Scorecard

“ The beginning of improved methods of judging any of the above, is the establishment of a score card, as it is called, which is nothing more than an enumeration of the characteristics and a decision as to the relative value of each one. ”

“ The modern system adopted in the up-to-date clubs, in which the game has received its most scientific development, and in the highest class of social games, does away with the antiquated methods and exacting mathematical problems of the above- and below-the-line system, by using a form of score-sheet which allows and encourages the scorer to mentally compute simple sums during the progress of the rubber. By the elimination of complicated figuring, it minimizes the opportunity for mistake, and delay at the end of the rubber. ”

“ If he succeed, he scores the stroke; if not, it is scored to his adversary. If two chases have been made at any stage of the score, even at the beginning of a game, then the players must change sides and play for the chases, as above described. A player who succeeds in sending the ball into the grille, the dedans, or the last division of the gallery—called the "winning gallery"—on the hazard side, scores at all times a stroke. The minutiae of the game and the mode of scoring cannot be more succinctly described than in the annexed laws. [2] ”

“ THE NON-DEALER’S PLAY TO THE SCORE
The probabilities are not in favour of winning against declared strength. The score will indicate the number of tricks needful to save the game, and the adversaries should take no chances until this important object is attained. Until the game is saved, make no effort to gain extra tricks. Many a rubber which the prompt lead of a high card might have saved is lost by trying for too much. ”

“ A captain is appointed for each target, who designates a target scorer, and the gentleman who makes the largest score, is appointed captain of the target at the succeeding meeting. The target scorer, at the close of the round, hands the score to the official scorer, who announces the result at the next meeting of the club. Some clubs have adopted the plan of having every alternate meeting for prize shooting, awarding some small token to the lady and gentleman who makes the highest scores. ”

“ Well, the first Scouring, which I could find out any thing about, was held in 1755, and all [125] the sports then seem to have been pretty much the same as those of the present day. But there was one thing which happened which could not very well have happened now. A fine dashing fellow, dressed like a gentleman, got on to the stage, held his own against all the old gamesters, and in the end won the chief prize for backsword-play, or cudgel-play, as they used to call it. ”

“ I believe in playing for your shot every time you have an opening. I do not believe in trying to win the point every time you hit the ball. Never allow your concentration on any game to become so great that you do not at all times know the score and play to it. I mean both point score and game score. In my explanation of match play in a later chapter I am going into a detailed account of playing to the score. It is as vital in tennis as it is in bridge, and all bridge players know that the score is the determining factor in your mode of bidding. ”

“ There is no doubt but that a pretty lofted shot on the putting-green into the hole is a beautiful stroke, and I fail to see why it should be sacrificed because another player finds that his score, which he is keeping when he should not, suffers by being stymied. I do not say that I blame the player who is always keeping his score when he plays matches—everybody can do what he likes—but I do protest against a lovely shot being sacrificed on the ground of score. ”

“ It goes without saying that any system which allows a player to see at a glance, not only the score of the game, but also the exact status of the rubber, is more advantageous than one which, until some time after the rubber is completed, may leave him in the dark as to whether he is ahead or behind. Some players allow, whether they or their opponents are in the lead upon the total score of the rubber, to affect their declarations and doubles. This practice cannot be enthusiastically commended, but all must admit that for such players the new scoring system is most essential. ”

“ The player who scores a game as won when, in fact, it is not won, loses it. A lurch—scoring the whole sixty-one before your adversary has scored thirty-one—is equivalent to a double game, if agreed to previous to the commencement of the game. A card that may be legally played cannot be withdrawn after it has been once thrown face upwards on the table. If a player neglect to score his hand, crib, or any point or points of the game, he cannot score them after the cards are packed or the next card played. The player who throws up his cards and refuses to score, forfeits the game. ”

“ Ten minutes later, or maybe eleven—I am speaking of playing and not elapsed time—it had become generally accepted that 6 to 6 was to be the final score of that game. Each side was trying hard to be philosophical and keep in sight the fact that a tied score was better any day than a defeat. One thing had been shown very conclusively, which was that, eliminating accidents, neither team was able to score against the other. Each might advance the ball to its opponent’s thirty-five or even thirty, but beyond that point there was no going. ”

“ A ball going out of bounds is out of play, and must be returned to the server unless it should rebound [338] in the court for which it was intended, when it should still be considered in play.
SCORE.—The score is entirely for a defensive game, being wholly on the opponents' failures. If desired, the score may be the same as in tennis, but is generally as follows:—
One point is scored for (a) failure to strike the ball as directed (from above with the open palm) ; (b) failure to bound the ball before sending it into the opponents' ground; (c) failure to return a good serve or play. ”

“ The Recording Angels suffered me to glance over some score-sheets, and I found them very interesting and astonishing reading; for in the Game of Life, unlike most games, it is not the spectator who can best judge of a man’s innings. It needs a recorder possessed of power more than human to score correctly. I found, for instance, that not a few batsmen who had played a very showy innings and kept up their wickets well, and afforded the crowd plenty of entertainment, had in reality added little or nothing to the Score of the World. Of course, in the Game of Life every ball counts ”

