काक-काकातुआ | रुमाल छू | रुमाल झपट्टा | Dog and the Bone | Steal the Bacon

Introduction

Cheel jhapatta is a basic chasing game involving focused swift actions where players snatch a rumaal (handkerchief). The players have to grab the rumal, which is placed in the middle of the playing area, before their opponents can. Moreover, players have to simultaneously block the opponents from taking the rumal by forming a hand-fence and chase the opponents if they have already picked it up. The movement is like a vulture snatching a piece of meat and flying away quickly.

Instead of a handkerchief, a small piece of cloth or a stone can also be used. This game has simple rules and basic difficulty levels for scoring. Therefore, only a limited strategic construct is required.

Other Names

Region	Name
Rajasthan	Rumaal chori/jhapatta
Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh	Rumaal chhu
Sanskrit	Kaak-kakatua

Region	Name
Western countries	Dog and the bone
United Kingdom, Europe	Steal the bacon
Gujarat	Cheel Jhappat

The Play

The sequence of play involves the two players rushing quickly to the centre and hovering over the rumal, aiming to grab it the moment the opponent is distracted. The goal is to baffle the opponent by feinting and dodging to pick up the rumal. The player who has grabbed the rumal speeds away before the opponent can grab the player.

Number of Players

There are two teams, six to twelve players each, and one referee.

Both the teams must have an equal number of players. The team captains or the referee check that the stronger and the weaker players are distributed fairly in both teams.

Material Required

A handkerchief (rumal) or small rubber ball, beanbag or any other unbreakable object can be used. Even an empty bottle or a shoe can also be designated as the object to be snatched.

Two Opponents Come Forward to Grab the Rumal

Playground

The dimension of the ground is around 32 m in length and 12 m in breadth. The rumal is kept in the middle of the ground in a circle of 2 ft. diameter. However, you may decrease or increase the playing area depending on the fitness of the players, the total number of players and the available space.

Configuration of Players Just Before the Game Begins

Playing Method

Split the group into two teams, with one team placed on each side of the playing area along the boundary line.
The players of both teams stand or sit on the two lines drawn along the length of the playing area. They are about 10 ft. from the circle where the rumal is placed.
Assign every individual on each team a number so that they are partnered with a player of the corresponding number on the opposite team. For example, if both the teams consist of eight players, then each team member is assigned the numbers from one to eight. The rumal is kept in a circle drawn in the centre of both the teams.

The players are often assigned numbers in order of their height, but any other parameter also works. The idea is to have a balanced team.
When the referee announces a number randomly, the two players assigned that number (one from each team) rush towards the circle and try to grab the rumal before the opponent can. In official matches, the opponents in action have the same number on their jersey or t-shirt.
The objective for the players is to grab the rumal and get it back to their team without being touched by the active player of the opposing team.
As both players are likely to be of equal capability, coming from an equal distance, both players are likely to arrive together near the rumal. They hover near the rumal and wait for the right opportunity to pick it.
If one of the players picks up the rumal, the other player attempts to snatch it from the opponent. If the opponent touches the rumal, then the play ends for this round. The opponent will be given the rumal, and he or she returns home the winner with a gain of three points.
Even if a player has first picked the rumal, the opponent who succeeds in touching it still gains the point.
If a player picks the rumal and finds the opponent close enough to touch it as he or she is rushing towards the home side, then the player can just drop the rumal at that place. He or she gets no points, but the opponent who now freely picks up the rumal and takes it to their home gets one point.
The player who first picks and returns home without the opponent touching the rumal gets three points.

Scoring

If players return to their team with the rumal without being touched by the opponent, the team gets three points.
If players are touched by the opponent but still escape, rush and bring the rumal to their side, the team gets one point.
If players grab the rumal but are stopped by the opponent and the opponent snatches the rumal, then the opponents get one point.
The team’s total score is an aggregate of points scored by each player of that team, and the team that scores the most points in total wins.

Rules

From each team, only one player comes to grab the rumal.
No player at any time can touch the opponent. They can only touch the rumal or the fist in case the rumal is inside it.
Players must have the handkerchief in their hands to win points.
The game is over when all the players have been called out to play.

Positions, Tasks and Techniques

Roles	Positions	Tasks	>Strategy \| Techniques
The active player	Sit in the assigned positions until the player’s number is called out.	Race towards the centre the moment the number is announced to beat the opponent, with maximum speed and attention. Once the rumal is grabbed, quickly rush to the assigned side before the opponent can touch the rumal.	Pay attention to the announcement of the number, and be ready to rush. Keep balance to turn around and slip away after picking up the rumal.
Other members	Sit in the assigned positions.	Listen carefully if their number is announced. The moment their number is announced, they take on the role of the active player. Cheer while their team member is on the run.	Stay in a running position, like athletes just before a race. Tighten muscles with preparedness.

Key Skills Required

Dexterity, feinting, agility and quick reactions, along with concentration and focused orientation, are the key skills to win through the rare chances of the opponent’s distraction. Pretending the snatch and trying various moves with sudden shifts in direction helps in winning.

This is an outdoor game but can be played indoors too. It is played as a quick recreational activity in birthday parties, kitty parties or corporate group outings. Any individual with quick reflex actions and concentration can win.

Caution

The players in both teams who are not active should stand in a row and observe the play. They should not distract or obstruct the active players by rushing near the centre. Doing so can create confusion, and players may fall.

Skills Developed

The players learn to form balanced teams dividing all the weak and strong players equally into two groups. The game helps players develop observation skills as they try to figure out the best approach to get the rumal to their side. The players learn to cheer their team members and be supportive team players.

Life Lessons

Achievements are an important aspect of everyone’s life. Grabbing the rumal after much struggle and bringing it to the team boosts the player’s self-confidence. Children also learn to play an individual role even though the whole team is present and cheering. The cheering attitude and encouraging language of other members promote empathy and social awareness, which builds good rapport among the players.

Current State

Wrestlers of national and international repute from Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and other Indian states participate in the game in different state events.

A first-hand experience of ancient and traditional celebrations, the Matsya festival held in Alwar in Rajasthan, India, encourages locals and tourists across the world to be a part of this game. This multi-day fiesta honours and celebrates the rich social culture, legacy and history of the region, and rumal jhapatta is a prominent game among other traditional showcases.

Variation

The umpire can call more than one number. In that case, several players from each side rush forward to participate, but a player may only tag the opponent with whom they share their number.

Other Similar Games

Big ball soccer: The rumal, in this case, is a big soccer ball. The rules are the same as rumal jhapatta, but the game doesn’t involve any tagging of players. The players can just rush to their side with the ball without being chased by the opponent.

Tunnel rats: In this version, each team lines up in a single line facing front towards the centre. When the player’s number is called, the team must spread their legs to create a tunnel. The player must then crawl like a rat through the tunnel and out and be the first person to grab the rumal.

Bandar kila: In this game, a circle is drawn on the ground, in which one player (bandar or monkey) is tied to a Kila (pole). All the other players place their chappals near the pole. The bandar stays in the circle only, and all the players must steal the chappals without being caught. If the bandar touches any player while stealing the chappal, that player becomes the next bandar.