Bolas criollas
Encyclopedia
Bolas Criollas is a traditional team sport from Venezuela
, very popular in the Llanos
and most rural regions. It is one of the most representative icons of Llanero
culture. Its origins can be traced back to traditional European sports, such as Boccia
and Pétanque
.
The court is usually enclosed with logs, wooden boards or concrete slabs. In occasions an internal string perimeter fitted at no more than 20 cm from the enclosure signals valid gaming ground. The solid balls (roughly 15 cm diameter, made of synthetic material) are coloured red and green respectively to separate each team. The small steel or iron ball called mingo
has a diameter no greater than 5 cm and is used as a marker. At the beginning of a match, a previously drawn member of either team throws the mingo from one established end of the court (called the calzador) to the opposite end. If the mingo rests in the opposite half of the court, the toss is valid. From then, participants of each team alternatively toss one ball each from the calzador attempting to make their balls rest as close to the mingo
as possible (or touching it). After all balls have been thrown, a designed judge awards point to the winning team based on their balls' proximity to the mingo. If the match is not ended by a winning score, the whole routine is repeated from the alternate side (for ease, as there is no need to carry the heavy balls back to the original place). Please note that a valid toss in Bolas Criollas is done with the palm of the hand facing downward (in opposition to bowling
, for example), and the arm must swing in a graceful arc, body resting on one flexed leg and the other leg extended. Running to gain momentum is allowed, as long as the player does not overshoot the calzador.
(mostly in the city of Cúcuta
) and in Cuba. It is played without distinction by all social classes and genders.
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, very popular in the Llanos
Llanos
The Llanos is a vast tropical grassland plain situated to the east of the Andes in Colombia and Venezuela, in northwestern South America. It is an ecoregion of the Flooded grasslands and savannas Biome....
and most rural regions. It is one of the most representative icons of Llanero
Llanero
A llanero is a Venezuelan or Colombian herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying western Venezuela and eastern Colombia. The Llanero were originally part Spanish and Indian and have a strong culture including a distinctive form of music.During the wars of independence,...
culture. Its origins can be traced back to traditional European sports, such as Boccia
Boccia
Boccia is a traditional recreational sport, similar to bocce. The name Boccia is derived from the Latin word for boss – bottia. The sport is competed at national and international level, by athletes who require a wheelchair because of physical disability...
and Pétanque
Pétanque
Pétanque is a form of boules where the goal is, while standing inside a starting circle with both feet on the ground, to throw hollow metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet or jack. It is also sometimes called a bouchon or le petit...
.
Game Objective
The game's objective is fairly simple:two teams of two participants equipped with eight heavy balls throw in turns and attempt to place them as close as possible to a much smaller metal ball. The team that reaches a maximum of 100 points in several attempts wins the match.Description
It is played in a court shaped as a large level rectangle, built of flattened earth (typically rich in sand or clay), clear of trees or visible obstacles. The court must keep a 3:2 proportion ratio and its actual dimensions may vary, but an approximate size of 20 x 30 meters is preferred.The court is usually enclosed with logs, wooden boards or concrete slabs. In occasions an internal string perimeter fitted at no more than 20 cm from the enclosure signals valid gaming ground. The solid balls (roughly 15 cm diameter, made of synthetic material) are coloured red and green respectively to separate each team. The small steel or iron ball called mingo
Mingo
The Mingo are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans made up of peoples who migrated west to the Ohio Country in the mid-eighteenth century. Anglo-Americans called these migrants mingos, a corruption of mingwe, an Eastern Algonquian name for Iroquoian-language groups in general. Mingos have also...
has a diameter no greater than 5 cm and is used as a marker. At the beginning of a match, a previously drawn member of either team throws the mingo from one established end of the court (called the calzador) to the opposite end. If the mingo rests in the opposite half of the court, the toss is valid. From then, participants of each team alternatively toss one ball each from the calzador attempting to make their balls rest as close to the mingo
Mingo
The Mingo are an Iroquoian group of Native Americans made up of peoples who migrated west to the Ohio Country in the mid-eighteenth century. Anglo-Americans called these migrants mingos, a corruption of mingwe, an Eastern Algonquian name for Iroquoian-language groups in general. Mingos have also...
as possible (or touching it). After all balls have been thrown, a designed judge awards point to the winning team based on their balls' proximity to the mingo. If the match is not ended by a winning score, the whole routine is repeated from the alternate side (for ease, as there is no need to carry the heavy balls back to the original place). Please note that a valid toss in Bolas Criollas is done with the palm of the hand facing downward (in opposition to bowling
Bowling
Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...
, for example), and the arm must swing in a graceful arc, body resting on one flexed leg and the other leg extended. Running to gain momentum is allowed, as long as the player does not overshoot the calzador.
Counting points
Points are awarded in the following fashion: the judge identifies the winning colour as the ball that is closest to the mingo. An imaginary circle with the mingo in the center is drawn, its radius being the center of the first ball of the opposite colour. Any balls of the winning colour that fall within this circle are counted as points. A maximum of eight and minimum of zero (a draw) can be counted by each "set". As measurements can be imprecise and somewhat subjective in loose soil, discussions frequently arise. The judge may require a bit of string (to use as a "ruler") or other tools, and more than one judge may be required for unbiased decisions. When not officially competing, participants may use steps (counting the number of steps placed in front of the other - tip to heel to the mingo), outstretched hands, twigs or whatever means available, giving rise to somewhat hilarious situations.Tricks and moves
As simple as the game may sound, experienced Bolas Criollas players display great skill at their throws. Several valid moves and tricks are commonly exploited that alter completely the course of a game, thus resulting in exciting matches.- Arrime - When a player throws a ball in a gentle calculated arc and it lands just beside the mingo.
- Boche - A difficult move where a skilled thrower hits the winning ball of an opponent with his own, displacing the opponent's ball and leaving the thrower's team in a winning position. An alternative version of this move is hitting the mingo itself, thus changing completely the geometry of the game.
- Clavao - A Boche with effect, that leaves the "aggressive" ball in the exact position of the original ball as if "nailed".
Popularity
The first report about the arrival of this game to Venezuela mention that Spanish monks brought it with the conquistadores. Since 1930, it has become widely popular, and during the first National Sports Games event in 1956, it was elevated to a sport, and official rules were set. Since then, it has been one of the most popular attractions in this event. The National Championship of Bolas Criollas takes place every year during the months of August and September. The game is also very popular in ColombiaColombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
(mostly in the city of Cúcuta
Cúcuta
Cúcuta is a Colombian city, capital of Norte de Santander, in the northeast of the country. Due to its proximity to the Colombian-Venezuelan border, Cúcuta is an important commercial center. The city has the constitutional category of Special District. It is located at the most active...
) and in Cuba. It is played without distinction by all social classes and genders.