For the 1980 movie, see Hopscotch (movie). For the Julio Cortázar novel, see Hopscotch (novel).

A hopscotch game with a traditional magpie rhyme in Morecambe, England

Hopscotch originated in Britain during the early Roman Empire. It was initially designed as a training regimen for Roman foot soldiers who ran the course in full armor and field packs as it was thought that Hopscotch would improve their footwork. Roman children imitated the soldiers by drawing their own boards and creating a scoring system, and "Hopscotch" spread throughout Europe.

Rules

The first player tosses her marker into the first square. The marker must land completely within the designated square and without touching a line or bouncing out. If the marker lands in the wrong square, the player forfeits her turn. If the marker is successful, the player hops through the court beginning on square one. Side by side the squares are straddled, with the left foot landing in the left square, and the right foot landing in the right square. Single squares must be hopped on one foot. For the first single square, either foot may be used. Squares marked "Safe" "Home" or "Rest" are neutral squares, and may be hopped through in any manner without penalty.

When a player reaches the end of the court, she turns around and hops back through the court, moving through the squares in reverse order and stopping to pick up her marker on the way back. Upon successfully completing the sequence, the player continues his turn by tossing his marker into square number two, and repeating the pattern.

If while hopping through the court in either direction, the player steps on a line, misses a square, or loses her balance, her turn ends. The player starts on her next turn where the player last left off. The first player to complete one course for every numbered square on the court wins the game.

External link

The bulk of this information was sourced at http://www.streetplay.com/thegames/hopscotch.htm. Please go to link for further information.