Hobbies And Interests
History of Marbles
The earliest mention of the game of marbles has been discovered in Roman and Egyptian literature from the Roman Empire. Marbles have been discovered in Roman and Egyptian archeological sites.
Marble Features
Marbles are very distinctive. Marbles are small round balls constructed of glass, marble, stone, wood or clay.
Geography
Marbles are played worldwide. Rules for games vary depending on the location in which you are playing, so it is always a good idea to review game rules before entering a competition. Two key terms in marble competitions are "for fair", which means all marbles are returned to the original owners at the end of the contest, and "for keeps", which means the winner keeps all marbles won during the game.
Marble Terms
"Alleys" defines the best marbles in a collection.
"Taw" or "Shooter" is the term used for the marble that is being used in play by a player.
"Fulking" is a method of shooting a marble, the most common used by most players. Noticeable as the index finger knuckle is set on the ground and the bent finger is where the marble rests; the thumb is held behind the index finger and is moved forward, forcefully, to push the marble into the competition ring.
"Knuckling Down" is a shooting position in which the back of the hand lays against the ground, the marble is balanced on the tip of the forefinger and forced into play by the thumb. While difficult to master, this shooting style can be more accurate.
Marble Rules
A basic game of marbles takes place in a ring that is either drawn or painted six feet in diameter. The game is played by two opposing teams that can consist of one or more players on each team and 49 marbles in the center of the ring. Each team's objective is to knock the opposing team's marbles out of the center of the ring while keeping their "shooters" inside the ring. As long as the player's "shooter" remains within the circle and the opposing team's marbles are knocked out, play continues. The initial player's turn continues until his "shooter" fails to knock a marble out of the ring or leaves the ring itself. At that time, the opposing team takes over and play continues in the same fashion. The game ends when all marbles have been knocked out of the ring; the team with the most marbles wins the game.