Kuttiyum kolum is a traditional game in Kerala

Kerala

or Keralam is an Indian state located on the Malabar coast of south-west India. It was created on 1 November 1956 by the States Reorganisation Act by combining various Malayalam speaking regions....

, India

India

India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...

.

Origin

There are no records of the game's origin in south Asian sub continent or its existence before the arrival of Europeans. However a similar game by name of Lippa has history of being played in Italy and Southern Europe. It is possible that this game was brought from Europe during the time of Alexander or British.

Rules

The objective of the sport is to use the kolu like a baseball bat

Baseball bat

A baseball bat is a smooth wooden or metal club used in the game of baseball to hit the ball after the ball is thrown by the pitcher. It is no more than 2.75 inches in diameter at the thickest part and no more than 42 inches in length. It typically weighs no more than 33 ounces , but it...

 to strike the kutti (similar to striking a ball

Ball

A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...

 in cricket or baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

). For this purpose, a circle is drawn in the ground in which a small, oblong- or spindle-shaped hole is dug (the overall shape looks like a traditional boat). This hole is smaller than the kutti but as the play progresses the size may increase due to wear. The kutti is inserted into the hole either orthogonally

Orthogonality

Orthogonality occurs when two things can vary independently, they are uncorrelated, or they are perpendicular.-Mathematics:In mathematics, two vectors are orthogonal if they are perpendicular, i.e., they form a right angle...

, or at an angle

Angle

In geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two rays sharing a common endpoint, called the vertex of the angle.Angles are usually presumed to be in a Euclidean plane with the circle taken for standard with regard to direction. In fact, an angle is frequently viewed as a measure of an circular arc...

. The danda is then swung (similar to a golf swing) and strikes the kutti. Another variation is when the kolu lifts or pries the kutti out of the hole at a high speed.

Scoring and outs

There are many regional variations to scoring.

One of the more popular ones is given below:

In the first step, called "kori kuthu", which is the qualifier, the striker places the kutti on the hole, and using the kolu lofts the kutti as far as he can. The kutti becomes airborne after it is lofted. If a fielder from the opposing team

Team

A team comprises a group of people or animals linked in a common purpose. Teams are especially appropriate for conducting tasks that are high in complexity and have many interdependent subtasks.A group in itself does not necessarily constitute a team...

 catches the kutti, the striker is out. If the kutti lands on the ground, the fielder closest to the kutti has one chance to hit the kolu ( with a throw (similar to a run out in cricket).
If the fielder misses the kolu, the striker progresses to the next step.
In step two, called "ittadi" (meaning drop and strike), the striker holds kutti and kolu in the same hand, drops the kutti and strikes at it before it reaches ground. If the fielders catch the kutti, the striker goes out. If the kutti hits the ground, the fielder throws it back at the hole. Now, the Striker hits the kutti again. The striker then measures the distance from the point where the kutti lands, up to the hole, using the kolu in a straight line. If the measure is less than one length of kolu, the striker is out.
The measuring sub-steps are: Saadu, Muri, Naazhi, Aytti, Aarenku. On measuring up to Aarenku, the striker counts one point and proceedes starting with Saadu again. Depending on the sub step at which the measure has ended the striker strikes the kutti from different positions:
Saadu -> Places the kutty on the feet, tosses up and strikes with the kolu
Muri -> (easy one) drops the kutti from one hand and strikes with the kolu
Naazhi -> Places the kutti on the back of the palm with middle and ring fingers bent inwards, tosses up the kutti and strikes with the kolu
Aytti -> drops the kutti from the elbow and strikes with the kolu
Aarenku -> (tough one) Closes an eye, places the kutti over it, drops it and strikes with the kolu.

From ittadi onwards, the striker gets points depending on how far he can strike the kutti back, when the fielder throws back.

Teams

There is no official limit on the number of players in kuttium-kolum or the number of teams. Kuttium-kolum can be played where each individual plays for themselves, or between two teams.