KNUCKLEBONES
This Jacks game is usually played with sheep's knucklebones.
You need a set of five knucklebones to play the game.
There are lots of steps in the game, starting with
'Plains'. The steps get harder as you move through them.
Before you start to do each step, choose your playing
piece (your 'taw') by jockeying.
How to Jockey
1. Hold all five jacks in your hand. Throw
them up, turn your hand over quickly and catch as many as you can
on the back of your hand.
It's easier to catch them if you spread your fingers
a little bit.
2. Throw them up again from the back of your
hand, turn your hand over quickly and catch as many as you can in
your palm.
3. Choose one of the jacks in your hand to
be your taw the one you throw in the air. Put aside the others
you caught theyıre out of the game for now. If you only caught
one, that becomes your taw.
4. Continue with the step youıre doing.
STEPS FOR PLAYING KNUCKEBONES
Plains
Ones: Jockey to choose your taw. Throw up
your taw, quickly pick up one jack from the ground and catch your
taw again all with the same hand.
If successful, keep your taw and put the other
jack aside. Pick up one jack at a time until all have been picked
up. Then go on to Twos. Sweeps allowed.
Twos: Pick up two jacks at a time. Sweeps
allowed.
(If there are three jacks on the ground, pick up
two first and then one. This applies to all steps - the correct
number of jacks are picked up first.)
Threes: Pick up three jacks, then one. Sweeps
allowed.
Fours: Pick up all four jacks together. Sweeps
allowed.
Scatters
Instead of jockeying, scatter the jacks on the ground
and pick up a taw without 'tipping' (moving any of the other jacks).
Do the same steps as in Plains. No sweeps allowed.
When you get up to Scatter Fours, you can quickly
call out "Dumps", and this lets you dump all five jacks in a pile
on the ground instead of scattering them.
Choose a taw from the pile without 'tipping'. Throw
up your taw, pick up all four jacks at once, and catch your taw
again.
But if another player calls out "No Dumps" first,
you have to scatter the jacks and pick them all up together from
where they land. No sweeps allowed.
Friends
Played the same as Scatters, except that one of
the other players is allowed to act as a friend, and choose a taw
for you which will be easy to pick up without 'tipping'.
Enemies
Played the same as Scatters, except that one of
the other players chooses a taw for you which is hard to pick up
without 'tipping'.
Dumps
Instead of jockeying, dump the jacks in a pile,
choose a taw from the pile without 'tipping', throw it up and pick
up the rest all together.
You have to quickly say "Dumps" as you put them
down, otherwise someone else can say "Breaks" first, then they are
allowed to hit the pile and scatter the jacks, making it really
hard for you to pick them all up together.
Colour Dumps
This step is played using different coloured jacks.
Dump the jacks in a heap on the ground. Choose one for your taw,
as in Dumps. The remaining jacks are picked up one at a time, but
the colour of each one must be called out first.
If you want to make this step harder, one of the
other players can call out the colours, and you must pick them up
as she calls them out.
Clicks
Played the same as Plains Ones, but when the jacks
are caught, they must click together in your hand.
No Clicks
Played the same as Plains Ones, but when the jacks
are caught, there must be no click at all.
Little Jingles
Jockey to choose your taw. Pick up the jacks from
the ground and scatter them. Proceed the same as for Scatter Ones,
but each jack picked up must be held in your playing hand until
all have been picked up.
Big Jingles
Jockey. Keep holding all the jacks you have caught.
Throw them all up as taws, pick up one jack from the ground, and
catch all the others.
Each jack you pick up becomes a taw, and is thrown
up with the others. Repeat until all jacks have been picked up.
Juggles
Jockey to choose your taw. Throw up your taw, pick
up one jack and throw it straight into the air, catch your taw and
then catch the other jack. Repeat until all jacks have been picked
up.
Horse in the Stable
Jockey to choose your taw. Put the tips of the fingers
of your other hand on the ground, to make four arches or 'stables'.
If you have caught any extra jacks, place them inside different
stables.
The remaining 'horses' must be swept across and
into the empty stables - a different stable for each horse. Throw
up your taw, sweep one of the remaining jacks across and into one
of the empty stables. You can sweep as many times as you like. When
all horses are inside, take your hand away, throw the taw up, pick
up all the horses together and catch the taw.
Through the Arch
Jockey to choose your taw. Put the tips of the index
finger and thumb of your other hand on the ground, to make a wide
arch.
Throw your taw up, sweep one of the jacks across
and through the arch with a single sweep, and catch your taw. Repeat
until all jacks have gone through the arch. When all jacks are through,
take your hand away, throw the taw up, pick up all the jacks together
and catch the taw.
Over the Line
Jockey to choose your taw, then place your other
hand flat on the ground. This is the line. If you have caught any
extra jacks, place them together on the other side of the line.
Throw up your taw, pick up a jack and place it with
the others over the line, then catch your taw. Repeat until all
jacks are over the line, then take your hand away, throw up your
taw, pick up all the jacks together and catch your taw.
Over the Jump
Played the same way as Over the Line, but your other
hand is placed vertically, with the little finger touching the ground,
to make the high jump.
Thread the Needle
Played the same way as Over the Line, but the jacks
must be dropped through a circle made by the index finger and thumb
of your other hand.
Some players rest the hand on the ground, and others
hold it about 10 inches off the ground (approx. 25cm).
Granny's False Teeth
In this step, Granny's 'false teeth' are pulled
out. Place four jacks in the spaces between the fingers of your
resting hand and hold them there. Place your hand on the ground.
Throw up your taw, take a 'tooth' from between the
fingers and catch the taw. Throw up the taw again, put the tooth
down on the ground, catch the taw. Do this for each of the teeth.
When all four are together on the floor, throw up the taw, pick
them all up and catch the taw again.
Catching Flies
Played the same way as Scatter Ones, but the taw
must be caught using a quick downward snatching movement, instead
of landing in your palm.
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RULES FOR KNUCKLEBONES:
1. You're only allowed to use one hand to
jockey, pick up and catch the jacks and do sweeps.
2. After you complete one step, move on to
the next and keep going until you drop a jack or make a mistake.
3. When you jockey, some of the jacks will
fall to the ground. Donıt move them. You have to pick them up from
where they fall, unless the step you're doing allows you to pick
them up.
4. The more jacks you catch when jockeying,
the better. If you donıt catch any, it's the next player's turn.
If you manage to catch all five jacks in your hand you get a bonus
youıre allowed to skip the step youıre doing and go straight
on to the next one.
5. In some steps, you can do sweeps
this means brushing the jacks closer to each other with your fingers,
to make them easier to pick up. Throw up your taw, sweep a jack
closer, catch your taw. You can sweep as many times as you like
until the jacks are close enough to pick up, but you have to catch
the taw each time you sweep. If you drop the taw you lose your turn.
JACKS TERMS:
TAW = the main playing jack the one
you throw up in the air.
JOCKEY = one of the ways to choose your taw.
SWEEPS = brushing the jacks along the floor
with your fingers.
TIPPING = accidentally making a jack move
when you're not meant to.
SCATTERS = scattering the jacks on the floor
DUMPS = dumping the jacks in a little pile
NO DUMPS = you have to scatter the jacks
instead of dumping them
BREAKS = hitting a dumped pile of jacks to
scatter them
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