Danish longball

Danish Longball (also known as Swedish longball or “Nora ball”) is a bat-and-ball game founded by Graham Evans. It is popular in some British secondary schools , and is also played recreationally by scouts, the Air Training Corps, Wetheringsett Camp Suffolk and by the Royal Navy and Australian Navy. It is also a popular sport at U.S. summer camps.[1]

Play

Danish Longball can be described as a hybrid of baseball and cricket. There is a modern variant that is based on football[2] too. Each team takes turns batting and fielding. In British secondary schools in particular, an element of dodgeball is incorporated, with a player being "out" if he or she is hit with the ball (outside the safety zone) below the head whilst aiming to get a run.

Teams and positions

Players are split into two teams, a batting team and a balling team. The batting team waits behind the batting goal ready to bat. The balling team is spread behind the batting goal and the safe goal ready to field.

Field of play

The batting field has two parts: Inside and outside a square (or circle). Fielders can position themselves inside or outside the square. The fielder who fields the ball cannot move with it rather they must pass it to another fielder in a better position to hit the runner.

Equipment
  • ball, usually a tennis ball
  • bat/tennis racket
  • optional safety pads

Rules

The bowler pitches the ball to the batter, who must use their bat to hit the ball. The ball must be hit within the field of play – the square. The ball must hit the ground at least once before it bounces or rolls off the field. The batter must then run to the other side of the square to a "safe zone". The runner may rest in safety, but to earn a "run" they must make it safely back to the original side of the square without getting out. Each side bats its entire line-up. Five rounds of play are recommended.

When played in Britain it is usually an alternative to Cricket, so timed innings may be used along with a set of stumps (though usually not a cricket ball, as the risk of injury is significantly raised rather than a tennis ball).

A player is out if:

  • the hit is caught by one of the fielding team
  • the ball does not touch the ground of the marked area
  • if the fielders hit a runner outside the safe-zones with the ball
  • he/she runs outside the side lines of the square

A variant of the above is sometimes used: if a fielder hits a runner with the ball outside the safe-zones then the entire batting team is out.

Winning the game

The winning team is the one that scores the most runs.

References
  1. Butler, Joy. "Danish Longball: A Novel game to introduce the batting/ fielding games category" (PDF). UBC PETE Association. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
  2. "Danish Longball Football". 21st Group Games Database. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 5 July 2013.
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