Slide 1
Traditional Bulgarian (folk) sports games
SPORTS SCHOOL GEORGI STOIKOV RAKOVSKI, dobrich, Bulgaria
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FOLK BALL
Folk dodge ball is a very popular game for Bulgarian kids.
It is also taught in Physical education classes.
1. NAME OF THE GAME (in Bulgarian and in English)
Народна топка (Narodna topka) / Dodge Ball
2. ELEMENTS NEEDED FOR PLAYING AND MATERIALS
a court 9 x 18 , divided in half by a center line and 2 ‘’attack’’ or end lines.
3. NUMBER OF PLAYERS
The children divide in two teams with equal number of players. The minimum number of players to start a match is four players but they could be 6 or 10. Each team choose one child for a captain (consul). The captains stay behind the opponents end line.
4. SEX OF PLAYERS
Both sexes
5. AGE OF PLAYERS
From 6 to 15 years old
6. PLACE
The game is played outdoors- the school yard
7. SEASON OF THE YEAR
All seasons (rarely in winter)
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DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME (RULES)
The goal of the game is to eliminate all opposing players by hitting them with the ball or passing it to a teammate. Players must avoid being hit; if hit and they fail to catch the ball, they leave the field. If the ball stays in play, the game continues. If it goes out of bounds, the opposing team gains possession. The team that eliminates all opponents wins.
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Tug of War (Rope Pulling):
This is a traditional Bulgarian village game commonly played during festivals, team-building, or community events, involving two teams pulling on opposite ends of a rope to test strength and teamwork.
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1. NAME OF THE GAME (in Bulgarian and in English)
Игра на ластик (Igra na lastik) / Elastic Cord
2. ELEMENTS NEEDED FOR PLAYING AND MATERIALS
For the game we need only over 3 m of elastic cord, the two ends of which join and make a loop
3. NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Minimum three players
4. SEX OF PLAYERS Usually girls
5. AGE OF PLAYERS From 6 to 11 years old
6. PLACE The game is played outdoors, enough space and flat surface needed
7. SEASON OF THE YEAR All seasons
ELASTIC CORD
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8. DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME (RULES)
Two girls standing opposite each other holding the elastic cord by legs at different levels (starting from the ankles to the knees). Another girl jumps over the cord making different figures with it at different levels. When she makes a mistake the game is over and it is the next girl’s turn. The winner is the one who reaches the highest level of jumping.
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MARBLES
1. NAME OF THE GAME (in Bulgarian and in English)
Игра на топчета (limki) / Marbles
2. ELEMENTS NEEDED FOR PLAYING AND MATERIALS
Marbles
3. NUMBER OF PLAYERS Not fixed
4. SEX OF PLAYERS Usually boys
5. AGE OF PLAYERS 6-14 years of age
6. PLACE Outdoors
7. SEASON OF THE YEAR Spring, summer, autumn
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DESCRIPTION OF THE GAME (RULES)
Marbles is a game in which a marble is propelled by the thumb at other marbles, usually in attempt to drive them out of a previously marked circle. A marble is a little ball of stone, glass, clay or steel, used in this game.
The players make a circle on the playground with a piece of chalk. Then they place 10 to 12 marbles inside the circle. The aim of the game is to get all of the marbles out of the circle. The target marble is propelled by the player's thumb at the other marbles. The first player, who must stay at a distance of about 1-2 meters away of the circle, attempts to do it. If he succeeds, he shoots again, if not, the next player will continue. The winner is the one who succeeds to gather the most marbles
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Traditional wrestling games
It is a tradition in Bulgaria for young man to wrestle and try to win an alive lamb. In Bulgarian this tradition is called "Narodni Borbi“.
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Traditional horse racing
Another folk tradition is the horse racing during the Bulgarian holiday Todorovden (the Day of St Theodore), also known as Horse Easter.
According to tradition, the fastest and best-looking horse in the race is decorated with wreaths and heads first to the village, where a lass or a newly-wed woman is expecting it.
In the house of the horse's owner a celebration starts and women bake and give ritual loaves, named "horse" or "hoof", the dough shaped like a horse or a hoof.
The celebrations of the holiday are a mixture of Orthodox religious beliefs and pagan rituals and horse races are held all over the country on the day.
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