Sport X is played between two teams of eleven players. Four of these must have sufficient sight to follow a football, and are called Fielders, the remaining seven need have no sight, are termed Runners, and are numbered 1 to 7 and play in that order.
The ground consists of a field about 80 yards by 40 yards surrounded by a wide path of gravel or other hard surfacing, and crossed by two small paths about 25 yards from either end. By the centre of these small paths stands a basket, and at either end of the ground is a “home” or “‘base” and a basket for tapping to help give direction to the runners. The Runners collect at their respective “homes” and the Fielders pair off with their opponents in open field as in netball. The teams wear distinctive colours, e.g., Red and Blue.
The game is started by the umpire calling Red No. 1, and this player then comes forward to the centre of the small path and takes the football; on the whistle she throws it into the field in any direction and begins to run down the centre of the field to the opposite small path. She continues to run between the small paths as long as the Fielders can keep the ball in play, thus scoring runs. The Fielders on the Red side keep the ball in play by batting it with one hand or kicking it away from their opponents in any part of the field – the Blue Fielders endeavour to pick up the ball with two hands and place it in their basket, when the whistle stops play, and the Runner No. 1 returns to the “home” towards which she is facing. During this play remaining members of the Red team start to run round the outside track, scoring one each time they pass a “base.” They stop on the whistle, stepping off the track to wait on the outer edge for their next turn, when they continue on round from that point. As they have to be back at their base when their number is called, Nos. 2 and 3 usually remain at their base until after their throw.
The Fielders re-form at the opposite end and Blue No. 1 is called and the Blue Runners score round the track and the Red Fielders endeavour to pick the ball up and put it into the basket at their end. No. 2 Red is then called and so on alternately both on the field and on the track.
Should a Runner succeed in running 4 times between the small paths, the whistle stops play, and 6 is added to the Field score instead of 4.
Should the ball when thrown reach the side track beyond the half-way mark without being touched by a fielder, it is called a boundary throw and 3 is added to the Field score without being run, and all the Runners on the track at the time may continue on to the next ” home.” The Runner scoring on the field should be given the right of way between the small paths, the fielders being penalised for obstructing her, one point being taken from the score of the offending team.
Should the ball roll off the field on the side track at any point the whistle stops play. If it went off a Fielder of the scoring side, the whistle stops play. If it went off a Fielder of the scoring side, the score on the field for that turn is cancelled; if it went off the opposite side, the Runner is given the run she was completing as well as those she had scored.
The ball used is an Association Football size 5, though size 4 can be used. During play a tapping sound is kept up at either “home” to help the Runner keep a straight course. The game is usually played 15 minutes each half, the second half continuing in order where the game was stopped.
