Seven stones (also known by numerous other names) is an Indian subcontinent game in which two teams compete in a vast outdoor area with a ball and a pile of flat stones. It is still played in villages today.
Each member of the Seeker team has three attempts to use the ball to remove the stone pile. If one member fails, the next member comes in and takes his turn.
Gameplay
One of the teams (the searchers) tosses a ball at a mound of stones in the hopes of knocking it over. The seekers must next attempt to repair the stone pile while avoiding the opposing team’s (hitters’) throws. The hitters’ goal is to get the ball to the seekers before they can rebuild the stone pile. If the ball contacts a seeker, that seeker is out, and the team from whom the seeker originated continues. A seeker can always protect themselves by touching a member of the opposing team before the ball touches them.
Added guidelines
- When attempting to knock over the piled-up stones, the tossing seeker cannot get too close. They must do so while standing behind a line drawn on the ground.
- If the individual attempting to knock down the pile fails after three attempts, they are deemed out.
- If the thrower’s ball does not knock down the pile and is caught by an opponent after the first bounce in any of the three tries, the thrower is out.
- Each team has the same number of players as the other.
- There are 7 or 5 stones in each pile of flat stones.
- Hitters are unable to run with the ball in order to strike the seekers.
- After restoring the pile of stones, the seeker announces the reconstruction of the pile of stones by saying the game’s name.
Following the Lagori Game
Not long ago, children from all over the country would gather on a field to play a variety of outdoor games. While football and cricket were the most popular games, old and traditional Indian games such as Kabaddi, Kho-Kho, and Gilli Danda were also popular.
With the passage of time, most of these ancient games began to dwindle away, leaving only a few to survive. Kabaddi, for example, became a global craze after the Pro Kabaddi League was established. A game that no kid talked about seven years ago is today watched and played with zeal by practically every child of this generation. Kabaddi isn’t the only traditional sport that has earned international acclaim. Lagori, a popular game among young people in the past, has now made its way onto the worldwide circuit.
Lagori is now played in at least 30 countries around the world. The game has progressively earned a significant degree of international acclaim. India, on the other hand, is the epicentre of the game’s development, with a larger platform and a wider consumer reach. The Amateur Lagori Federation of India organised the Indian Lagori Premier League, which took place in November 2017 and received a lot of traction around the country. They’ve also worked hard to bring the game to other Indian states, as well as other nations, and have played a key role in its spread. The second Lagori World Cup (the first was held in 2015) will be held later this year, and it will feature teams from India, Bhutan, Hong Kong, Brazil, Turket, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal.
Has the rules for the game changed?
The rules haven’t changed all that much over the years, but there have been some adjustments to the way the game is played. The International Lagori Foundation established the following fundamentals: Each team would have 12 players, however each set would only have 6 people on the court. Each set lasts three minutes, with a half-minute break in between. A normal match consists of three sets, with the winning team scoring the most points. Aside from that, all leagues follow the same set of regulations. Having said that, the game has gone a long way from its previous state.
From a dusty open field to inside synthetic grass, from a pile of stones strewn across the field to seven circular fibre discs produced expressly for the game, and from an old tennis ball to a softball designed specifically for the game.
Despite the fact that the game was practically forgotten and became extinct in recent decades, the first World Cup in 2015 was a major success, and the Indian Lagori Premiere League (ILPL), which caters to a wide audience in the country, it appears that Lagori is through a revival phase.
