"Brilli": An Old-Fashioned Outdoor Game

Today, only a few men in the town of Gharb, Gozo, still play "brilli”. On Sundays and public holidays in Gozo, this unusual game of ancient skitters is played! Only a few guys still play "brilli" in the village of Gharb, Gozo. In Gozo, this distinctive, age-old skitter game is played on Sundays and holidays.

The history of the game "Brilli" predates the arrival of the Knights of St. John. Due to the fact that brilli is played with skittles and a ball, it somewhat resembles bowling. However, bowling is typically played indoors with a hefty bowling ball and 10 skittles. Brilli is a light-weight outdoor game involving a grapefruit-sized wooden ball and nine wooden skittles.

The players are required to abide by a number of rules. The skittles are first placed in a diamond-shaped arrangement of squares. To knock the pins down and accrue points is the game's objective. Obtaining precisely 24 points is the goal. A player is eliminated from the game immediately till the next round if they go above this limit. Noting that several pins have various names and values is also crucial. Is-Sultan, in the center, is the highest-scoring one with 9 points. Known as is-secondi skittles, corner skittles are worth six points. The final one is known as qarmuc, and it only counts for one point.

You have two attempts with the ball when it's your turn. The first throw comes from a predetermined location, while the second throw originates from the spot where the ball landed after the first throw. It's a little more fascinating because the first throw is scored differently than the others. The initial toss is double-counted. However, the player only receives 2 points for each pin if more than one type of pin is knocked down on the first throw (is-sultan, is-secondi, and qarmuc).

If you wish to explore the game further and learn more about it, there are additional regulations to adhere to. If I understood it well, you can reach the skittles with your hand if the ball lands close enough to them. As you can see from the photographs up there, it does occur very frequently. While the other player is reaching for the necessary skittle, one player assists in keeping the ball in position.

Every Sunday morning, this regular group of gamers gets together to play for a few hours. The game is played with money, which adds a little bit of intrigue. The game's winner receives €020 from each losing player. Additionally, before each game begins, the guys meet together and "draw straws" by haphazardly displaying a number between one and five on their hands.