How Is Marbles Played?
Kids enjoy finding and collecting marbles in a variety of styles--cat's-eye, solid, metallic, speckled and swirled -- and playing marbles is a quick, if risky, way to win more. Generations of children have played marbles on sidewalks and playground blacktops. The game of marbles has dozens of variations, and once you learn the basic rules you can customize the game to suit your needs.
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Things You'll Need
- Measuring tape
- Sidewalk chalk, stick or string
- Straight edge
- Shooter marbles, one for each player
- 13 target marbles (mibs and kimmies)
Instructions
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Talk with other players beforehand to decide whether to play "keepsies" or "friendlies." Playing keepsies means that players keep the marbles they win, even if they belonged to another player. Playing friendlies means that everyone gets their original marbles back after the game is over. Deciding beforehand will prevent hurt feelings and arguments later.
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2
Find a smooth, level, spacious surface on the ground to play on. This can be a blacktop, sidewalk, rug, concrete floor, smooth dirt or clay surface.
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3
Measure and draw a circle 10 feet in diameter. There should be at least 1 foot of space all around the circle. You may make a smaller circle depending on how much space is available. Draw the circle with chalk on hard outside surfaces, or draw with a stick if playing on dirt. If playing inside, make a circle with a thin thread or string that won't block the movement of marbles.
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4
Draw a straight line tangent to one side of the circle and a parallel line on the opposite side of the circle. Players will shoot from behind one line toward the opposite line.
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Lag to decide who gets the first shot. To lag, players stand or crouch right behind one line and toss or shoot a shooter marble toward the opposite line. The player who gets closest to the opposite line plays first. Shooter marbles (also called taw or boss marbles) are larger than target marbles. According to tournament rules, shooters mustn't be made of metal and must be between ½ inch and 3/4 inch in diameter.
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Arrange 13 target marbles in a symmetrical cross in the center of the circle. One line of the cross should be parallel to the two tangent lines, and the second line of the cross should be perpendicular to the tangent lines. If possible, use target marbles that are identical in size. Now it is player one's turn to shoot.
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Crouch, sit or kneel behind the line and shoot a shooter marble toward the target marbles. To shoot, hold the marble in one hand with your knuckles facing the ground, with at least one knuckle touching the ground. Pinch the shooter in your index finger with your thumb bent above it. Flick your thumb to propel the marble. The goal is to knock a marble out of the circle in any direction. If you knock a marble out of the circle, you may collect the marble and shoot again. If the shooter stopped inside the ring after knocking a marble out, you may enter the ring and shoot the shooter from the stopping point. If you enter the circle for any other reason, you must pay a penalty of one marble. If you don't knock out any marbles, your turn is over. If you shoot the shooter out of the circle without knocking marbles out, your turn is over. If the shooter stopped inside the ring without hitting any marbles out, you must leave the shooter where it is. It is now the next player's turn.
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8
Crouch, sit or kneel behind the line and shoot the shooter marble toward the target marble or marbles of your choice. If another player's shooter is inside the ring, you may aim for the shooter instead. If you knock out the shooter, collect all the marbles that the shooter's owner earned. He is now out of the game. Other than that, all rules in the previous step apply to player two and all other players.
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9
Continue playing until only one player remains or until there are no more marbles left in the ring. The player with the most marbles at the end of the game is the winner.
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References
- Photo Credit Peter Macdiarmid/Getty Images News/Getty Images
