Murder Ball
This was a kind of 'Tag' game, played by hurling a tennis ball at someone's head from shockingly short range to make them 'it'.
As throws from behind were perfectly legal, it was quite possible not to realise you were playing until you felt a stunning blow to your occipital.
It was soon decided that tennis balls simply weren't murderous enough, and so they were replaced firstly by cricket balls, which themselves were succeded (on account of not having 'enough corners') by large cubes of solid pine stolen from the woodwork room.
Luckily, the game was outlawed before someone took the decision that lumps of timber simply weren't 'Ninja throwing star-y enough'.
As throws from behind were perfectly legal, it was quite possible not to realise you were playing until you felt a stunning blow to your occipital.
It was soon decided that tennis balls simply weren't murderous enough, and so they were replaced firstly by cricket balls, which themselves were succeded (on account of not having 'enough corners') by large cubes of solid pine stolen from the woodwork room.
Luckily, the game was outlawed before someone took the decision that lumps of timber simply weren't 'Ninja throwing star-y enough'.
written by An*y M*ns*, approved by Susan
The climax of Murder Ball - for the loser - was often the 'Tunnel of Death'. Everyone playing would stand facing a wall, with their arms forming the roof of the tunnel. The loser would then have to crawl through while everyone kicked the shit out of him, while somberly intoning 'Tunnel of Death, Tunnel of Death, Tunnel of Death'.
No-one ever died in the Tunnel of Death. Some wished they had.
No-one ever died in the Tunnel of Death. Some wished they had.
written by St* Chai*ey, approved by Conor
We played a variant called "Roller Balloon", due to a very tenuous similarity to Rollerball.
Basically, you all sit in a circle and pat a balloon to each other. The person who allows the balloon to touch the floor gets the shit kicked out of them by everyone else. This game is interesting more for its combination of the frankly rather gay activity of patting a balloon with ultra-butch macho hitting.
Can also be played with a kinder egg.
Basically, you all sit in a circle and pat a balloon to each other. The person who allows the balloon to touch the floor gets the shit kicked out of them by everyone else. This game is interesting more for its combination of the frankly rather gay activity of patting a balloon with ultra-butch macho hitting.
Can also be played with a kinder egg.
written by excluded pupil, approved by Matt
of a similar vein to murder ball, dot (or doc, I cant remember which) took place in the lined out netball courts. with a tennis ball kicked toward you, you either kept it in or hoped someone else was nearer, as if you were the nearest to the ball before it went "out" you had to run for the edge of the plaground (den?) before being pummeled to within an inch of your life. the ball was also thrown at you at this point. Cheers then.
written by Ne*l Bu*ler, left hanging by Edward
Our school witnessed the practicing of several games along a similar lines to murder ball. I had two which were particular favourites.
“Join the Crew” was played across an entire year (c. 100, all boys) and the whole school grounds, you did not have to have been informed that a game was in progress to be “in play”. It basically consisted of the hardest guy in the year chasing down anyone else in his year and beating them until they succumbed and screamed “join the crew”, they then formed a team and went around persecuting similarly innocent individuals. An oft used tactic was to surrender before the attackers had reached you, however, this inevitably resulted in a much more brutal kicking.
The second game was so beautifully simple that it was never even named. Our school had several large areas of steep grass banks, 4 people would grab a friend or classmate (one per limb) and simply throw them down the bank. Frequently someone would miss the slope and land on the stones and debris beneath thus rendering them incapable of most movement for the rest of the day.
“Join the Crew” was played across an entire year (c. 100, all boys) and the whole school grounds, you did not have to have been informed that a game was in progress to be “in play”. It basically consisted of the hardest guy in the year chasing down anyone else in his year and beating them until they succumbed and screamed “join the crew”, they then formed a team and went around persecuting similarly innocent individuals. An oft used tactic was to surrender before the attackers had reached you, however, this inevitably resulted in a much more brutal kicking.
The second game was so beautifully simple that it was never even named. Our school had several large areas of steep grass banks, 4 people would grab a friend or classmate (one per limb) and simply throw them down the bank. Frequently someone would miss the slope and land on the stones and debris beneath thus rendering them incapable of most movement for the rest of the day.
written by an*ny*ous*use*, deleted by Rosy
A similar game from Australia involved throwing a tennis ball against high wall from which there were three outcomes:
1. Catch the ball, then re-throw.
2. Drop the ball, then attempt to run to a designated point, during this time other players administer mild to heavy beatings.
3. Deflect the ball onto some poor, unsuspecting sod infront of you; That person must run to the designated point while being beaten.
1. Catch the ball, then re-throw.
2. Drop the ball, then attempt to run to a designated point, during this time other players administer mild to heavy beatings.
3. Deflect the ball onto some poor, unsuspecting sod infront of you; That person must run to the designated point while being beaten.
written by an*nymo*s u*er, deleted by Jamie
picture a chain of students, rotating on a central axis so the ones at the end experience the effects of increasing "G" forces. Put a catholic school vicar as the central pivot, and increase the chain length to 20 or so pupils.
Rotate at an increasing speed with the class fatboy at the end and watch him get thrown towards the playground walls / floor when the increased "G" results in adhesion of the linking hands being broken.
As the chain becomes shorter... the "G" forces increase until the end person is "thrown" off the chain.
... And they said Catholic Schools were safe places for kids !!!
Rotate at an increasing speed with the class fatboy at the end and watch him get thrown towards the playground walls / floor when the increased "G" results in adhesion of the linking hands being broken.
As the chain becomes shorter... the "G" forces increase until the end person is "thrown" off the chain.
... And they said Catholic Schools were safe places for kids !!!
written by Ja*on V, deleted by Rosy
Our version consisted of throwing a ball as far as possible, the entire group (of boys, natch) would chase after it. The first person to grab the ball until the rest of the pack had forcibly removed it with as mcuh force and pile-ons as possible.
The person who wrestled it from the first subject then became it. Repeat 'til fade...
On reflection, I don't understand why anyone ever picked up the ball in the first place given the inevitable beating...
The person who wrestled it from the first subject then became it. Repeat 'til fade...
On reflection, I don't understand why anyone ever picked up the ball in the first place given the inevitable beating...
written by El*pet* Ingr*te, deleted by Jamie