The James T. Callow Folklore Archive

SPUD

ONE GAME WHICH IS PLAYED WITH A BALL IS KNOWN AS
"SPUD." ONE PLAYER IS DESIGNATED AS FIRST "IT."
HE TAKES THE BALL AND AFTER ALL PLAYERS HAVE BEEN
ASSIGNED A NUMBER BY ONE OF THE OLDER PLAYERS, THE
MAN WITH THE BALL CALLS THE NUMBER OF HIS CHOICE
AND THROWS THE BALL INTO THE AIR. THE PLAYER WHOSE
NUMBER HAS BEEN CALLED HAS TO RETRIEVE THE BALL WHILE
EVERYBODY ELSE SCATTERS. WHEN HE GETS THE BALL HE
YELLS "SPUD" AND EVERY BODY MUST STOP. HE CHOOSES
ONE PARTICULAR PLAYER AS HIS TARGET AND IS ALLOWED
TO TAKE THREE STEPS IN THAT DIRECTION, TOWARDS THE
PLAYER. HE NOW HAS TO HIT THE PLAYER HE HAS CHOSEN
WITH THE BALL. IF HE MISSES HE IS GIVEN A LETTER,
"S" FOR THE FIRST MISS, "P" FOR THE SECOND AND SO ON
UNTIL HE HAS "S-P-U-D" AT WHICH TIME HE IS OUT.
HE MAY NOT PLAY AGAIN UNTIL A NEW GAME HAS BEEN
STARTED. IF HE HITS THE PLAYER, HE HAS CHOSEN,
THE HIT PLAYER THEN BECOMES "IT" AND HE HAS TO GO
THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS. IT IS A RULE THAT IF THE
PLAYER WHOSE NUMBER HAS BEEN CALLED CATCHES THE BALL
IN THE AIR, BEFORE IT HAS TOUCHED THE GROUND, HE MAY
CALL SOMEONE ELSE'S NUMBER AND THROW THE BALL BACK
IN THE AIR. UNFORTUNATELY, THE ONE WHO GIVES OUT
THE NUMBERS IS AWARE OF WHO HAS WHAT NUMBER AND
IF HIS NUMBER IS CALLED HE IS ABLE TO PICK ON
WHOEVER HE PLEASED. THIS AIN'T FAIR.

Submitter comment: IS USED TO PLAY THIS GAME ALL THE TIME. AFTER
A WHILE I USUALLY GOT TO BE THE ONE WHO GAVE
OUT THE NUMBERS.

Where learned: WASHINGTON DC

Date learned: 11-24-1967