Aşık Çıkarma

Knucklebones

Two lines of diverse young people facing each other in a Turkish town square while one player sprints to snatch a handkerchief held by a referee, watched by seated neighbours of all ages.

A precision game of Anatolian origin: each player places a knucklebone on a line inside a drawn circle, and from a throwing line five metres away players throw a stick to knock the bones out of the circle.

Cultural context

Aşık games are among the oldest games of Anatolia and Central Asia, played with the ankle bones of sheep and goats — objects from pastoral life turned into game pieces. Variants exist across Türkiye, the Caucasus and Central Asia, and the game carries strong memories of rural childhood.

How to play

1. Draw a circle of about 2 m diameter with a straight line through its centre. 2. Each player places one knucklebone on the centre line, evenly spaced. 3. Mark a throwing line 5 m from the circle. 4. In turn, each player throws their stick at the bones, trying to knock one or more out of the circle. 5. A player keeps or scores every bone knocked completely outside the circle. 6. Bones that remain inside stay in play for the next round. Play until the circle is empty, then reset.

Inclusive adaptations

DRAFT FOR PARTNER REVIEW — this text was written by the coordination team and must be validated by the partner that contributed the game. Reduced mobility and disability Give each participant a personal throwing distance between 2 and 5 m, marked with coloured tape, so that success rates are comparable. Seated players throw from a chair or wheelchair at their own distance and may use an underarm roll instead of an overarm throw. For limited grip or strength, replace the stick with a small weighted beanbag or a rolled ball, or use a launching ramp the player aims and releases. Partner-assisted throws are valid when the player chooses the target and gives the signal. Blind and partially sighted players are guided to the aiming direction by touch and by a caller who describes the layout and the result of each throw. Multilingual groups and newcomers Introduce the game without words first: the facilitator plays one full round while the group watches, then a second round in slow motion naming only three or four key words in the local language. Print the key words on cards with a simple drawing (start, go, stop, your turn, point) and keep them visible. Pair each newcomer with a peer buddy for the first two rounds; the buddy demonstrates rather than translates. Never let understanding the rules become a condition for joining — anyone can enter mid-round. Mixed-gender and mixed-age groups Build mixed teams by drawing lots, never by letting captains pick. Guarantee that every participant takes the same number of active turns and rotate every role — including the visible, decisive ones — so that scoring, throwing or leading is not monopolised by the most confident or the oldest players. Watch for symbolic participation: a turn that nobody watches or that cannot affect the result is not participation. When ages or body sizes differ widely, adjust distances or scoring per player rather than creating a separate 'easy' group.

Safety notes

DRAFT FOR PARTNER REVIEW — this text was written by the coordination team and must be validated by the partner that contributed the game. A thrown stick is the main hazard: only one thrower at a time, everyone else stands behind the throwing line, and nobody enters the circle until the thrower says the round is over. Use light, smooth, splinter-free sticks — never a heavy branch. Keep spectators to the sides, not behind the circle. Indoors, use a foam or fabric substitute for both bones and stick and add a backstop.

Learning outcomes

DRAFT FOR PARTNER REVIEW — this text was written by the coordination team and must be validated by the partner that contributed the game. Participants develop aiming, force calibration, turn taking and patience, and practise counting and scoring. The game connects directly to pastoral heritage and to a wide Eurasian family of games, which makes it an excellent starting point for intercultural conversation in mixed groups. It shows that an ancient game can be made accessible by changing only two things — distance and projectile.