut Right.--Same as Long Game.
Cut Left.--Same as Long Game.
O-U-T Period.--Same as Long Game.
Mason and Mitchell, Active Games and Contests.
GAMES OF THE BASKETBALL TYPE
Basketball for Women
Playground, Gymnasium
Senior High School to Adults
Basketball for women developed out of the men's game and was first played at Smith College. The game resembles closely the men's game but has several important changes designed to cut down running, make the game less strenuous, and prevent roughness and personal contact. The details of the rules can be obtained from the standard rule books.
Two types of courts are used depending on the space available - the two-division and the three-division court. The official size of the three-division court is ninety feet long by forty-five feet wide for college players, and seventy feet long by thirty-five feet wide for high schools. If the court is seventy feet or more in length, it is divided into three equal divisions by cross lines parallel to the end lines, as shown in Figure 8o. If the court is less than seventy feet long, it is divided into two equal parts by one division line. These division lines are twelve inches wide. The trend at the present is toward the two-court game, regardless of the size of the court.
The teams consist of not less than six nor more than nine players. The six-player team is standard. In the three-division game of six players, each team consists of two centers, two guards, and two forwards. In the two division game of six players, each team consists of three forwards and three guards, any one of the forwards being designated to serve as center. The players are not permitted to leave their divisions during play. Centers and guards in the three-division court may not throw for the basket, nor may guards in the two-division court.
The game may be started either by toss-up as in the boy's game, or by a center-throw, the teams agreeing on which method they prefer. In the center-throw method, the referee hands or throws the ball to the center entitled to it and blows the whistle as soon as she is certain that the center holds the ball. Each quarter starts with a play at center unless a foul has been committed during the intermission.
The ball may be either thrown or bounced from player to player, but may not be rolled, kicked, hit with the fist, or handed to another player. In catching the ball, two hands are necessary to secure it, but when caught it may be retained with one hand only and thrown with one hand. In addition to bouncing and throwing the ball to another player, a player may bounce the ball once and catch it again herself, called dribbling. A player may also juggle the ball once, that is, toss it in the air and catch it again herself. A bounce cannot follow a juggle, and vice versa.
In not allowing the ball to be rolled on the floor, to be handed to a team mate, or to be bounced against the floor more than once, the girls' rules place restrictions on advancing the ball. There is no dribble in the sense that boys use it. Another limitation that is not included in boys' rules is that the player must throw the ball within three seconds after receiving it. There are also special restrictions to prevent struggling for the ball, such as not permitting a player to place a hand on the ball when an opponent holds it. The violations and fouls are similar to those in the boys' game except that the above restrictions are labeled either as violations or fouls and that the player must throw the ball within three seconds after receiving it. There are also special restrictions to prevent struggling for the ball, such as not permitting a player to place a hand on the ball when an opponent holds it.
The violations and fouls are similar to those in the boys' game, or by a center-throw, the teams agreeing on which method they prefer. In the center-throw method, the referee hands or throws the ball to the center entitled to it and blows the whistle as soon as she is certain that the center holds the ball. Each quarter starts with a play at game except that the above restrictions are labeled either as violations or fouls and penalized accordingly. Following a foul, the free-throw must be made by one of the players playing forward at the time the foul was made.
The length of the game is the same as for senior-high-school
boys.
Links to Women's Athletics at South Kingstown High School
Making paper dolls kept children entertained in a world without
television.
The Providence Journal, 12/7/41.
