During the period of 6 to 13 of June Split will host the 5th World Championship in Picigin, beach sport mostly played on the beach of Bacvice in Split. Qualifications will took place on 6th and 7th of June,

while the final is planned for 13th of June with the public appereance of guests - teams from Italy, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

On Wednesday, 10th of June, we'll see "rugby in shallows" by local Rugby Club "Nada".

Picigin is a sport played on the beach, and the goal of the game is to keep the small ball in the air as long as possible (without falling). It is a “national” sport in Croatia, the most played in central Dalmatia, at the coast and on the islands. It could also be seen in other Croatian coastal towns. Still, its real popularity is in Split. Young people play picigin, but it is not unusual to see older, i.e. middle-aged people playing this game.

Origin

It is considered to be THE sport of Split. The cultic playground for picigin in Split is Bacvice, the shallow sandy beach.

Picigin has its origins in Central America 6000 years ago. The natives played it on a quiet river banks with a small ball made of goatskin filled with sand.

Similar sports

Zoga falu

Playing site

It is played in shallow spot, on a sandy beach. All other variants (rocks, pebbles, etc) are not acceptable because it would not be picigin anymore.

Players

According to some experience of the players of picigin who play it for years, the best game is the one with 5 players. A game with more or less people does not function as it should, although it could be played.

A team mixed by gender and age is not unusual.

Rules

Players stand in the circle. It is desirable that the highest point of the sea level is between knees and ancles, and the lowest only up to the ancles (several centimetres above ancles would be ideal).

Players don’t pass the small ball towards each other, they bounce the ball towards someone indefinite in the circle, or out of the circle, but still it has to be catchable.

When bounced, it is desirable to throw the small ball upward to make an arc, parabola in the air and fall...somewhere. It is not a problem if the course of ball is straight-lined, or even falling, but it is permitted and playable and it has its sense only if the ball is getting back in the game, not play like that all the time. High speed of the ball is not desirable.

Players don’t have to stand in the spot during the game. Moreover, when the players “worm up”, the action starts when players start to throw themselves, jump, run for the ball...

It is permitted to hit the ball with a palm, and it is desirable to play with both hands, which is the most common mistake of unexperienced players who play only with a \“better\” hand.

The essence of this game is that it is not rigid, its goal is to relax. The game usually starts easily, and when the players wish some action they start to “complicate”the situation by bouncing the ball awkardly, so that the players are forced to perform acrobatics, but not of the kind to bounce the ball back to the player that has just fallen. The ball is bounced to the others in order to give the chance to the player who is out of the game to come back. And EVERYONE plays. “It is not the point” to throw the ball towards the players who will “catch” it for sure (not catch it literally, but bounce it). Ball has to be bounced to those who don’t bounce it so good, so that the other players try hard to “save the ball” of falling into the sea and bring it back to the game.

It is not allowed to catch the ball. The only permitted catching grip is rearly seen and dangerous – for the teeth. It is when a player catches the ball in the mouth, but doesn’t keep it but blows it out (NOT spit it out) back in the game.

It is desirable that the size of the ball is something between the table-tennis ball and the tennis ball. The ideal ball for playing is a ground down tennis ball (a millimetre or two of rubber is ground down to make the ball lighter and to bounce better).



Source: Wikipedia