FIVES

it is bound with fine twine, and covered with white leather. There are two forms of the game of fives, known as the Eton and the Rugby game. The main features are identical in both, viz. the serving of the ball to the opposing striker, and the nece ity of hitting it before the second bounce and of ensuring its striking the front wall above the base line. One difference, however, is that although in the Rugby game singles or doubles may be played, in the Eton game a contest between two individuals only is impracticable and rarely under taken. The Eton Game. The original Eton game was played against the chapel wall, with the buttre es constituting the balustrade of the side walls, chapel steps projected into the court. These conditions are represented in @ modern ‘Eten court’ by a paved floor, the front of which is raised 5 inches above the back, forming a step. This type of court has no back wall. Along the left lateral wall at its middle point a projection is erected to act as an obstacle; it is colloquially known as ‘the pepper-box, ’ and is a special in which the object is to serve the ball into the ‘pepper-box’ so that it strikes it and feature of the game, emerges at an angle, making it difficult for one of the opp onents to reach it and return it. The striker loses a point if the ball pa es too high over ‘the pepper-box.’ A game is fifteen points, a point being scored when the ball is struck outside the reach of an opponent. The right to serve is lost if the ball is struek below the prescribed line, or, as has already been explained, if i pa es too high over the projecting ‘pepper-box’. It is obvious that a very lengthy game may ensue if the opposing sides keep on alternately gaining the right to serve, no point being scored. On the other hand, a superior side may win the whole fifteen points without their opponents ever finding an opportunity to score. The balls are 1} inches in diameter, and weigh 1} ounces.; The Rugby Game. The size of court varies considerably. The game is much simplified by the absence of the ‘ pepper-box’; there is usually, but not invariably, a back wall. The balls are rather smaller than those employed in the Eton game. Scoring is identical in both games. Whilst some primitive and elementary representation of the game is fairly universal, fives is more particularly played at the British public schools. At several, both varieties of court exist and both varieties of the game are played, but on the whole every school remains faithful to one or other variety. The Eton game is particularly favoured at Eton, Harrow, Westminster, Charter house, Repton, Shrews bury, and Wellington. The Rugby game is preferred at Rugby, Winchester, Marl borough, St. Paul’s, Bedford, Oundle, and Clifton.—Cf. A. Tait, Fives (All England Series).