“ Golfers now seem to take not enough interest in the healthy match play, but to be endlessly keen about score. Even in a match you find your opponent has a little book where his score is put down after every hole, and there is a tendency to subordinate everything to score, and considerable pressure to have the rules altered in order to meet the wishes of score players. It is one of the rules of medal play that your opponent's ball should not interfere with yours ”

“ In prize games, players having the same score are frequently called upon to cut for low to determine which shall be the winner, but a fairer way is to cut for high as a person familiar with the trick shown in Fig. 2 can cut the cards at the ace, deuce, or three spot, nearly every time, especially if the deck is a new one. ”

“ The object of the players, on both sides, during this first stage of the game, is to score seven balls of their respective colours as soon as possible. Should a player inadvertently put a ball of the opponents colour into goal, it scores for them, and against his own side. The duration of each game being limited to half-an-hour, scoring is of more importance during the first stage than obstructing. ”

“ Some say that runs are not too numerous, large scores are not an evil in themselves, and they perceive no necessity for any change which would tend to diminish scoring. To these we only say that if they really think so we iigree with them that the rule had better stand as it is. We feel sure, however, that the majority of cricket judges do not agree with this opinion, and the tiresome number of drawn matches is one reason for altering the law; another being that batting as an art is being spoilt, notwithstanding the larger scoring. ”

“ If you are lucky enough to be appointed scorer for your side you mark the score on the handle in such a way as to be indecipherable by everyone but yourself. This prevents disputes with regard to the accuracy of your arithmetic. You also use it to sweep the ice in front of a friendly stone which appears likely to give up prematurely from exhaustion. ”

“ Points,—Ten make the game; as many as are gained by tricks or honours, so many points are set up to the score of the game. Quarte, four successive cards in suit. Quarte Major, a sequence of ace, king, queen, and knave. Quinte, five successive cards in suit. Quinte Major, is a sequence of ace, king, queen, knave, and ten. See-saw, is when each partner trumps a suit, and when they play those suits to each other for that purpose. Score, is the number of points set up. The following is a good method of scoring with coins or counters:
For Short Whist there are regular markers. ”

“ Put a blindfolded player in the center for a hub, and turn him about a number of times, as is done in "Blindman's Buff." He then walks about. The number of the space he stops upon, after repeating a silly verse to the end, is put upon his score card. If he goes outside the circle, even with one foot, he receives no points.
The player who gets the greatest number of points in a given time, wins the game. ”

“ The total number of points scored by the losers during the game, and also the rubber, must be deducted from the winners’ score, the balance, if any, credited to the winners; or it may happen that the winners of a rubber may lose in points. Should the game be for stakes, so much per point should be calculated. ”

“ I think I have touched upon nearly everything that might help a young player to a long score, and with just a word about playing against odds I have done. Whether against eighteen or twenty-two in the field, play the same game that you would against an eleven. I have very often found that the fieldsmen in the outfield are placed too deep, and a second run can be stolen after the ball passes the men close in. Do not hit to leg, but rather place or snick the ball; you will get just as many runs without the risk of being caught. ”

“ SCORE.—A goal keeper scores one point for his team every time that he catches a ball which has not been touched by one of the guards around his goal. A ball caught by a goal keeper after being touched by a guard does not score.
In addition to the score made by goal keepers, a guards' score is kept, each player counting the number of balls he catches and holds, no matter where he be standing, whether in his position as guard or in the center base from which he is to be thrower. Such a catch by a guard scores one point, the guards reporting their points at the end of the game. ”

“ I would really like you to get rid of the automatic centering of scores—it's a nuisance throughout the DMM as there's no sensible way to put scores inline. I'm happy to centre those that need to be. With the exception of a hymn-book, most of the scores I've done shouldn't be centered, rather they should be inline or left-justified. When I need scores to be left justified I've been putting them in a table, and now I discover that I'm basically table nesting as a workaround. ”

“ Get the card to the bottom of the pack, and tell one of the spectators to hold the cards by one corner as tightly as he can. Give them a sharp rap with your finger,—not with your hand,—and all the cards will be struck out of his hold, and fall on the floor, except the bottom card, which will remain between his finger and thumb. It has a rather more dashing effect, if you put the chosen card at the top, and strike them upwards, when the whole pack will fly about the room, like a flock of butterflies, only leaving the top card in the person’s grasp. ”

“ If in play, such cards as together make fifteen are played, the player whose card completes that number, scores two points. Sequences are three or four more successive cards, and reckon for an equal number of points, either in hand or play. In playing a sequence, it is of no consequence which card is thrown down first; as thus:—your adversary playing an ace, you a five, he a three, you a two, then he a four—he counts five for the sequence. ”

“ A very low score, in the nature of things, makes a close score. But there is no reason why a larger score, involving sharper work on the part of every player on the team, under conditions equally favorable to both sides, should not still be a close score, with many more incidents to interest the spectator.
The ball that has been in use for so many years had a small core of solid rubber in the center. ”

“ No teacher should rise or fall on the strength of one rating, or on the strength of the rating of one person. Boice, Elliott and Rugg have all contributed much in the way of score cards. Mr. Cook of South Dakota explains a most interesting and meritorious system in use in his state.
It remains for Katherine Taylor Cranor to present the first self scoring card for the supervisor as an aid to efficiency in school work. It offers to each one upon whom the mantle of supervision has fallen food for thought. It must provoke any thinking person to a critical evaluation of himself and his work. ”