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The Downside ball game is an outdoor
racquet sport Racket sports (or racquet sports) are games in which players use a Racket (sports equipment), racket or paddle to hit a ball or other object. A racket has a handled frame with an open hoop that supports a network of tightly stretched strings. A pa ...
played by Gregorians at
Downside School Downside School (formally The College of St Gregory the Great, Downside but simply referred to as Downside) is an 11–18 mixed, Roman Catholic, independent, day and boarding school in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, England. It was establish ...
,
Stratton-On-The-Fosse Stratton-on-the-Fosse is a village and civil parish located on the edge of the Mendip Hills, south-west of Westfield, north-east of Shepton Mallet, and from Frome, in Somerset, England. It has a population of 1,108, and has a rural agricult ...
,
Somerset Somerset ( , ), Archaism, archaically Somersetshire ( , , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by the Bristol Channel, Gloucestershire, and Bristol to the north, Wiltshire to the east ...
since 1820. It bears some similarities to
Rugby fives Rugby fives is a handball game, similar to squash, played in an enclosed court. It has similarities with Winchester fives (a form of Wessex fives) and Eton fives. It is played mainly in the United Kingdom. It is most commonly believed to ...
; however, it is played with a solid wooden bat rather than one's hand.


History of the sport

The History of the sport came about from Downside's situation at the time, as there was no room for anything else, there were fewer than sixty boys in the School throughout the 1820s. Abbot Snow, an
Abbot Abbot is an ecclesiastical title given to the head of an independent monastery for men in various Western Christian traditions. The name is derived from ''abba'', the Aramaic form of the Hebrew ''ab'', and means "father". The female equivale ...
of
Downside Abbey Downside Abbey is a Benedictine monastery in England and the senior community of the English Benedictine Congregation. Until 2019, the community had close links with Downside School, for the education of children aged 11 to 18. Both the abbey ...
, once said how
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
, 'not the tactical manoeuvring of backs and forwards, but the rough-and-tumble game of kicking how and when you could' was the favourite sport, together with 'cricket of a sort' and 'handball in the spring'. By the end of the nineteenth century it had become a part of Downside folklore that the term 'handball' was a translation of the generic ` jeu de paume' and referred to a long-popular game known as 'bat and ball' that had come over with Downside from the continent, as evidenced by the very similar game being played at
Ushaw College Ushaw College (formally St Cuthbert's College, Ushaw) is a former Roman Catholic Church, Roman Catholic seminary, which until 2011 was also a Colleges of Durham University#Types of College, licensed hall of residence of Durham University near th ...
which, like Downside, had its origins at
Douai Douai ( , , ; ; ; formerly spelled Douay or Doway in English) is a city in the Nord (French department), Nord département in northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the department. Located on the river Scarpe (rive ...
in
Flanders Flanders ( or ; ) is the Dutch language, Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to culture, la ...
. However, extensive research by the late Dom Lucius Graham OSB has shown that, prior to the building of the present Ball Place, the only version of the game known to Gregorians was not only called 'handball' but was indeed played with the hand. Dom Lucius surmised that the wall's size, and particularly its height, which exceeded the requirements of handball, prompted the introduction of the bat. Certainly, at the time Dom Stephen Rawlinson came as a schoolboy in 1876, both the hand and the bat varieties were in use, though the former seems to have lost favour and vanished, owing, notes a later commentator, to damage to the players' hands. In its heyday, a boy who was good at bat-and-ball 'was as much thought of as a successful
cricketer Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
', but, by the end of the nineteenth century, it, too, was losing favour on the plea that it was 'too much fag' to make the
cork "Cork" or "CORK" may refer to: Materials * Cork (material), an impermeable buoyant plant product ** Stopper (plug), or "cork", a cylindrical or conical object used to seal a container *** Wine cork an item to seal or reseal wine Places Ireland * ...
,
worsted Worsted ( or ) is a high-quality type of wool yarn, the fabric made from this yarn, and a yarn weight category. The name derives from Worstead (from Old English ''Wurðestede'', "enclosure place"), a village in the English county of Norfolk. T ...
and
leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...
balls. A sample of the bat, some 27 inches long with a small broadening at the business end, famous for having been used by
The Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
(later
King Edward VIII Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...
) during his visit to Downside in 1932, is currently on display in the Court of Arches at Downside. The balls are never more than 1½ inches in diameter and the strokes were made with a downward sweep of the arm.


