Hopscotch Rules

The history of Hopscotch can be dated back to 1677. As said, it is one of the most fancied games enjoyed by children. It is a hopping game which can be played on a bare patch of ground or on a floor indoors. For the game to be played, what is needed is a hopscotch pattern, also known as a court to be made on the playing spot. The court can be scratched out in the ground or drawn with a chalk on a sidewalk. The design of the court may vary, but it usually consists of a series of linear squares. These squares are interspersed with blocks of two lateral squares. The blocks may be marked by numbers counting from 1-10 depending upon the number of blocks. The last block is marked as 'Home' or 'Safe' (it's an optional block).

Rules to Be Followed in Hopscotch

Apart from the court, you would also need what is known as a puck. A puck can be a stone, a coin or bean bag. This is basically the marker which the player has to toss into the square where he intends to hop.

The game starts with the player tossing the puck into the first square. It has to be ensured that the puck does not touch the boundary of the square or bounce out of it. Failing to do so, lets the other player take his/her turn.

Now, after the puck has been placed in the first square, the player needs to hop over the first square, leaving the puck where it is. According to Hopscotch rules, single blocks must be hoped on using one foot. For side by side squares, the player is allowed to hop on with his/her left foot landing on the left square and his/her right one landing on the right square. In this way, the player has to complete the sequence.

For instance, if the court has been marked from number 1-9 (with 10 as the 'Home'), then he must hop till he reaches block 9. He can hop in block 10 in any manner and there would be no penalty as this is considered as neutral square. Thereafter, the player must turn around and make his/her way back from where he started. Upon reaching square 2, he has to pick up the puck, hop in the square 1 and come out of the court. To continue the game, in the same fashion, the player must toss the puck into the block 2 and hop in square 1 and then to three, leaving the block 2 and so on.

Another hopscotch rule says that a player must always hop over the square which contains the puck. The first person to complete the sequence for every numbered square on the court is the winner. The player who loses his/her chance will continue playing from the point he last left off.

A player is out of the game or loses his/her chance if he...

• Steps on a line
• Misses a square
• Hops on the block containing the puck
• Touches the ground with his/her hands
• Lands with both the feet on a single block

Before I conclude, here are some forms of hopscotch which are played across the globe.

• Spain - Rayuela
• Poland - Klasy
• Latin America - Golosa
• Italy - Mondo
• Malaysia - Tengteng
• Mexico - Bebeleche
• Brazil - Amarelinha

I 'hop' this article has been able to help you with getting a hold of hopscotch rules, which are of course pretty simple to follow. So, get a chalk, your lucky puck and enjoying hoping on the squares!