Ball & Scoop Games

Jai Alai games are played on a three-walled court.

The combination of a ball that is thrown and a scooping element, used to catch the ball then toss it again, is used in a variety of sports and games. Ranging from simple children's toys to full-contact team sports, the ball and scoop combination requires a unique style of coordination not found in basic ball sports.

Jai Alai

Jai Alai is a fast-paced sport played by throwing a ball against a wall in teams. The players all hold a long scooped device known as a cesta, which they use to catch the ball and throw it back off of the wall again. The ball is not allowed to be held or cradled in the cesta, rather it must be caught and thrown out again in one fluid motion to make the throw legal.

Lacrosse

Lacrosse players wield sticks topped with plastic heads with mesh bodies that they use to catch and throw a small rubber ball around the field in an effort to get it near the goal and past the opposing goalie. Players can run with the ball in their stick, using a rotational movement of the wrists to prevent the ball from being dislodged by the opposing team, which can use their sticks to hit the stick of the player with the ball and, in the men's game, their bodies to knock the ball free.

Ball and Cup

Ball and cup is a simple toy for children which allows for early development of the same hand-eye coordination that the fast-paced lacrosse and Jai Alai require from adults. A cup with a handle is held by the player and a ball is attached to the bottom of the handle with a string. The child swings the cup forward to cause the ball to swing out and up then attempts to catch it in the cup.

Toy Versions

For smaller children who are too old to play with the ball and cup but still too young to participate in full games of the adult sports there are toy variations on the adult games available. Small lacrosse sticks, known as fiddlesticks, can be bought along with soft foam balls that teach the fundamentals of the game, while plastic scoops similar to Jai Alai cestas are also available.

References

• Jai Alai: How to Play
• US Lacrosse: Official Page
• Victoriana: Cup and Ball