Russian 7 and 10 players–we called this game 7 up in Illinois, as did my friend in New Hampshire. Suzyfromqueens’ description sounds right, although we did not spell “Russia.” I was a child in the 50’s, and we would never spell, let alone say, Russia.
hi i think you should have actual games to play rather than writing bye
How about “Categories”? We drew a court on the ground similar to hopscotch (“potsy”) with two rows of rectangular boxes, 5 in one row, 5 in the other, and inside the boxes were different categories like girls, boys, cars, teachers, flowers, actors, actresses, and oh I forget the others. We rolled the ball up from the bottom left box and stepped into that first box (“Girls”) and picked up the ball from within the box. When we picked the ball up, we said, “Girls are such as…” and we’d say girls names, one for each box (Barbara, Susie, Mary,…) and bounce the ball once and step into each of the boxes in sequence from bottom left and up and over to the second row (no stepping on the lines!) until you get to the last box and then stepped out with one last name and bounce. On the second turn we rolled the ball from the bottom left row and rolled it up to the second category: “Boys”. Back then it was always, “Boys are such as: Paul, John, George, Ringo…” right?! The challenge came when you got to the second row, because if you were up to the last few boxes, you had to roll the ball up from the right column slowly enough to catch up to it by stepping quickly through all the other boxes from the left row and picking the ball up in the box you were up to. I think actresses was usually last and you only had to name one to step out.
Russia, Here is what I remember about Russia or Russian 7. “One” was you throw the ball against the wall and catch it (no bounces.) “Two” was you throw the ball against the wall and let it bounce once two times. Three: throw it against the wall and clap once and catch it three times. Four: throw the ball, roll your hands, catch it, four times. Five: the ball is thrown from under one leg five times. Six you bounce the ball and spell “R-u-s-s-i-a” and slap the ball and catch it without letting it bounce. The rest (and we played up to twelve) are not clear to me, but I recall throwing the ball up high against the wall, let it bounce as you jump over it and then chase it and catch it. Throw the ball up high and turn around once and catch it without bouncing. (Dizzying!!). And finally the last and hardest one was throwing it up against the wall, turn around once as you clap and catch it like twelve times and then go sit down for a while because you’re turning green!
Another ball game. We took a pensy pinkie or a spaldeen and put it into a knee-high sock. Then we stood with our back against the wall, and arms and legs spread, grabbing the open end of the sock with the right hand if you were right handed, and reach over and bounce the ball between the left arm and leg and back across to the right side off the wall. You could bounce it between your legs too going up and down between the wall there and back up to the right of you. I think we did this to some kind of rhyme, but I really can’t recall. Perhaps we just counted.
As a youth growing up in South Philly, 6th & Shunk, we played many street games, but the ultimate street game was Halfball. We never played lobs or floaters. We played fast pitch with an umpire calling balls and strikes. We used the four corners of an intersection as our diamond. We threw sidearm, three quarter sidearm and submarine. We could make that ball rise, curve or drop. I could start a riser low and inside and it would finish as a strike. I could go on and on talking about the old halfball days. It is a great game!!!
On beach 79th street in rockaway oueens the “pensey pinke”was the ball OF choice,handball stickball,punchball.But for ass’s up it was THE SPALDING!! THOSE WERE THE DAYS!!!
Hi all you old timers, Just Kidding. I’m a 22 year old student and bartender. Recently a customer of mine began talking about the old school yard games he used to play. In the conversation he asked me if I ever heard of a pensi pinky. Anyway, to make a long story short he asked if I could buy some off the internet. I said I would try, so if anyone knows where I met be able to order some on line please let me know at . You might help bring a smile to an old mans face. Thank You
I have been desperately searching for a pimple ball to fulfill my good friends birthday wishes. He is a former player who would like to introduce his grandson to the greatest game ever invented – half ball. If you know where I could purchase one, please respond as soon as possible. Time is running out.