Picigin, Bacvice sandy beach - ball game!

About Picigin game and its rules!

This game evolved from a game of water polo, first played in 1908 by a group of students. The game involves several players passing around a small ball and keeping it in the air and out of the water for as long as possible. As such, the game somewhat resembles volleyball but it is played with a much smaller ball, usually a peeled tennis ball. There are usually five players and much running and diving in the shallow water.

The most fanatical players believe it to be impossible to play this game anywhere but on the sandy beach called Bacvice (pronounced "batch-vih-tseh") in the historic city centre beach of Split, Croatia.

There is also a widely distributed belief that the only proper garment to wear while playing this game is a tight speedo, "mudantine" in Croatian. Many players also exclude women from the professional play. There is a tradition of playing picigin on New Year's Day, regardless of weather conditions, and when the sea temperature is rarely above 10°C.

Rules:

Players stand in the circle. It is desirable that the highest point of the sea level is between knees and ankles, and the lowest only up to the ankles (several centimeters above ankles would be ideal).

Players don’t pass the small ball towards each other, they bounce the ball towards someone indefinite in the circle, or out of the circle, but still it has to be reachable. Read Read more....

Watch this short Picigin Video:

The beach has lifeguards, life-saving equipment, first-aid, facilities for disabled, renting facilities, catering facilities, showers, lockers, recyclable waste facilities, parking lot.

Bacvice beach has several restaurants, café bars and nightclubs all lined up and easy to walk to. Club Shakespeare (no it isn't a theatre) is a famous nightclub with dancing until dawn. Visit my party beaches page!

The beach has been awarded with the Blue Flag.

Find out all about Diocletian palace and what other visitors have to say about Split attractions!