Friggat

Friggat was created by members of Obscure Games in the fall of 2009. It has been updated and improved by other members of Obscure Games since then, most recently, in June 2011. The game draws inspiration from baseball, cricket, and Over the Line.

Equipment

One Foxtail, at least 6 cones for marking bases and boundaries.

Playing Space

Ideally, a baseball field. In the absence of a baseball field, a home plate should be marked, with the field spanning 45 degrees to the left and right of home (equivalent to the foul lines on a baseball field).

A base is placed 25 single paces (about 70 feet) from home plate, straight up center field. The left and right boundaries of the field should be an equal distance from the base, measured by the line perpendicular to the line connecting home plate and the base. The base lines are the lines running through each base, perpendicular to the line connecting the two bases. A rear boundary to the field should be designated. The width or depth of the field may be adjusted based on the number of players in the game.

If the field does not already have a physical boundary on the sides of the home plate area (e.g. a batting cage), a boundary should be placed 12 feet to the left and right of home plate.

Number of Players

Two teams with 3-5 players per team.

Rules

A game consists of innings, during which each team gets an opportunity on offense and defense, where each team's turn consists of 3 outs. At the start of a team's turn on offense, two players are selected as runners/throwers and one is positioned on each of the two bases. Additionally, a pitcher is selected. No player may be a runner/thrower a second (or third...) time until everybody else has already been a runner/thrower once (or twice...).

The pitcher pitches the foxtail to the runner at home plate by bouncing the foxtail on the ground such that it can be played by the thrower. The pitcher is permitted to pitch by the ball. A pitch must bounce once and only once to be valid. An invalid pitch counts as a strike.

The thrower must throw the foxtail in one swift motion, grabbing the foxtail (by the tail, not the ball!) and propelling it forward. Once touching the foxtail, the thrower's arm must only move forward. If the thrower's arm moves backward after touching the foxtail, or if the foxtail is thrown by the ball, a strike is awarded. A strike is also assessed if the thrower fails to throw the foxtail or if it is thrown foul. A thrower is out if 3 strikes are awarded.

Once the foxtail is thrown, both runners (at home plate and the other base) must begin running toward the opposite baseline. Each time both runners successfully run to the opposite baseline, a run is awarded. Runners may score multiple runs on a play. The objective of the defense is to throw the ball through the goal around home plate. If the ball is thrown into the goal while one or both runners is not safe (where any runner who is at or beyond the respective baseline is safe), an out is assessed and any runs scored on the play are nullified. If neither runner is safe, only one out is assessed, but the defense may choose which runner should be out.

When a player is called out, that player becomes the next pitcher and another player on the team is chosen as a replacement for the out player.

A thrower is also called out if the defense catches the foxtail by the tail. If the defense catches the foxtail by the ball, a strike is called and the play is dead. The runners return to their previous locations.

If the thrower throws the foxtail beyond the rear boundary of the field, 8 runs are scored and the runners return to their previous positions.

If the defense throws the foxtail out of play such that it goes out of play in the outfield (or beyond the far base if not playing on a baseball field), 4 additional runs are awarded to the offense. If the foxtail is thrown out of play in the infield (e.g. from a missed throw toward the goal), or if a runner is struck by the foxtail while not safe, the runners may finish scoring the current run (if one or both runners is not safe) and one additional run will be awarded.

The defense must not throw the foxtail by the ball or impede the progress of the runners. Throwing the foxtail by the ball or interfering with the runners counts the same as if the foxtail were thrown out of play, the number of extra runs depending on where the foxtail is on the field at the time of the interference or illegal throw.

If any player on the offense intentionally touches the foxtail while it is in play (trying to defend the goal or keep the foxtail away from the defense), an out is automatically assessed. All offensive players except the runners should remain behind home plate at while the play is live. Interfering with the defense counts as an out.