Hi Grape, The WLIW documentary “New York: The Way It Was (The Bronx)” has brief footage of a 9-boxed skully board. As I recall, it was like the board in the rules I’ve written, but it had 1-2-3-4 in the corners, 5-6-7-8 along the edges (between the corners), and 9 in dead center, surrounded by some circular thing which, I presume, serves as the skull. If you have any further insight into “9-box Skully” (my new term!), please post them here! -Hugh M. McNally Skully Central discussion moderator

Wow. Much thanks to Hugh for inviting to this outstanding site. Just read through the discussions and glad to see so many remember the game. I played in “Da Bronx” in the seventies. I took a picture in ’94 of the old scully board we played on as youths in the Bronx Park near 219th Street. The URL is: http://www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Studio/2561/scullpic.jpg While some used the sodatops with wax, the cap of choice was the “Push-UP” which we filled with clay. I had various caps (some heavy for blasting, others lighter for traveling great distances) but my primary cap was the “king checker.” The king checker was made of gold/yellow clay with a small plastic crown. We kept records and I was #3 on my block with a pair of Jamaican brothers as the two best. I once had the eldest trapped in ‘scully’ and would have easily beaten him but alas I was too kind, knocked him out of scully, and he came back to beat me. Every once in a while, like a habit that won’t die, I throw down a cap on the ground and see if my accuracy is up to par. I would certainly like to see in the future, an event of sorts where old time players could come together and compete. Maybe someday an Olympic sport? Okay, I’m reaching — but a competition would be very exciting.