Nose Ball World Cup

I spent most of the day pacing back and forth in front of the mailbox waiting for the mailmunk to arrive. If the ground hadn’t been frozen I would have worn a deep rut in the ground. I was anxious for my ticket to the World Nose Ball Cup to arrive. After many years, it is finally being held in the United States. In fact, it is being played in sunny warm Florida. I saved up my seeds for two years to buy this ticket and pay for the travel expenses.

Nose Ball is a two player game which requires excellent ball handling skills and the genius of a chess master. The game is quite simple. Each player must arrange six balls to match the layout shown in a randomly selected diagram. The players take alternating turns in which they can send one ball flying across the ground with their nose - sort of like hitting a pool ball with a cue stick. Where does the strategy come in? The two players have to share the same six balls but arrange them in different layouts. Each turn a player has to choose from making a play that advances them towards finishing their layout or sending a ball off in a direction that is going to mess up their opponent’s game. You can even knock another ball out of position like in Croquet. The best players manage to achieve both aims with a single move.

The balls are different sizes, weights and made from different materials. Each ball behaves differently when hit with the nose. The seams of the softball are the trickiest to handle. Like a good baseball pitcher, you can make it curve – useful for moving around another ball your opponent put in your way.

The balls are lined up for the start of the game

The referee checks the balls before the game begins.

The reigning world champion, Alicia, makes her opening move.

Her opponent, A-Rod thoughtfully evaluates where to hit the ball to.

 In Nose Ball you are allowed to use your paws to rotate the ball to change the position of the seams prior to hitting it with the nose.

Alicia plans to use the white golf ball to bounce off the basketball, sending the basketball flying in the wrong direction for A-Rod while the golf ball angles off to land in the proper place.

With his ball knocked out of place, A-Rod now has to make a tricky shot to get the basketball back to its correction position.

Alicia takes advantage of A-Rod being one move behind her and works to get the yellow smiley face ball into the right spot.

A-Rod decides to move the softball next knowing it is too big and heavy to be affected by any other balls hitting it. A smart move.

The crowd on their socially distanced stumps, watches intently while cheering for their favorite player.

After six agonizing hours of play with neither player gaining a competitive edge, Alicia makes a risky move which will either win her or cost her the game. She stops and uses a meditative technique to calm her nerves and slow her breathing down … then she makes her move …

Unbelievable! With one move she managed to reposition three balls into their correction positions and form the winning layout.