Mob Games and rational recreation

1. Mob Games and rational recreation What were mob games like? What was rational recreation? Why did it happen?

2. Mob Games Boys arriving at schools from villages bought their versions of mob games with them • Violent • No boundaries • No limit to number of players • No rules (or very simple rules) • Involved gross movements • Limited skill needed ETON Wall game video

3. Rationalisation of games Rationalisation of games The boys began to participate in physical activities such as swimming, fighting and racket games. • However, team games still dominant recreational activity • Schools under pressure to control behaviour of their pupils and this was seen as best way

4. Rationalisation of games School Masters realised the potential of these games for channelling boys energies if given rules • Mob football underwent a number of changes • More regularly in games lessons • Number of players restricted • Equipment became sophisticated, real goals used • Positional roles established- assigned different tasks • Leadership role of captain formed • Competition structure was defined • School specific rules eventually gave way to nationally recognised ones- Codification

5. Rationalisation of games (cont.) Many public schools initially developed their own • Games were often self governed by the boys- teaching them organisational skills • Committees set up and hierarchical structure created • ‘Blues’ were employed as member of the school to help them achieve victory on the sports field • ‘Blues’ were often former pupils who had been awarded a ‘colour’ whilst playing and returned to coach • By this time the games cult had taken over with schools using sporting success to impress perspective parents • Fixtures were reported in press • Sports day became a PR exercise- impressing parents • Headmasters allocated more of school budget for sporting facilities (still done today)