Game On! Marbles
The Gazette
Dave Philipps
Aug. 4, 2007
Think of marbles as
billiards without the table. It's a game that rewards strategy, skill and being
a hustler.
Where did it start?
It dates back to the ancient Egyptians, who taught it to the Romans, who taught
pretty much everyone else. Marbles became a popular kids game in the
How to play: Rules
vary according to the region. One of the more popular games is called Ringer.
Start by finding a hard, smooth surface (a sidewalk, a patch of dirt, mom's
newly refinished floors) and drawing a circle. Tournament size is 10 feet, but
if you're just starting out, try something smaller. Arrange 13 marbles in an X
in the center of the circle. Then start the game by taking turns shooting at the
marbles from outside the line of the circle. How do you shoot? Most marble sets
come with several small marbles, called mibs, and a larger marble, called a taw
or shooter. Hold the taw between your thumb and forefinger.
Put your hand on the
ground so that the first knuckle of your forefinger touches the surface. Then
flick the taw at the mibs with your thumb.
I missed; now what?
If you shoot and miss, or hit the marbles but don't knock any out of the circle,
your turn is over. The next person goes.
I hit one: If you
knock at least one marble out of the circle but your taw rolls out, your turn is
over, but you keep the marble you knocked out. If you knock one out and your taw
is still in the circle, you get to keep the marble and go again, but you shoot
from where the taw lies.