Picigin

Picigin is a sport in which a maximum of five players throw a balun (ball) at each other in shallow sea water. There are no strict rules that determine the outcome (victory / defeat) of a game.

Creation legend

In 1908 Croatian students from Prague brought water polo to Split . The new game quickly became popular with the Split, but could not be played on the famous Bačvice beach . The coast there consists of wide flat areas, which makes swimming impossible. The waves are very strong in deep water, which forced the Split to play in the shallow. It is now believed that due to these geographical conditions and rule changes, water polo became picigin and spread across the Adriatic .

Picigin's linguistic origin is unclear. It is believed, however, that Picigin comes from the Italian pizzicato .

regulate

It is played with five players. Two of them are Sidruni (koat. Sidro anchor; fixed players) and the remaining three jumpers. The players stand in the shape of a pentagon about six meters apart. The Sidruni make the information with the balun . The first information is usually easy to accept in order to find the rhythm of the game. It is important to hit the ball with the flat of your hand and, if possible, use both hands, which increases the service area. The ball is later played on purpose in such a way that it is difficult to accept. The jumping and falling is what makes the game so appealing, as there are no points that determine the outcome.

The balun is usually a converted tennis ball . The felt layer is peeled off with a sharp knife. A few more millimeters of rubber are scraped off to make the balun lighter and more airworthy. These properties gave it its name Balun ( Dalmatian : "Ballon"). The balun was invented by Emil Giosento, a picigin player in the 1960s. Other balls for picigin were seen reluctantly on the beaches as they pose a risk of injury.

matchfield

Picigin is mainly played in shallow water on a sandy beach . All other types of beach (gravel or rocks) are not recommended due to the likelihood of injuries. The optimal depth of the water should be 10–20 cm or only reach the player's knees. On the one hand, this should ensure agility in the water and, on the other hand, it should be able to cushion falls.

Traditions in Croatia

Picigin players on Baćvice beach in Split

Picigin has been played on New Years Day in Split for more than 90 years, despite the cold sea water. Based on this old tradition, a floodlight system was set up on the primeval beach of the Picigin in 2005 to enable games to be played at night. Every year there is a world championship in Picigin in Split (croat. / Dalmat. Prvenstvo svita u Piciginu ).

In 2007, the Croatian Minister of Culture, Božo Biškupić, declared Picigin a Croatian cultural asset.