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Knucklebones

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Knucklebones (Jacks)

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.

 

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