An Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
Year: 1890

page_text: Date of Application, 22nd Feb., 1890
Complete Specification Left, 24th Nov., 1890-Accepted, 21st Feb., 1891.
PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
A communication to me. from abroad by SAMUEL TUKE, of Tokio, Japan.
I, EDWARD BARBER LINDSELL, of Hitchin, in the County of Herts, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention to be as follows :-
This invention relates to an improved game and to apparatus for playing the
same.
It is played in a field or enclosure and by players on foot, or riding horses or
ponies as in the game well known as "Polo."
The enclosure is about 150 feet long, by 40 feet wide, railed in by a fence,
about 4 feet high. At one end instead of rails, a close boarded fence about 6 feet
or 7 feet in height completes the inclosure. In the middle of this boarded fence
and about 3 ft. from the ground is a circular hole about 18 inches in diameter.
This hole is the goal for both sides. Behind it is fixed a bag to catch the balls.
In front of the goal fence and about 12 or 15 feet from it, a stout rail 4 feet in
height is fixed across the enclosure; while, parallel to this, but about 3 ft. nearer
the goal a baulk .line is drawn. About 8 feet from the other end of the enclosure,
another barrier is fixed across also about 4 feet in height.
On either side of this barrier there are openings in the side fences for the entrance
and exit of the players.
The racquet used is formed of a light stick about 3 feet long, sometimes with a
small iron rod inserted in the handle; to the thin end of this a piece of split cane:is
bent forward and round so as to almost form the frame of a small racquet, and is
kept in shape by a piece of cord- tied to its extremity, and to the stick. Across
this frame is loosely stretched a large meshed silk or cotton net, making a sort
of spoon.
The balls are made of suitable material and 1 inches in diameter.
There are
four different varieties plain white, plain red, white with two red zones intersecting
at right angles, and red with similar white zones.
The game is played preferably by riders on horses or ponies by an even number
of players fourteen, twelve, ten, or eight, forming two sides, an equal number of
players on each side, each side wearing distinguishing marks.
A scorer sounds a bell when balls go through the goal and keeps the score.
This is done by means of two groups of seven balls, respectively red and white,
which are hung by loops attached to each ball upon two strings, one on either side
of the goal upon the enclosure side of the fence. When a ball goes through the
goal, a ball of the same colour is slipped off its string by the scorer, so that the
number of balls remaining on the string denotes the number of balls of that colour
which have still to be scored to make seven.
The game has three phases or stages for each side, but both sides are not
necessarily in the same stage at the same time.
1. Before the sixth ball has been scored by either side, that side can continue to
play with any number of balls until it has scored its sixth ball.
2. Before the seventh ball is scored, and after the sixth has been scored, by either
side, that side can only score with one ball of its own colour; only one ball of that
colour can be in play at one time.
3. After the seventh ball is scored by either side, that side can only score with a
zoned ball of its own colour: only one zoned ball of that colour can be in play at
one time.
The side first to score its zoned ball wins the game, but if a zoned ball is not
scored within a determined time from the commencement of play, the game is drawn.

page_text: Each player on the red side receives a red ball, and each on the white side a
white ball at the commencement of every game.
A red player can only score with a red ball, and a white player with a white
ball. If by mistake a player puts one of the balls of his opponents' colour into
goal, it scores to them and against his own side.
At the word to start, both sides endeavour to sling their balls through the goal
aperture as opportunity offers.
If a player drops his ball (during stage 1), and it does not roll outside the
enclosure, he can either pick it up again and continue playing with it, or obtain a
fresh ball, or he may endeavour to obstruct his opponent.
If a player miss his shot at goal, and the ball rebound off the boarded fence, so
as to pass the baulk line, or roll back into court, it is still in play.
If a ball roll outside the enclosure, or remain between the baulk line and goal
fence, it is out of play during all phases of the game.
No player is allowed to handle the ball or to carry it in any other way than in
the racquet.
Any player is allowed to offer as much obstruction as possible to his opponents,
by preventing them from picking up balls, interfering with their shot at goal,
hitting balls out of their racquets, slinging their balls back towards the entrance
barrier (or even out of court), or getting in their way.
When either side scores six balls the scorer proclaims that that side has entered
stage 2, and that only one ball of their colour is in play at once.
When either side scores its seventh ball, its entrance into stage 3 is again
proclaimed by the scorer and only one zoned ball of its colour is in play at the
same time.
The size of the enclosure may be varied more or less, as may be found
convenient.
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
An Improved Game, and Apparatus for Playing the same.
A communication to me from abroad by SAMUEL TUKE, of Tokio, Japan.
I, EDWARD BARBER LINDSELL, of Hitchin, in the County of Herts, Gentleman,
do hereby declare the nature of this invention and in what manner the same is to
be performed, to be particularly described and ascertained in and by the following
statement, that is to say :-
This invention relates to an improved game called "Dakiu
for playing the same.
and to apparatus
It is played in a field or enclosure and by players on foot.
The enclosure is about 150 feet long, by 40 feet wide, railed in by a fence, about
4 feet high. At one end instead of rails, a close boarded fence about 6 feet or
7 feet in height completes the enclosure. At the centre of this boarded fence and
about 3 feet from the ground is a circular hole about 18 inches in diameter. This
hole is the goal for the players on both sides. Behind it is fixed a bag to catch the
balls which are used. In front of this goal fence and about 12 or 15 feet from it, a
stout rail 4 feet in height from the ground is fixed across the enclosure, and parallel
to this, but about 3 feet nearer the goal a baulk line is drawn. Any ball remaining
in the space between this baulk line and the boarded fence containing the hole and
bag is considered dead and out of play. About 8 feet from the other end of the
enclosure another barrier is fixed across. also about 4 feet in height, which forms
the limit of the play ground.
On either side of this barrier there are openings in the side fences for the entrance

