Cherokee marbles facts for kids
Cherokee marbles (called ᏗᎦᏓᏲᏍᏗ, or digadayosdi) is a special game played by the Cherokee people in the United States. It's also known as five hole. In this game, players roll small stone balls into five shallow pits dug into a playing field. Today, people often play with billiard balls instead of stones.
You can play Cherokee marbles by yourself or with a team. Recently, schools in the Cherokee Nation have started teaching students how to play. There's even a big tournament every year during the Cherokee National Holiday!
History of Cherokee Marbles
We don't know exactly when or how the game of Cherokee marbles started. It's a very old tradition!
Cherokee marbles is a bit like another game called rolley hole. That game is played by Anglo-Americans and also uses marbles, but it has three holes instead of five. Cherokee marbles also has parts that remind you of other games like croquet, bocce ball, and even billiards.
In the early 2000s, the Cherokee Nation helped introduce this game into public schools in northeast Oklahoma. This helped more young people learn about and enjoy this traditional sport.
How to Play the Game
Long ago, Cherokee marbles was played with round balls made from stone. Now, people usually use billiard balls. The cue ball (the white one) is a popular choice.
Every year, a big tournament for Cherokee marbles is held during the Cherokee National Holiday. This happens each Labor Day weekend.
Rules of the Game
The game is played on a field that's about 100 feet long. It's shaped like the letter "L". There are five shallow holes, each about two inches wide. These holes are placed about 10 to 12 feet apart. The fifth hole is at the very end of the long part of the "L".
To decide who starts the game, players stand at the second hole. They throw a marble back towards the first hole. The player whose marble lands in the first hole gets to start the main game.
Players then go to the starting line and take turns rolling their marbles. Once a player's marble reaches the second hole, they can try to hit other players' marbles out of the way.
To win, a player's marble must go through all five holes in order. Then, it must travel back through the first four holes, finishing by landing back in the first hole.
Players and Teams
Any number of people can play Cherokee marbles individually. If you play in teams, each team must have the same number of players. In today's tournaments, teams usually have three people.
There is an official rulebook that is used for all tournament games. This makes sure everyone plays fairly.