"The Ball Place"

The Wall is a massive structure, some 12 metres high by 30 wide, comprising two playing walls, each with angled wings, and an open-fronted shelter forming a sort of distance-piece between them. It was within a few years of the opening of this grand court that Bat-and-Ball made its appearance. The game can be traced from at least when the Gregorian community made its first purchase of property at
Stratton-on-the-Fosse Stratton-on-the-Fosse is a village and civil parish located on the edge of the Mendip Hills, south-west of Westfield, north-east of Shepton Mallet, and from Frome, in Somerset, England. It has a population of 1,108, and has a rural agricult ...
by a
deed A deed is a legal document that is signed and delivered, especially concerning the ownership of property or legal rights. Specifically, in common law, a deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, affirms or confirms an interest, right ...
dated 25 March 1814, the estate consisted of the building we now know as the Old House, some farm buildings behind it and about one hundred
acres The acre ( ) is a unit of land area used in the British imperial and the United States customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, ...
of farmland. The need for self-sufficiency meant that much of this land had to remain under
agriculture Agriculture encompasses crop and livestock production, aquaculture, and forestry for food and non-food products. Agriculture was a key factor in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created ...
and it was only very gradually that successive fields were taken into use as grounds and pitches. It was inevitable in these circumstances that ball games were largely informal ad hoc pastimes during the various breaks for recreation - and there is a similar version from Douai from which this evolved. There had in fact been no fewer than three ball places at Downside before 1854. The first, put up soon after our arrival in 1814, was roughly at a point just south of the present 'Parrot Cage'. This was probably demolished or moved in 1823 to make room for the Old Chapel block. The second seems to have been where the Main Hall of
Downside School Downside School (formally The College of St Gregory the Great, Downside but simply referred to as Downside) is an 11–18 mixed, Roman Catholic, independent, day and boarding school in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, England. It was establish ...
now stands and was apparently replaced on the same or a nearby site by a new one in 1831. This, too, was overtaken by the need for a new study room (now the Main Hall) and theatre (now, the Petre Library), which were opened in 1854. Thus it was that in that same year, by subscription (what we would now call an appeal), the present Ball Place, or, more accurately, the pair of ball places, was erected. As originally landscaped, the playing area fanned out eastward to form a series of pleasing, if somewhat useless, terraced steps that descended to the curious 'temporary' building which we now know as the Gasquet Hall. Thirty years later, a pious benefactor, known only from the (still legible) inscription on the plinth, ''Ora pro me datore 1884'', erected a large stone statue of Our Lady at the centre of the second step. A few yards further down were two
beech tree Beech (genus ''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to subtropical (accessory forest element) and temperate (as dominant element of mesophytic forests) Eurasia and North America. There are 14 accepted species i ...
s, each encircled by an outdoor seat, which lasted until the late 1940s. The whole grand design was much reduced and unbalanced in 1958, and again in 1963, by the intrusion of two modern buildings, leaving the Statue of Our Lady somewhat incongruously facing the blank gable end of what we still call the New Classrooms. By 1996, the statue had become unsafe, weathered beyond restoration, and was taken down, leaving The Ball Place with a vacant
plinth A pedestal or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In civil engineering, it is also called ''basement''. The minimum height o ...
. The southern end of the wall was damaged by a falling tree in the great storm of 1990 and rebuilt with
insurance Insurance is a means of protection from financial loss in which, in exchange for a fee, a party agrees to compensate another party in the event of a certain loss, damage, or injury. It is a form of risk management, primarily used to protect ...
money. At about the same time the whole area was re-surfaced with
tarmacadam Tarmacadam or tarmac is a concrete road surface, road surfacing material made by combining tar and macadam (crushed stone and sand), patented by Welsh inventor Edgar Purnell Hooley in 1902. It is a more durable and dust-free enhancement of simpl ...
and its lower reaches grassed over. This, then, is the Ball Place that we know today and, in all essentials, its wall and court have not changed since 1854, but the game lingered on with periodic outbreaks of enthusiasm for what was inevitably becoming an
antiquarian An antiquarian or antiquary () is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient artefacts, archaeological and historic si ...
curiosity until surface disrepair during the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
made the courts virtually unplayable. It has proved itself to be such a useful and versatile space that it could be deemed to have justified its existence even without its early use for its intended purpose. Over the years, it has served as a parade ground for the
CCF CCF can refer to: Computing * Confidential Consortium Framework, a free and open-source blockchain infrastructure framework developed by Microsoft * Customer Care Framework, a Microsoft product Finance * Credit conversion factor converts the ...
(and its predecessors the OTC and the JTC); as the site of gym displays; as an all-weather
hockey ''Hockey'' is a family of List of stick sports, stick sports where two opposing teams use hockey sticks to propel a ball or disk into a goal. There are many types of hockey, and the individual sports vary in rules, numbers of players, apparel, ...
pitch; as a recreation ground for small
cricket Cricket is a Bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball game played between two Sports team, teams of eleven players on a cricket field, field, at the centre of which is a cricket pitch, pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two Bail (cr ...
,
cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...
and, most recently,
skateboarding Skateboarding is an extreme sport, action sport that involves riding and Skateboarding trick, performing tricks using a skateboard, as well as a recreational activity, an art form, an entertainment industry Profession, job, and a method of tr ...
and radio-controlled model cars. On Prize Day it serves as a car park. Its walls have inevitably been much used for
tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
practice (in the 1980s it had white targets painted on it for serving practice) and its alcove or shelter has often housed Corpus Christi altars. At least once it has been the setting for a play (
Macbeth ''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
) and, before the (now demolished) outdoor rifle range was built, it was frequently used for
shooting Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missile ...
and still bears the scars. Last, but not least, it has served to fuel the curiosity of visitors. Dom Hubert van Zeller reports, in his book, Downside By and Large (1953), how boys have been heard 'with mistaken loyalty and rich imagination' explaining to visitors that the Ball Place wall is all that is left of the ancient Abbey of St Gregory's, dissolved by
Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is known for his Wives of Henry VIII, six marriages and his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. ...
.


