Ironing game
The ironing game is a sport and skill game related to bowling and boules . The game, first mentioned in Liège in 1331, is still played in Germany on the Lower Rhine in the Netherlands and Belgium.
The history of the ironing game
There are few sports that have been practiced for as long as ironing. The history of development began more than 600 years ago. The ironing game was first mentioned in a document in Liège in 1331.
Duke Albrecht of the Netherlands made a spacious field available in Haarlem as an "ironing track" around 1390. The ironing game was called "Cloeten und Clossen" at this time, which means something like -balling and balls- Cloets and clouses enjoyed a high reputation even at court. It was the high ranks who enjoyed this game in the Middle Ages for entertainment and relaxation.
In the Kohlgarten vom Hof in The Hague, a "Cloetbahn" ironing railway was laid out, on which Duke Albrecht's wife and her ladies-in-waiting ironed until late at night. Women and men enjoyed this game. The young women also played the game with balls at the court of Karel van Gelder.
At that time, a field was delimited into which two curved pieces of wood were stuck to form a gate. The participating players threw a ball that had to roll through the gate. If the ball rolled through the wooden bracket, the player got two points. Whoever scored twelve points first had won the game. Only later was the wooden gate replaced by an iron bracket.
A further development began. The balls were no longer played by hand, but with a short piece of wood that looked like a hand lever. At the beginning of the 17th century, the ironing tracks were divided into four areas. In the middle of the track there was an iron ring set deep in the ground that could be turned in all directions. Such a ring can still be found today on a stirrup track in Ell (Netherlands). During this time, long sticks with short scoops attached to the lower end or small wooden clubs, known as pallets, were used! This is clearly visible on a copper engraving from the period between 1564–1638, which depicts the St. Joris fair in Brussels. Another representation of the ironing game can be found in the high altar from 1513 in the Kempen provost church on the Lower Rhine.
In the 17th century there were many ironing tracks in the Netherlands, especially in the Limburg area, but also on the Lower Rhine. Often times the ring on these tracks was shaped like a figure eight, with the top ring having a smaller diameter than the bottom ring. If you hit the ball through the lower ring you get two points. For a successful stroke through the upper, smaller ring, you received four points. You can play on such a bracket on an uncovered ironing track in Mönchengladbach-Hardt, near the Faahsen restaurant. However, ironing games only take place here if you organize yourself with a few players and register there.
The ironing game quickly became popular across Europe. In 1438 Pope Pius II mentioned the ironing game in a commentary at the Council of Basel.
This sport was also enjoyed at the residence of the Ambassador of the States General of the Netherlands in Moscow. In the centers of many large cities in Europe, ironing trams were set up on the streets. The ironing game was soon adopted by the common people. It was so popular that over time the authorities even had to issue bans. Signs were put up in the villages and towns on which one could read: "Ironing on the paths and streets is prohibited". In the Geldern Landrechte at the beginning of the 17th century one can find an article in which it is written: "Rolling the dice, pounding and ironing on the street for money is forbidden. Objects may not be pledged or deposits made. This applies to children and adults ". However, people continued to gamble for money in the backyards or barns. The money came in a potty and this stake was ironed. From this time comes the expression: "Play the potty first".
The popularity of this game meant that further developments resulted from the ironing game. One began to derive similar ball games from the ironing game. In the course of time, the ironing tracks disappeared and people increasingly devoted themselves to the game of skittles. Here and there, ironing was still carried out on a few tracks on the Lower Rhine until around 1930, but the ironing tracks soon disappeared completely.
In the Netherlands, mainly in the Limburg region, this part of the cultural heritage is maintained. Today in the Netherlands you play in an organized way (Dutch Bow Federation) www.beugelen.nl on around 80 tracks in various performance classes. There are currently three clubs in Germany that have dedicated themselves to the ironing game. That is the BC Dorenburg from Grefrath, the popular sports club Apollo 11 from Lüttelforst and the Bossel and ironing club Willich 1979 eV
The ironing clubs from Grefrath and Willich have joined the Dutch ironing association.
Since summer 2011 there has been an open, uncovered ironing track in Schwalmtal-Fischeln, the construction of which was the result of a bet with the neighboring town of Leloh, who have rediscovered the ironing game for themselves. The popular sports club Apollo 11 in Schwalmtal-Lüttelforst has had an open ironing track since 2014.
The ironing game
The game is played on a lane that is 10 m long and 5 m wide. The track surface consists mainly of clay, here and there of concrete with a plastic or asphalt coating. Each track surface is sprinkled with a very fine grain of pebbles (grain size 1.7–2.5 mm).
The ironing track is clad on three sides with an approx. 70 cm high wooden wall as a band to avoid injuring the audience. At the beginning of the ironing track, a 25 cm wide and 5 - 10 cm deep channel delimits the field, the meaning and purpose of which can be found in the rules of the game.
