At some stage in the 90’s when I was in middle School (middle schools were a thing then) the game British Bulldog was banned by many schools due to the amount of injuries in the playground that had occurred whilst playing it.
At the time we had the ‘health and safety gone mad’ people blaming everything from UK Law to Europe for banning a much loved kids game. And even now the ‘this is because of woke culture’ gets screamed out as soon as something is risk assessed. However, British Bulldog was never banned by any laws, it was just a number of head teachers that had noticed the game getting out of hand in the playground.
In fact, as much as we might think that this health and safety craze and the compensation culture started by mine and the younger generations, it is worth pointing out that back in 1878 a grocer got compensated £15 (£750 in today’s money) for claiming that he slipped playing blind man’s buff.
A one off incident? No, not at all. Amongst the many successful claims for compensation was the man who was awarded £50 in 1890 for injuring his eye while throwing rice at a wedding. Or what about the shipbuilder who won a £1000 claim because he swallowed a fishbone in 1900?
So I don’t really blame a headmaster in 1993 for banning a fairly rough game before a kid got his arm broken. They didn’t want to get sued.
But the game has survived. Not only is this a game played during children’s football coaching drills but it is also a favourite at summer sports schools. Over the summer holidays I am on the coaching team at my local multi sports summer school. And when Bulldog was introduced the kids went wild for it. But there are a few tweaks to the original rules that I grew up with. Maybe I should’ve learnt them beforehand. Asking seven year olds what the rules are when I’m their coach for the day put me on the back foot!
Nevertheless Bulldog, Bench Ball and Dodgeball are now games I know how to play without the dangers of broken bones. Dodgeball, for example, is nothing like the 2004 movie. Who knew?!
So tomorrow I’ll be much more confident in leading a game I now know the rules of. That is, of course, unless tomorrow’s schedule includes conkers. Because that got banned back in the 90’s at my school too!
Never Give Up PT 