Game rules and terms

1- The game is played by four players, two on each side. 2- A game consists of 21 points. 3- Points can only be scored by the side which is serving (i.e. "in"), not by the side which is receiving the service (i.e. "out"). 4- Serving : ''(i)'' Both players on the side which is "in" serve in turn: first one serves until his side loses in a rally (always called a "dodge") and then the other; when both have been put "out", the other side comes "in". But in the cases of the side which goes "in" first and when both sides are "game-ball" (i.e. 20 points each), only one player serves, it does not matter which. When only one side is "game-ball", only one player on that side serves, but both players on the other side serve until they too reach "game-ball". ''(ii)'' A player serves by hitting the ball full toss against the front wall or against one of the corners; in this latter case he must first call "corners play"; if he does not do so, the players, who are "out" may try at it the same way as a "not over" ball (see below section iv). ''(iii)'' If the served ball comes beyond the line marked across the floor of the court, about 11 feet from the edge of the ball-place and does not bounce below the lower stone rib, it is "over" and must be taken by the "out" players. N.B.— On the serve the returner must take the ball first bounce, not full pitch. ''(iv)'' If the served ball does not come "over", the "out" players may take the service or not as they please; but if the serve is taken and the ball is hit out of the court or below the stone rib which is about two and a half feet above the floor, the "in" side scores no point; but if the ball hits the wall correctly and a "dodge" follows, that side scores, which wins the "dodge". ''(v)'' When a side is "game-ball", the players of that side may not serve off the corners; they must also call "game-ball play" before serving, otherwise they cannot win the game off that point, even if they win the "dodge". ''(vi)'' If the server misses the ball altogether he is not "out" unless he misses three times in succession; if in serving he fails to hit the wall above the lower stone rib, or he misses the wall entirely or the ball bounces out of the court, he is "out"; if, when meaning to serve off the front wall, he hits the corner, or if, when meaning to serve off the corner and having called "corners play", he hits the front wall, the "out players" may treat it as a "not over" ball (see section iv above) ''(vii)'' While a player is serving and until the service has been taken by an "out" player, the server’s partner must stand between the wall and the "over" line; provided that he does not move out of this area, he may prevent a serve not going out over the side lines with his bat or his hand, but not in any other way. The same applies to any service which is obviously not going "over". 5- The play : ''(i)'' In a "dodge" the ball may be hit first bounce or full pitch. ''(ii)'' If the "in" side wins a "dodge", one point is added to that side’s score; if the "out" side wins, the server is put out and the server’s partner serves; when both have been put out, the "out" side comes "in". ''(iii)'' The ball must always hit the wall above the lower stone rib; if it hits the sloping top of the ball-place or the stone rib across the upper part of the wall and bounces in the court, the player on the other side taking it, may claim an "hindrance"; but if he takes it, not claiming an "hindrance", then the "dodge" continues and a score for one side or the other results. ''(iv)'' If a player in taking a ball from a serve or in a "dodge" hits one of his opponents with the ball above the knee, it is counted "up", but is always an "hindrance"; but if it hits the opponent below the knee, it counts as a "miss", and the opponents’ side wins the "dodge". If the ball hits his partner, it is also a "miss" and the opponents‘ side wins the "dodge". Unintentional obstruction of the striker by one of the other side or by any other person or accidental occurrence from without (but not of course by the striker’s