page_text: and exit of the players. No player is allowed to pass under or over the rails or
barriers which define the limits within which the players must remain.
The racquet used is formed of a light stick about 3 feet long, sometimes with a
small iron rod inserted in the handle. To the thin end of this stick a piece of split
cane is spliced its free end being bent forward and round so as to almost form the
frame of a small racquet, and it is kept in shape by a piece of cord tied to its
extremity, and to the stick. Across this frame is loosely stretched a large meshed
silk or cotton net, making a sort of spoon.
The balls are made of suitable material and about 11 inches in diameter. There
are four different varieties, plain white, plain red, white with two red zones,
intersecting at right angles, and red with similar white zones.
The game is played by players on foot, and by an even number of players-
fourteen, twelve, ten, or eight, forming two sides, an equal number of players on each
side, and each side wearing distinguishing marks.
A scorer stands behind the fence and sounds a bell when balls go through the
goal, and keeps the score. This is done preferably by means of two groups of seven
balls, respectively red and white, which are hung by loops attached to each ball
upon two strings or wires, one on either side of the goal upon the enclosure side of
the fence. When a ball goes through the goal, a ball of the same colour is slipped
by the scorer from its position, so that the number of balls remaining visible on the
string denotes the number of balls of that colour which have still to be scored to
make seven.
The game has three phases or stages for each side, but both sides are not
necessarily in the same stage at the same time.
1. Before the sixth ball has been scored by either side by passing it through the
hole in the fence, that side can continue to play with any number of balls until it
has scored its sixth ball.
2. Before the seventh ball is scored, and after the sixth has been scored, by
either side, that side can only score with one ball of its own colour, so that only one
ball of that colour can be in play at one time.
3. After the seventh ball is scored by either side, that side can only score with
a zoned ball of its own colour: only one zoned ball of that colour can be in play at
one time.
The side first to score its zoned ball wins the game, but if a zoned ball is not
scored within a determined time from the commencement of play, the game may be
declared drawn.
Each player on the red side receives a red ball, and each on the white side a
white ball at the commencement of every game.
A red player can only score with a red ball, and a white player with a white ball.
If by mistake a player puts one of the balls of the opponents' colour into goal, it
scores to them and against his own side.
At the word to start, both sides endeavour to sling their balls through the goal
aperture as opportunity offers.
If a player drops his ball (during stage 1), and it does not roll outside the
enclosure, he can either pick it up again and continue playing with it, or obtain a
fresh ball, or he may endeavour to obstruct his opponent.
If a player miss his shot at goal, and the ball rebound off the boarded fence, so
as to pass the baulk line, or roll back into court, it is still in play.
If a ball roll outside the enclosure, or remain between the baulk line and goal
fence, it is out of play during all phases of the game.
No player is allowed to handle the ball or to carry it in any other way than in
the racquet.
Any player is allowed to offer as much obstruction as possible to his opponents,
by preventing them from picking up balls, interfering with their shot at goal, hitting
balls out of their racquets, slinging their balls back towards the entrance barrier
(or even out of court), or getting in their way.

page_text: When either side scores six balls the scorer proclaims that that side has entered
stage 2, and that only one ball of their colour is in play at once.
When either side scores its seventh ball, its entrance into stage 3 is again
proclaimed by the scorer and only one zoned ball of its colour is then in play at the
same time.
The size of the enclosure may be varied more or less, as may be found
convenient.
Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I
claim is :-
:-
1. The game, played with the distinctively coloured and marked balls, racquets,
goal aperture, and boundaries, substantially as described.
2. The racquet for carrying and slinging the balls consisting of a handle, having
a strip of cane spliced to its outer end such cane being bent round and connected to
the handle, and the net attached to the cane, substantially as described.
3. The goal fence having an aperture and net, in combination with the rails and
fences, substantially as and for the purposes described.
4. The method of scoring the game, by means of suitably coloured balls
suspended upon strings or wires, substantially as described.
Dated this 22nd day of November 1890.
EDWARDS & Co.,
35, Southampton Buildings, Chancery Lane, London, Agents for the Applicant.