Official Rules: sol-R
The following rules and guidelines of play for sol-R have been excerpted from the book, "Ricochet and Other Fun Games with an Odd Ball" by Chris Cavert. (See Books for information on how you can obtain a hard copy version.)
Applications: Sol-R is a great game for players to develop hand-eye coordination at their own speed. Players also learn to challenge themselves and establish personal goals. Sol-R can be played on small or large Spans (hard surfaces of play), however, be mindful, too many Sol-R games going at the same time, in the same area, can be hazardous.
Needs: 1 Ricochet Ball (the official ball is a 6-nubbed rubber ball) and a ground level Span for every player. (Playing this game off of a table-top, like some other ricochet games, is really tough!) Don’t forget to stretch out before playing!!
Numbers: 1 (now do you get where I got sol-R from? If not, call me!)
Play: This game is a great way to begin developing and practicing the skills needed for other Ricochet games found in the book. Even though there really is no way (at least we haven’t done a formal study on it yet) to determine the reaction of the r-ball (the players name for the ricochet ball), you CAN work on your moves and reaction time.
In this game you will be the Thrower/Server as well as the Receiver. If you want, just for practice, you can call the Serve to yourself - as it is done in other group games, (but don’t let anyone catch you talking to yourself, they may never want to play the games with you) – remember, either a Sneaker (low serve), a Skyscraper (mid-level serve), or a Rocket (a very high serve). You get 10 Throws/Serves and 10 chances to Receive/Catch during this game. The objective is to see how many Points you can accumulate after 10 Throws (a point is counted every time the ball touches the Span [ground surface], but to earn the points you must catch the ball - and, you decide when it is most appropriate to catch it).
In this game you will be the Thrower/Server as well as the Receiver. If you want, just for practice, you can call the Serve to yourself - as it is done in other group games, (but don’t let anyone catch you talking to yourself, they may never want to play the games with you) – remember, either a Sneaker (low serve), a Skyscraper (mid-level serve), or a Rocket (a very high serve). You get 10 Throws/Serves and 10 chances to Receive/Catch during this game. The objective is to see how many Points you can accumulate after 10 Throws (a point is counted every time the ball touches the Span [ground surface], but to earn the points you must catch the ball - and, you decide when it is most appropriate to catch it).
Scenario: Okay, let’s go with a Skyscraper (mid-level serve into the air). You make the underhand Throw/Serve into the air. Let it hit the Span once, twice, three times – you better grab it!! YES! Nice Catch. You have 3 points on the board. Let’s stay with the Skyscraper one more time. Nice Throw, OH NO, Ricochet’. It’s heading for the fence. Done Ball! No points for that Throw. You still have 3 points though (you never lose what you got!). Let’s play it safe. Go for the Sneaker. Good, one, two, grab it! Okay, maybe a little too safe! But, you got two more. Total of 5 now, in three Throws/Serves down. You’ve got seven more Throws/Serves left. Give it all you’ve got! What can you get after 10 Throws/Serves? Don't forget to check The Official Records Book to see if you are in the top ten - but don't forget, if you want to get into the Records Book you will need a witness to verify your attempt.
Play On!!
Play On!!