partner or as a result of his own slipping or the like) is always an "hindrance". ''(v)'' If a serve pitches on the "over" line, it is not "over"; if in a serve or "dodge", the ball pitches on the side line dividing the two courts, it is in, if on the stone curb on the other it is out; if on the edge of the stone rib, it is in. The stone pillar may not be claimed as an "hindrance" owing to the ball bouncing near it. "(vi)" If the ball bounces past the out line, 6 feet from the back of the Ball Place, then the team who hit the ball loses that point. ''(vii)'' Some conventions and general remarks about the play:—A player can never win a point by "sneaking", i.e. by hitting the ball very low on the wall or very gently on purpose: he should always try to hit the ball hard and as high on the wall as possible; if he cannot hit the ball hard owing to the risk of it going out of the court because of the angle to the wall at which he is taking it, he should at any rate hit the ball high on the wall. When one side is "game-ball", the other side may "sneak" when it is "out", not when it is "in": when both sides are "game-ball", only the side which is "out" may "sneak". Corner services can never be used. However, they can be used by a side which is a long way behind the other in an effort to try and catch up; but the normal service is a straightforward high serve off the front wall. In fact the essence of the game is to have a good "dodge" and a close game. In the course of a "dodge" play off the corners is not only legitimate, but often the best thing to do, e.g., if a player is drawn well to the side of the court in order to take a ball, the best shot is to the opposite corner. A certain amount of "barracking" is traditional.


Legacy

The apparent death of the game as a serious sport was surely inevitable, following the transformation of Downside, during the decade preceding the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
, from a Continental-style college into a mainstream public school: these were the years that saw the Introduction of
Rugby Football Rugby football is the collective name for the team sports of rugby union or rugby league. Rugby football started at Rugby School in Rugby, Warwickshire, England, where the rules were first codified in 1845. Forms of football in which the ball ...
,
Squash Squash most often refers to: * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (plant), the fruit of vines of the genus ''Cucurbita'' Squash may also refer to: Sports * Squash (professional wrestling), an extr ...
,
Racquets Rackets or racquets is an indoor list of racket sports, racket sport played in the United Kingdom, United States, and Canada. It is infrequently called "hard rackets" to distinguish it from the related sport of squash (sport), squash (also cal ...
and, above all,
Lawn Tennis Tennis is a List of racket sports, racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent (singles (tennis), singles) or between two teams of two players each (doubles (tennis), doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket st ...
. Against such, the older, less sophisticated game, with no prospect of external match fixtures, stood little chance of survival and all efforts to re-introduce it have, so far, failed. However, in 2013 the game was re-introduced into the school life and is fast becoming a major sport at
Downside School Downside School (formally The College of St Gregory the Great, Downside but simply referred to as Downside) is an 11–18 mixed, Roman Catholic, independent, day and boarding school in Stratton-on-the-Fosse, Somerset, England. It was establish ...
, with inter-house matches played in the summer term. The Ball Place is still there and continues, as it has for almost 200 years, to be a significant facility in the life of the school.


References

''The Ball Place'', article by Dom Charles Fitzgerald-Lombard OSB in The Downside School and Abbey ''Raven 2002'' publication. The rules, Summer Raven 1946. {{DEFAULTSORT:Downside Ball Game Racket sports School sport in the United Kingdom Sport in Somerset