The game of champions.
The fastest game in Estarcion.
Featured prominently in the latter books of Cerebus the Aardvark. According to Dave Sim it's based on a game he played as a kid. Cite is the sixth paragraph on page 464 of the Latter Days trade paperback appendix. The name comes from a George Harrison line in A Hard Day's Night according to Sim.
The playing area is delineated by a box drawn on the ground. The necessary equipment are a ball, two rackets and a goal. Five Bar Gate requires two players. The rest of this writeup is from the trade paperback of Guys pages 41 and 42.
A. Standing with both feet behind the baseline, the shooter attempts to score on the goalie by hitting the ball into the net with his racket.
B. The ball must be kept in motion at all times (i.e. the shooter has to bounce the ball up and down, the ball can't just rest on the racket).
C. A save is made when the goalie, having stopped the shot with any part of his body deflects and/or directs the ball across the baseline or sidelines.
D. The ball is considered in-play so long as it has not crossed the baseline or sidelines or has only bounced once in the out of bounds areas.
1. Causing the ball to bounce twice out of bounds or...
2. Causing the ball to roll across the baseline or sidelines.
E. After the shooter's initial shot has made contact with:
- The back wall
- Any part of the net
- Any part of the goalie
- The goalie's racket
The shooter is free to pursue the
loose ball onto the
court.
F. An open ball can be pushed or struck with the racket into the net by the shooter or out of bounds by the goalie.
G. Scooping the open ball into the air the shooter can bounce it up and down on his racket. As long as the ball continues to bounce on the racket, the shooter can move anywhere on or off the court shooting only when he chooses (no time limit).
H. The goalie must remain within the confines of the court, using his racket to strike the shooter's racket or the ball only.
I. The shooter gets five shots and then the shooter and goalie switch places.
J. First player to score fifteen goals wins.
Five Bar Gate and Cerebus are © Dave Sim 2004. All rights reserved. Everything2, Dave Sim and myself are not liable for any injury for those attempting to play Five Bar Gate.