Kicky the Can

We used to play this up at the shops on the 'plaza' bit next to the pyry proper, where the step pyry and alcoves with benches were, opposite the chippy.

Our variation started with all players standing in a circle with shoes touching and a tennis ball was dropped inside the circle... if it rolled towards your shoes you were allowed to hit it 'pinball flipper' style but without moving your sabogs(shoes) too much. Whose ever legs it went through was 'on' and had to count to say 50 whilst everyone else legged it and hid round about the pyry/shops, but within a preagreed boundry zone. After counting to 50 the person who was'on' had to try to 'hit' a runner with the tennis ball. Once this was done, the person caught had to go to the 'jail' usually the aformentioned 'step' pyramid.(You were allowed to defend the throw of the tennis ball by the jailer using only your clenched knuckles-if it hit these you were ok, but if it hit any other part of your plott(body) you were 'caught' the only way to 'free' the prisoners was to run up and 'kick the can' -that is to say an empty can+ 2 unneccessary lolly sticks placed in a cross on the top of the can, near the prison(aside:what was the point of the lolly sticks on the top of the can?) if this was done ALL the prisoners could escape. The jailer then had to put the can and lolly sticks back as they were, giving everyone time to run off. Only then could the hunt begin afresh(I think Ive just answered my own question as to the purpose of the lolly sticks...to buy the escaped prisoners time!) The game continued until all the runners were prisoners...

"Thus this game was one of skill, strategy, and stealth as well as fleetness".