A NEW GAME OF SKILL AND APPARATUS AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED TIEREWITH
Year: 1882

page_text: PROVISIONAL SPECIFICATION left by George Frederick Neville at the
Office of the Commissioners of Patents on the 23rd January 1882.
GEORGE FREDERICK NEVILLE, of 5 Regents Park Terrace, St. Pancras in the
County of Middlesex, Gentleman. "A NEW GAME OF SKILL AND APPARATUS
AND APPLIANCES CONNECTED TIEREWITH."
The object of my said Invention is to provide and arrange a new interesting and
amusing game, to which new game I desire to give the name of "Balettassé."
In carrying out my said Invention, I make use of an ordinary Tennis or other
lawn, or any other suitable place in which the "Court" or "Courts" can be
arranged and set out.
I prefer the following arrangement:-One Court is laid out, the outer lines of
which are the limit of the Court. The Court is divided into two equal parts by
the net or nets and two poles. The poles to be suitably supported by means of
ropes and ground pegs, as in ordinary lawn tennis. The poles to be about 10 feet
high. Stretched across from pole to pole I place the lower net 4 feet wide. Above
this I leave an open space 1 foot wide. Above this space a second net 1 foot wide
is fixed. Above this second net a second space 1 foot wide is left open, and above
this second space a third net of 1 foot in width is stretched. Between the upper
ends of the two poles a rope is stretched. Between the centre of this rope and the
centre of the upper edge of the third (or top) net a ring or hoop is fixed, vertically,
the top of the hoop being fastened to the rope and the bottom of the hoop being
fastened to the top of the upper net.
I make use of cups and balls, constructed of light materials. The balls are
6 inches in diameter, and the cups 6 inches in diameter, in order that the balls
may be easily caught in the cups. The cups have handles, about 1 foot long, so
that they may be easily held in the hand.
The game is generally to be played by two or four players.
The object of each player is to skilfully throw the ball from the cup either thro'
the ring, or one of the openings. If thrown through the ring, without the ball
being caught in the opponents cup, 50 is scored: if through the first (or lowest)
opening, 15 is scored: if thro' the 2nd opening, 20; if thrown over the network and
the upper cord, 10 is scored. If the ball goes through the openings on either side of
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page_text: the ring, the opponent scores 10. And whenever the ball is caught by the opponent
in his or her cup, the scores are allowed to the opponent instead of the server. If
the ball is propelled beyond the lines forming the Court, the opponent scores 10.
The game to be 500 scores.
•
The server, or person who throws the ball-stands with one foot on the end line
of the Court, in the centre and has two trials; if he fails to score on both trials, he
looses 10 points or scores.
The above arrangements, and also the rules may be varied.
The cups may be made of light tough wood, properly turned; or of metal, or
other suitable material.
The balls may be made of leather, india-rubber, or other suitable material, and
distended by air or stuffed with bair, or other suitablo material; or may be otherwise
made, and of any other size than that before mentioned. The size of the cup being
always suited to that of the ball, so that the latter may easily fall into it.
Although I have tried the wholo area of the "Court" as one Court, yet, if
preferred such Court may be divided into several Courts; the rules being varied
to suit the arrangements.