it will be 26 inches long.  One end of the sapling is whittled fiat on one side for a sufficient length to be bent round to the shaft or handle so as to form the rim of the circular receptacle which is to receive the ball.  Sometimes both sides of this bent portion of the sapling are made flat.  The end of this flat end where it curls round upon the shaft or handle must be bound firmly to the shaft with thongs or heavy twine.  Holes are sometimes bored through the rim and the thongs or twine are passed through them and woven into a loose netting to form a bottom to the coiled end, making a shallow cup-shaped receptacle in which to catch or hold the ball.  The rackets are not difficult to make.  Each lad should make his own racket and mark the stem with some device by which he can identify it should he drop it during the play.  Care should be taken when making the racket to have the cup-shaped receptacle at the end of the shaft of such size as to hold the ball without its rolling about, in which case it would be easily dropped when being carried on a run; yet it must be large enough to catch and hold the ball as it is flying about.  The players should be divided into two parties by casting lots.  Those who belong to the east goal should wear red head-bands; those who have the west goal should wear yellow head-bands.  An Umpire must be selected.  The ball must strike one of the goal posts to make a point; the number of points that shall constitute the game should be agreed upon.  Two players, one from each side, stand near each goal.  One helps the ball for his side; the other hinders the ball when near the goal by tossing it back into the field again so that his side may catch it.

THE GAME

The four players stand at their posts beside the two goals; all the others gather in the field.  The Umpire takes the ball and goes to a place as near the center of the field as possible.  All being in readiness, he throws the ball with force straight up in the air.  Every player watches the ball and makes ready to try and catch it in his racket when it descends.  If one succeeds in catching the ball, he runs at full speed toward his goal, holding his racket so that the ball will not fall out.  The other players rush after him, trying to strike his racket and dislodge the ball.  If he is hard pressed he may try to toss the ball to a player on his side who has a clearer space; if the ball is caught by the player to whom it was sent, then all the players turn upon the new holder of the ball and try to block his progress.  In this game care must be taken never to strike the arm or body of a player; only the racket should be struck.  There is danger of receiving injuries if this rule is not strictly observed.

Perhaps one of the most difficult feats in this game is when a player has brought his ball near to the goal to so turn his racket while it holds the ball as to send the ball with such force that it will strike the post squarely and not miss the goal.  The difficulty is owing to the horizontal position of the racket when holding the ball.  Of course, the keenest playing is about the goal, where the guard of the side opposite to the player does his best to catch the ball on its way to the post and send it back into the field.