Rules of the Game

"Rules? In a knife fight?" -- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid
Click on Links for Illustrations
 For more help, check The Glossary

1. Equipment
2. Playing and Scoring
3. The Bark
4. Behavior and Deportment
5. Records
6. ARSD Hall of Fame
7. Governing Board

Scoresheet to Download and Print (pdf)
Sample Scoresheet from  November 11,  2006 (pdf)
(so you can see how it's used)

1. Equipment

1.1 The Field

The standard sized field of play is a more-or-less open area, roughly 150 feet wide by 100 feet long, surrounded by a four-foot-high "Dog Fence," which defines the boundaries. Both the Dog Pound and the Base are out of bounds. 

It is possible, however, to play virtually anywhere there is room to whack.  A good rule of thumb for determining bacco distance when laying out the field is for the dog with the strongest throwing arm to throw a hopper as far as he can from the base.  Put the bacco line about ten paces beyond where it lands.  If you can't hit it farther than you can throw it, you don't deserve a bacco.

1.2 Whacking Materials

1.2.1 The Base

The Base is simply a standard-sized brick, against which the Hopper leans. It is placed entirely in foul territory, with the leading edge defining the boundary. Achieving a good Up often requires careful attention to the positioning of the Hopper on the Base. Different Hoppers will require different positions.

1.2.2 The Hopper

The Hopper is a short piece of stick, usually 8 to 12 inches long or so. Experimentation will help Dogs in deciding what length and diameter is best. As in many things in life, bigger is not always better.

 Several hoppers should be cut before a match. Green wood is preferred -- broomsticks and the like just don't last very long -- and the bark may be stripped or not, according to preference. It is often preferred to spraypaint hoppers a bright color, such as Highway Orange, in order to aid in Fetching Baccos.

 Only ONE hopper is permitted to be in play at a time: all dogs MUST use the same hopper. Hoppers are to be used until they break in two, or crack to the point that all Dogs agree to replace it. The next Dog to bark gets to choose the new hopper.

 When a hopper breaks on a whack, the score is tallied from the piece which comes to rest farthest from the base in fair territory. Broken pieces landing in foul territory or stuck in an object do not make the whack foul, unless no other piece has landed in fair territory. For a broken whack to count as a bacco, ALL pieces of the hopper must cross the bacco boundary.
 
 

1.2.3 The Pickle

The Pickle is a longer piece of wood, generally cut from the same sapling or tree limb as the Hoppers. Each Dog may have his or her own pickle, and length, weight and diameter are all at the discretion of the Dog. However, a Dog must always use the same Pickle throughout a Row.

 Dogs often find that good Pickles can last an entire season or more, particularly if they were made from good green wood, with a little spring in it.
 
 

1.3 Attire

Attire is recommended. Close attention to be paid to the Snood and the Paws. Gloves are not permitted, though they would be nice.

1.4 Refreshments

Gatorade is recommended.

2. Playing and Scoring

A Grasshopper Match consists of any number of Rows. The number may be predetermined, but more often, Dogs just play as long as they can, and total up the scores at the end.

 A Row consists of the number of Howls required for one Dog to achieve at least 201 points.

 A Howl is achieved when each Dog has barked in turn once. After each Howl, scores for the individual barks are added to each Dog's score on the previous Howl. Once a dog has achieved 201 points, and the Howl in which this was accomplished is completed, the Dog with the highest total score wins the Row. Note that even if subsequent dogs to bark have no chance to surpass the winning dog's score, the Howl must be completed. That's life.

 The Dog who wins the most Rows wins the match.

2.1 Order of Play

For the first row of a match, dogs bark in order of age, youngest to eldest. In all subsequent rows, dogs bark according to their scores from the previous row, lowest previous score first, winner of the row last.

2.2 Practice rounds

The purity of the game requires that "all barks count." There is accordingly no practice permitted. Ever.

3. The Bark

A "Bark" (basically, a Dog's turn at whack), consists of an Up and, provided the Up is successful, a Whack.
 

3.1 The Up

Dog places hopper against the base, leaning it so the end touching the ground is away from the playing field. Dog then strikes the top end of the hopper with the pickle, flipping it up off the base and sending it spinning into the air. This is the up.

Dogs get one chance for an up. If the up is not achieved in one try, the bark is over. There are no exceptions to this rule -- even if the hopper is missed on the downswing or fails to jump up, the bark is over and the dog receives no score.

