Akron Times-Press, April 1. 1926, pg 3

C'MON KIDS, KNUCKLE DOWN TO THESE RULES

FOR TIMES-PRESS 1926 MARBLE TOURNAMENT

By PAUL W. VAN CAMP Marbles Editor

[this is the first time Van Camp’s name appears associated with marbles]

HARD, fast marble shooting, with every player putting all his steam on every shot!

     That is the object of the revised national rules for Ringer. This scientific marble game has been officially adopted for 1926 for the a fourth annual National Marble Championship Tournament, to be held in Atlantic City in June.

     Akron, Kenmore, Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls school champs will be picked in April.

     These are the rules under which the Akron champion will be picked by The Times-Press. The champion will be sent to Atlantic City at the expense of The Times-Press to compete for the national title with the marble champions of more than 50 other cities thruout the nation.

     Fewer changes in the rules for Ringer have been made his year than ever before. Former rules have been allowed to stand, wherever possible, to avoid confusion.

CHANGES ARE IMPORTANT

     This year's changes are very important ones, however. They are calculated to raise the quality of sportsmanship in Ringer, to allow players as much freedom as possible and to strengthen the authority of the referee.

     Thoro studies of the rules was made at the close of the 1925 national tournament in Atlantic City by the 64 newspaper men and women who officiated. They composed the largest group of experts on the game ever assembled.

     These leaders submitted suggested changes in the rules on request of National Tournament headquarters and the changes made are all based on their suggestions.

     The 1926 officials united with marble champions from every part of America in denouncing the practice of "babying in" the ring. Many a champion gave up his hopes of national fame rather than try to win the baby way.

     "Babying in" consists of shooting for a position in midring, without making any attempt to knock out a marble. This is done so that if the opponent misses the "babied in" shooter, a quick and easy cleanup of marbles may be made on the player's next turn.

     Champion and officials alike were determined to stamp out "babying in," and a way has been found to do it.

     The new Ringer rules direct that when a shooter is knocked out of the ring, the player is killed, out of the game. Thus the risk in "babying in" a shooter is so great that few players will take it.

     Second of the big changes was that in the size of shooters. Players are now allowed greater freedom of course than over before. The minimum size for shooters  has been put at one-half inch, and the maximum at six-eights inch.

     Mibs, the playing marble, may be any size not over five-eighths inch in diameter.

     A new ruling insists that all the marbles in any one playing ring must be of uniform size.

DO NOT WALK THRU RING

     One of the greatest handicaps to players in the past has been the habit of some marble shooters of walking thru the ring instead of around it. This year referees are authorized to assess a penalty of one mib for each offense of this nature.

     National Tournament headquaters is again stressing the one important rule for all marble games played under its auspices. This is that all games are FOR FAIR and not for keeps. Recreation leaders assert that the Scripps-Howard National Marble Tournament is having an immense influence on American youth in thus discouraging gambling.

     Simple rules for Ringer, the official marble game, are printed today. A copy of the complete rules may be had from schoolroom teachers.

SIMPLE RULES FOR MARBLE GAME

1- Draw a ring 10 feet across. Mark a cross in the center. On this cross place 13 mibs, one in the center, three on each of the cross. Mibs should be laid three inches apart.

2- At opposite sides of the ring, draw straight lines, parallel to each other, each of which touches the ring at one point. Players stand toeing one line and lag shooters to the other. In the lag shot, they may knuckle down or not, as they choose. Shooter nearest the line gets first shot, the next nearest shoots second, and so on.

3- Playing marbles (mibs) must not be over the five-eighths inches in diameter. Shooters must be from one-half to six-eighths inches in diameter. Official marble gauges for measuring shooters and mibs will be in the hands of room teachers in all schools. Steelies and ironies are barred.

 4- First player knuckles down at ringside and shoots to knock out a marble. He wins what he knocks out. If his shooter remains in the ring, he gets another shot. If it goes out of the ring, even if he has won a marble on the shot, he has to await his nest turn.

5- If his shooter stays in the ring, the other players may shoot at it. If a shooter is hit, but not knocked out, the player picks up any marble he wishes. If a shooter is knocked out of the ring, the player collects all the marbles the owner of the shooter has won, THE SHOOTER KNOCKED OUT OF THE RING IS KILLED, out of the game.

6- On all shots except the lag, players MUST knuckle down. At least one knuckle must be on the ground. Penalty for lifting the hand (histing) or moving it forward (hunching) is that the player loses any gains he may have made on the shot.

7- The game is over when the last marble Is won. The player with largest number of marbles is declared winner. All games are FOR FAIR. At the end of each game winners must give marbles back to the players they won them from.

8- Conduct at the marble rings is important. No coaching is allowed. To coach a player may mean that he will be disqualified. Walking thru the ring, instead of around it, is forbidden. The referee's decision on all points is FINAL. He has wide powers and will not permit any argument.

9- If a shooter slips from a player's hand and does not travel more than 10 Inches, he may call "slips." Then the referee, if he is convinced it was a slip, may permit the player to take the shot over.

10- Players must not smooth the surface of the ring or replace mibs or other shooters. They may ask for "picks" and then the referee will clear the ground for the shot.

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