Skululu is a running ball game that many of us first played as children. It is enjoyed across Southern Africa, from the Cape Flats to Soweto and into Namibia, and in other places it goes by the name dibeke. Two teams of twelve take turns to attack and defend.
If you know cricket, the idea will feel familiar. Where a batter would swing a bat, a skululu attacker kicks a soccer ball and then runs. The defenders pass the ball with their hands and try to hit the runners with it. A player who is hit is out for the rest of that round.
The game is also one of nine primary indigenous games promoted nationally by the Department of Sport, Arts and Culture during Heritage Month and the Indigenous Games festival. The aim is to build social cohesion and keep traditional knowledge alive, and a good match does both without much fuss.
What you need to play skululu
An organised game (such as school games) requires the following equipment. For informal play, the full competition equipment list may not be necessary. The pitch markings, a suitable ball and a way to keep score are the key practical requirements.
| Equipment | Purpose |
| Size 3 leather ball | Senior matches |
| Size 1 leather ball | Junior matches |
| Two stopwatches | Match timing |
| Two scoreboards | Recording scores from 1 to 20 |
| Score-sheet | Recording runs and final scores |
| 30-metre measuring tape | Pitch measurements |
| Lime | Marking the pitch |
| Whistle | Match control |
| Red and yellow cards | Fouls and penalties |
| Two hand flags | Linespersons |
| Player letters | Identifying attackers when they are called |
How the skululu pitch is laid out
The pitch measures about 60 metres long and 40 metres wide, with a 10-metre open area around the boundary as an extended play area.
A white centre line divides the pitch into two equal 40-metre by 30-metre sections. The centre circle has a radius of 1.5 metres.
At each end is an attackers’ box measuring 10 metres by 5 metres. Each team has a home box. The box extends from the back line towards the centre line.
Near the centre is the kicker’s box, which measures 1.5 metres by 5 metres. Between the kicker’s box and centre circle is the rolling area.
The defenders spread out in the half opposite the attacking team’s box. The roller stands in the centre circle.
Player roles in skululu
Each team selects a captain and a scorekeeper. The captain communicates with the match facilitator, while the scorekeeper records individual and team runs.
One defender becomes the roller. The roller has two jobs at the start of each play:
- Call the letter of an attacking player.
- Roll the ball along the ground towards the attacking side.
The named attacker enters the kicker’s box and becomes the kicker.
Once the kick is made, the kicker runs towards the opposite attackers’ box. Team-mates can run alongside the kicker and attempt to reach safety.
How a round of skululu works
The captains toss a coin to decide which team starts as attackers and which starts as defenders.
At the restart:
- The attackers form a line inside their attackers’ box.
- The defenders spread out in their defensive area.
- The roller takes position in the roller’s semi-circle.
- The roller calls an attacker’s letter.
- The ball is rolled under-arm along the ground.
- The named player enters the kicker’s box.
- The kicker kicks the ball beyond the centre line.
- The kicker and other attackers run towards the opposite box.
- Defenders retrieve the ball and try to hit the runners.
- Attackers who reach the box safely can continue playing.
An attacker is safe once both feet are inside an attackers’ box. A player with only one foot inside can still be hit and dismissed.
How attackers score runs
An attacker scores one run by travelling from one attackers’ box to the other without being hit by the ball.
Runs can be scored at any point while the ball remains in play. This means an attacker can make repeated trips between the two boxes as long as they remain safe.
There is also a special scoring rule for a player who reaches 20 runs. The attacking team receives two points, while eliminated attackers are released and return to the home box for the next round.
How defenders get attackers out
Defenders can retrieve the kicked ball or catch it in the air. Once they have the ball, they can throw it at attacking players who are outside the attackers’ boxes.
An attacker is out for the rest of that round if the ball hits them while they are outside a safe box.
An attacking player can also be dismissed if:
- Their called kick fails to send the ball beyond the centre line.
- They are hit while running outside an attackers’ box.
- They are hit during a return run after a round has ended.
- They run outside the pitch boundaries.
- They kick short of the defenders’ area.
- They miss the ball on three consecutive attempts. Only two misses are permitted.
If a defender catches the kicker’s ball in mid-air, the whole attacking team is out. The attacking side can also be eliminated when every attacker has been hit while outside the boxes.
What happens when everyone is out?
Once all attackers have been eliminated, the teams swap roles. The former attackers become defenders, while the former defenders become attackers.
The defending team receives one point when every member of the attacking team has been eliminated.
Play then restarts with the teams in their new roles.
Short runs and dead balls
A short run happens when an attacker does not complete the full distance between the two attackers’ boxes. The match official calls the short run once the ball becomes dead.
When this happens, all runs made or attempted by that player are cancelled except for the final run.
A dead ball can also occur when the roller calls the wrong attacking letter. The ball can then be returned to the field by a player from either side.
Fouls and penalties in skululu
Skululu has rules for player conduct as well as rules for play.
A red card results in suspension for the rest of the match for offences such as:
- Encouraging players or supporters to disrupt the game.
- Assaulting or insulting another player, match official or supporter.
- Displaying a negative gender attitude towards a player of the opposite sex.
A yellow card results in suspension for the round in which the offence occurs for actions such as:
- Obstructing another player during play.
- Challenging a match official’s authority. Captains may question a decision.
- Delaying a throw while an attacker is running.
Other penalties apply to short runs and repeated incorrect rolls. A roller can be replaced after rolling outside the rolling area or rolling the ball in the air for the third consecutive attempt.
Substitutions
Teams can make an unlimited number of regulated substitutions during a match, but no more than three substitutes may be on the pitch at the same time.
A substitution cannot take place within three minutes of the previous substitution. The match facilitator and scorekeepers record every substitution.
How long is a skululu match?
An official skululu match lasts 80 minutes. It has two 40-minute halves and a half-time break of no more than 10 minutes.
For an informal game, both teams can agree on a shorter playing period and suitable rest periods. The agreed duration should apply fairly to both sides.
How is the winner decided?
The team with the highest score at the end of the allotted playing time wins the match.
The scoring system rewards attackers who complete runs while also giving defenders a way to score when they eliminate the entire attacking side. This creates a game where speed, accurate kicking, field awareness and teamwork all have a part to play.
Author: Editorial Team
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