3.2 The Whack

If a "good up" is achieved, the dog must then whack the spinning hopper with the pickle before any part of the hopper touches the ground, and drive it into fair territory and/or over the bacco boundary in order to score.

 Local rules permit the dog to call a "hinder" if a whackable hopper might, when whacked, endanger other dogs. The whacking dog must clearly call out "hinder!" and may not swing for the hinder to be permitted, in which case the dog may attempt another bark. Whackability of the hopper is a judgement call by the barking dog, and may not be contested. However, if a hinder is called on a clearly whackable up, other dogs may whine and treat the offender as the cur he or she clearly is.
 
 

3.2.1 Foul Whacks

Any whack which comes to rest with any part of the hopper behind the leading edge of the base, or which comes to rest entirely on the other side of the left or right boundaries, or stays stuck in a tree, fence or other object, whether in or out of the field of play, is foul, and the dog receives no points for that bark.

 However, if a hopper passes over the bacco boundary in fair territory, and then comes to rest on the "foul" side of a line extended from either foul boundary, the hopper is fair, and a bacco is scored.

When a hopper is stuck in an object, the dog may give the object no more than three vigorous shakes. If the hopper then falls and comes to rest in fair territory, or over the bacco boundary, within 15 seconds after the shake, it is scored appropriately. If it remains stuck, the whack is foul, and if the hopper is unretrievable, the next dog selects a new hopper and puts it in play.
 

3.3 Scoring

A successful bark (a fairly whacked up) receives a number of points equal to the number of normal steps the dog must take to reach it in a direct line from the base to where it finally came to rest in fair territory. These points are doubled for Doubles, tripled for Triples. There is nothing beyond a Triple. (See Glossary of Terms).

Any whack which crosses the bacco boundary on the fly and comes to rest on the other side is worth 100 points, and must be retrieved by the next dog to bark, upon command of "Fetch!" Doubles or Triples do NOT count in this case.

A whack which penetrates the bacco barrier or bounces over it scores the number of points required to step directly to the point of penetration or crossing -- it is not considered a "bacco."

4. Behavior and Deportment

Dogs are required to root for all other dogs. The appropriate response to a well-whacked hopper is "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!" and to a bacco by another dog is the "two-point ground touch," in which dogs run from the pound, circling the right arm forward, and crouch in a genuflection with the right index finger touching the ground ahead of them. This generally requires a little practice and some Gatorade.

Particulary impressive baccos or Cream Cheeses (see Glossary) may be celebrated by the Dog in an appropriate manner.

 Arguments are not permitted, though snide remarks such as "But you're a good player!" and "Well-hit, sir, very well hit!" on a bagel are encouraged. When a row is won on a bacco by the final dog, all dogs shout "Reset!"

5. Records

Most Matches Won:

Rex. No one really knows how many that is, but even though he has lost a few, he remains "Rex the Alpha-Dog."

In official tournament play (results listed on this site) records indicate rows won at:

Fido: 35
Rex: 27
Gwumba: 22
Dino: 20
Sparky: 5
Dingo: 4
Hobie: 3
 Sir Barksalot: 2
Taz: 2
Rock: 1
Snooper: 1
Spike: 1
Duke: 1
Salty: 1
Conagan: 1

And tournaments won at:

Fido: 5
Rex: 4  
Gwumba: 3
Dino: 1
Rock: 1
Taz: 1
Sparky: 1
Dingo: 1

Points Per Row:

Rex: 243.33, August 12, 1998

Most Consecutive Baccos:

Rex: 6, Summer, 1996.
Gwumba: 5, Summer, 1997.
 

"300" Rows:

Rex: 4
Gwumba: 3
Dino: 1
Dingo: 1
Fido: 1
 

Three-Bark Rows:

Rex: 6
Dino: 3
Fido: 3
Gwumba: 2
Dingo: 1
Sparky: 1
 

6. ARSD Hall of Fame

Rex, 1999 -- For outstanding contribution and performance
Dino, 1999 -- For outstanding performance
Gwumba, 1999 -- For outstanding performance
Fido, 2004 -- For outstanding performance
 

7. Governing Board

All disputes and decisions not covered by these rules may be submitted for judgment to the ARSD Governing Board.  The decision of the Board is final.  The Board also has complete responsibility for any and all changes to rules, regulations, interpretations, record maintenance and election to the ARSD Hall of Fame.

Permanent membership on the Board is limited to members of the ARSD Hall of Fame.  These members may choose to select, on their own initiative, certain other dogs for temporary membership for purposes of dispute resolution, rule review or Gatorade testing.