Traditional Schoolyard Bouncing Ball Games

Wall Ball

• This is a game for four or more players. You need a large flat wall to throw the ball against. One player starts by throwing the ball against the wall. The other players allow the ball to bounce once before trying to catch it. If a player drops or touches the ball without catching it cleanly he must run to the wall and touch it before another player has time to catch the ball and throw it at the wall. If the ball hits the wall before the player, that player is given a "strike." After three strikes, a player is out of the game.

Four Square

• Four Square is played on a square court and is a game for four players. The traditional court is a square measuring 16 feet by 16 feet which is broken up into four 8 feet by 8 feet squares. The squares are numbered from 1 to 4, with 4 being the highest ranked. Painted courts can be found in many playgrounds, or drawn out by the players in chalk. The object of the game is to eliminate players and move up the ranks to occupy the highest square. The player in square 4 serves the ball by bouncing it in her square once then hitting it with her hand into square 1. After a single bounce in her square that player must then hit the ball into any other square. Play continues until a player lets the ball bounce twice, hits the ball out of the court or hits the ball before it bounces. That player is then eliminated. The other players all advance to fill the highest ranked squares. If other players are waiting, the next in line joins play in square 1. If there are only 4 players, the eliminated player returns to square 1.

Dodgeball

• Dodgeball is played by two teams who aim to eliminate players from the opposing team by throwing a bouncy ball and hitting them. The game is played on a rectangular court with a center line, with one team on each side. One team starts by throwing the ball and trying to hit a player from the other team. If the ball hits a player below the head, that player is out. If a player catches the ball, the thrower is out. If the ball bounces before hitting anyone, no one is out. The player who retrieves the ball then has a turn to throw it at the other team. A team wins by eliminating all the players from the opposing team.

O'Leary

• O'Leary is a traditional chanting game that can be played alone. The player chants the following rhyme while performing a series of motions bouncing a ball against a wall: "One, two, three, O'Leary, four, five, six, O'Leary, seven, eight, nine, O'Leary, ten, O'Leary, postman." The actions are: throw the ball under the right leg against the wall and catch it; do the same with the left leg; bounce it off the ground under the right, then left, leg and catch it; bounce it off the wall and catch it in the right, then left, hand with the index finger and thumb joined to make a circle; bounce it against the wall and spin to the right, then left, before catching it.