1. CHAVE
A GALICIAN GAME
October 2010. Wernigerode (Germany)
IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
VIGO - GALICIA
SPAIN

2. There are many
different types of
“Chave” and many
different ways of playing,
depending on the
region. Here we are
going to play with the
Ourense variation which
is very popular among
locals on Sundays.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN

3.  This Ourense chave
is an axe with two reels
which turn around
horizontally.
The smallest reel is
placed on top and the
biggest is placed at the
bottom.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN

4. PLAYERS & EQUIPMENT
It is played by 2 teams
of 2 players. In each
turn, the player throws 1
“pello”.
The pello is a cylindrical
iron disk that has 6 cm.
in diameter and 2 cm.
thick, weighing less than
400 g.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN

5. PLAYING AREA
The playground must be
a flat clay or grass alley of
8 m. long for 3 m. wide.
The “chave” is placed at
the end of this alley.
There must be a parapet
in order to stop the disks
that don’t hit the “chave”.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN

6. THE GOAL OF THE GAME
The players try to hit
the “chave” (and make
it sound and turn! -or
not, the score is the
same).
The player who hits
either the reel or the
axe scores 8 points and
the player who gets
closer to the chave
scores 1 point.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN

7. The teams throw the pello in turns, one player one
disk each time: The first player of team A must
throw a disk or pello from behind the throwing
line. Then it is the turn for the first player of team
B and so on.
The referees take note of the scores.
The disk must be thrown forward in a rather
horizontal parabola.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN
HOW TO PLAY

8. THE WINNER IS …..
The winner team is the one that first
scores 30 points or some other amount
agreed before.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN

9. WARNING
Players and audience must be
extra careful.
The audience must keep
BEHIND the players.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN
The players must wait until all of them have thrown
their pellos to start a new round.
Nobody can stand behind the chave while the game
is being played.

10. FRIENDLY & FAIR PLAY
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN

11. Our gratitude to:
The students of 4º ESO A for playing the chave with
us.
IES do Castro, Vigo, for lending us the chave to play
at our school.
IES Vilar Ponte, Viveiro, especially the P.E.
Department for lending us the chave to be taken to
Germany.
CHAVE IES SAN TOME DE FREIXEIRO
A GALICIAN GAME VIGO – GALICIA SPAIN