The iron bracket has a diameter of approx. 27 cm. This bracket is embedded in the floor by means of a wooden block in the upper quarter of the track approx. 2.60 m from the rear wall. This gives the game its name.
Four balls made of the plastic Aramith (formerly made of wood) are used as game material, each one weighs about 4 kg and has a diameter of about 18 cm. The balls are moved with the help of a mallet or a slide .
It is played in singles or doubles. In singles, one player plays with the white balls, the other player with the red balls. Even in doubles, each team plays with a color, with each player having his own ball. The balls have to be played one after the other in an alternating color sequence. The host opponent may choose the color of the balls (red or white) and the game begins.
The point of the game is to only play the ball through the bow from the front (channel side). In addition, the opponent should be prevented from bringing his own ball into position so that he can play it through the bow from the front. If you play a ball from behind into the bracket or from behind through the bracket, there are two points deducted, regardless of whether it is your own or that of the opponent. It only makes sense to play the opposing ball through the bar from behind.
The ironing game is a strategy game, whereby not only the next move, but also the following moves and possibilities must be taken into account. The winner is the player or team that first achieved a previously agreed number of points, usually 30 points. The options available for the game as well as the method of counting the points result from the rules of the game.
The rules of the ironing game in a simplified form
One player receives the red balls, the opponent receives the white balls. Alternatively, some clubs play with blue or green balls instead of red balls. The game is played with the scoop or the bat, an aid made of wood to move the balls.
The game begins by playing from the channel, in which the ball to be played is placed on the lane. The ball to be played must be played with the scoop in a straight line through the bracket. The scoop must not be curved sideways. The order of the balls to be played is retained after the "ironing" (German rule). The ball closest to the bow is allowed to start play again (Dutch rule).
The player who plays the ball through the bow from the front as described above receives two points. If a ball is played through the bracket from behind, two points are deducted from the player. The points are only added again when the ball with the compl. Diameter has passed the bracket. The player who hits the opponent's ball back into the channel with the ball to be played receives two points. If both balls fall into the channel during this move, nobody gets points. If your own played ball falls into the channel, the opponent receives two points.
If two balls are less than 8 cm apart, the ball to be played must not touch that of the opponent during the move. This also applies to your own balls. If this happens, the balls are returned to their old position. The move is then invalid and the opponent has the move with his ball. The ball may only be played in the direction from which the scoop can be freely placed. During a move you may not touch the board or the opposing balls or your own second ball with your scoop. The ball that plays next may only be played when all other balls have stopped. The first to score 30 points wins the game. The playing time for a game varies from 12 minutes to 60 minutes depending on the tactical considerations of the players.
If championship games are played in the Dutch Ironing Federation (NBB), five individual games are played per game day. A team team therefore consists of five individual players. Time required for this approx. 2.5 to 3 hours. Every first leg also gets a second leg. Each team alternately provides a referee and a point counter per game.
The scorer also has the task of the 2nd referee. The referee and scorer may not be from the same team in the game. The NBB championship games take place on Fridays at 8:00 p.m. or on Saturdays at 6:00 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. The NBB ironing season starts in autumn and ends in spring of next year. The rest of the time, you can train hard in good company.
Championships
Despite its very limited distribution, German championships and international open German championships in ironing are held. Supported by the Council of Europe , there are initiatives in Europe to keep traditional sports alive. In 2017, the 32nd International Open German Ironing Championships were held in Grefrather Dorenburg in the Lower Rhine Open-Air Museum .
German clubs
There are currently three clubs in Germany. The Bossel and ironing club Willich 1979 eV and the BC Dorenburg eV from Grefrath, both clubs are based on the Lower Rhine and have joined the Dutch ironing association, where they hold the championships together with numerous Dutch clubs. There is also an ironing track at the popular sports club Apollo 11 eV from Schwalmtal-Lüttelforst, in Schwalmtal-Fischeln and in Schwalmtal-Leloh.
In 1985 the Dorenburg eV ironing club hosted the first German championships in Grefrath's open-air museum. After the initial dominance of the Dutch clubs, more and more successes from German hands have been recorded over the years. In the Dutch championship, the first team of BC-Dorenburg eV was able to achieve the championship in its class in 2008/2009 and is thus promoted to 1st class for the coming season.
The first German champion in 1985 was Rolf Bleuel from the Dorenburg Ironing Club.
Web links
- Dutch band
- BC Dorenburg
- BC Dorenburg at WDR - here and now
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://www.bbc-willich.de. Retrieved April 3, 2017 .
- ↑ Home page - LVR-Freilichtmuseum Kommern. Retrieved April 3, 2017 .
- ^ Arnd Krüger : Incorporating traditional games into modern sports. The German Experience. In: E. De Vroede, R. Renson (Eds.): Proceedings of the 2nd European Seminar on Traditional Games. Leuven 12-16 Sept. 1990. Vlaamse Volkssport Centrale, Löwen 1991, pp. 45-54.
- ↑ Article: Ironers determine masters