Walsa Kids Game: Tali Masok
The children of Epmi village play a game called Tali Masok. They explained it to me and I decided I’d share it with you!
Teams
Tali Masok is played by two teams of three to six players. The number of players must be the same on each team.
Setup
The playing field must be marked out on the ground with chalk or paint or, as the Walsa children use, ashes. Its pattern is always the same, but its size is determined by how many players there are on a team. The standard field has six squares and accomodates four or five players. Another pair of squares must be added for playing with teams of six.
Object
The object of the game is for any one member of the Avoiding team to go from the Start area to the Free Zone and back again without being touched by the Guarding team and before any of his team members are touched. The game is over and won when one Avoiding team accomplishes this.
Play
Guarding Team
The lines on the long sides of the playing field are merely boundaries, but the remaining lines are significant in that each of them is guarded by one member of the "guarding" team. One vertical line per member, with one member guarding the center line. The guarding team cannot step away from these lines. They must always be over or touching their line with their feet. Their objective is to tag any member of the Avoiding team while staying on their line. As soon as one tag is made, the Avoiding team's turn is over and the teams trade roles.
Avoiding Team
The Avoiding team's goal is for all the members of the team to avoid being tagged while one of the members manages to go from Start to Free Zone to Finish. As this team works its way through the squares, there are two limitations on their movement. Breaking either limitation ends the turn.
- The first is that they cannot cross the boundary lines.
- The second limitation is that once a square has been entered and left, it cannot be re-entered by that player. Even if the square is only touched at the corner while passing into another, it cannot be re-entered. If a player re-enters a square, it is the same as being tagged, and the turn is over. Once the player makes it through to the Free Zone, all the squares are once again open to him or her as he or she tries to get back to the Finish area.
Other Comments
The size of the squares must be determined by the reach of the children playing. At least two members of the Avoiding team must be able to occupy the center of each square without being within reach of the Guarding team.
If fewer than five players are on each team, the line assignments change a little. If there are four players, each player gets a line, but parts of the middle line are assigned to different players. With three players, one pair of squares must be ignored.
