Ball in a cup
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| Ball in a cup | |
|---|---|
 Typical ball in a cup toy. |
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| Players | 1 |
| Age range | 3+ |
| Setup time | None |
| Playing time | About 30 seconds to a few minutes per round. |
| Random chance | Low |
| Skills required | hand-eye coordination; catching |
| A simple game often played by young children. | |
Ball in a Cup is a traditional children's toy, consisting of a wooden cup with a handle, and a ball, which is attached to a string, which is attached to the cup. It is popular in Latin American countries, where it is called balero.
The ball in a cup is a common toy of Latin American countries. The name can change in many countries. In Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, and Mexico, it is called "balero"; in Spain, it is "boliche"; and in Chile, it could be "boliche" or "emboque". Venezuela is where the game has more names such as "boliche", "perinola" and "juego de la coca".[1]
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[edit] Ball in a cup
The ball in a cup (balero) is a ball of 7 centimeters. It is usually made of wood (“cedro”, “sauce”, “álamo”). In the middle of the ball is a hole. The hole can be 4 centimeters deep. The sphere is connected to a large stick by a string of 35 to 40 centimeters. The size of the ball and cup can vary.[1][2]
[edit] History
This game of skill is called in Castellan "bowling". It is popularly known as "balero". The game has its origins in France in the sixteenth century. This game was loved by Enrique III. This frivolous monarch was often seen playing in full public highway. At the death of Enrique III, the game went out of fashion. For 100 years the game was only remembered by some enthusiasts as the Marquis de Biévre, who was known for being clever in this game.
The game had its golden age during the reign of Luis XV. The elegant people came out with their “balero” made of ivory. Actors also sometimes appeared with “balero” in a scene. Then, the game went out of fashion again, at least in Europe. This is important because the “balero” is known in many countries around the world.
Inside Brazil’s rain forest, the indigenous people sometimes utilized the turtle’s skull like the ball for the “balero”.
The game was reborn around 1910 in France.
Some academies were created in order to teach how to play “balero”. The game became more modern. The shape and the size were boring. So they decided to improve both characteristics. Some of the new forms were “the cup”, “the cube”, “the bottle”, “the hat’s mold”, “the bicycle’s guide”, “feather duster”, etc. The names of the shapes made reference to the object used as the ball.
Also, the sizes were varied. These were from the “horror”, which ball was as big as a watermelon and has a weight of 5kg.To the “Bibí” one, it is ball was as little as a cherry and the “costaud” it was made by a little pearl and a handle smaller than a match.[3]
[edit] Game play
Playing "ball in a cup" seems to be very easy, but sometimes requires many hours of practice. To play "ball in a cup" the player has to take the stick and let the ball free fall. The player then has to toss the ball upward by jerking the arm holding the toy. The main goal of the game is to put the ball in the cup. There are several styles of gameplay such as “la simple”, “la doble”, “la vertical”, “and la mariquita”, “la puñalada”, “la porteña”. Some tricks that can be done are “capirucho”, “por atrás”, and “media vuelta”.[1]
[edit] Rules
- The player may not use any body part other than their handle-holding arm to aid in the catching of the ball.
- The player may not purposefully bounce the ball off a body part to change its trajectory.
[edit] Popular culture
This toy was parodied in the episode Marge Be Not Proud from The Simpsons. It was also shown in the episode The Fat Guy Strangler from the American animated television series Family Guy in a humorous interstitial TV commercial featuring the toy, saying it was Mexico's favorite toy for 340 years. The gag was referred to in a later episode, Padre de Familia.
