Not the most politically correct name for a game, but we didn’t think about that crap back then. Chink, which is basically poor peoples racquetball, gets its name for the sound the ball makes when it hits the crack where the wall and the ground meet. Chink kept us busy and active for hours on end and was the source for much of my bragging rights. The reason the game was so popular is because of the equipment needed to play. All you need is a racquetball (or pimple ball) and an empty wall (usually a school yard or side of a commercial building). For this reason just about anyone could play chink, fifty cents for a racquetball and you’re ready.
OBJECT:
The object of the game is simple, hit the ball and try to make the other person miss it.
RULES:
There are a basic set of rules that you follow. First off there has to be boundaries, a left and a right boundary must be marked (or you can use chalk, cement cracks, doors, windows, drainpipes, etc). If the ball hits the wall outside these boundaries it is a point for the other person, some folks (novices) used to also create a rear boundary so you could not SLAM on them. When hit, the ball must hit the ground before hitting the wall, it can NOT hit the ground twice or the play is dead and the other person is awarded a point. When returning from the wall the ball may hit the ground ONLY once, more than once and a point is awarded to the other player. If the ball hits directly in the crack where the wall meets the ground you can call CHINK, which is basically a do-over, the play stops and the last person to serve gets the ball to start play again. This is because there is no clear cut way to determine if the ball hit the ground once before hitting the wall.
PLAY:
Play begins with a serve from one of the players. This person is determined in the usual way (shoot out, loser from last game, age, or just can get their ass kicked by the other player) before the game begins. The server has a duty to give a decent serve, the person getting the ball served to them also has the right to not play the ball and ask for a new serve. When served the ball must observe the rules, but ball must hit the ground first then the wall, just like normal play. Just like racquetball the ball is hit back and forth by each player until someone misses. When someone misses the other person gets a point and so on until the game point is reached. We used to play to 11 or 21 but you can use whatever number you want. There are many trick or speciality shots used in this game. Some for actual purpose and some just to brag about. Read on and we will outline just a few of the speciality shots…
* THE SLAM:
The slam can be a very affective way to get yourself a back in the game, it can also kill you if not used right. The slam is when a weak ball is close to the wall and you SLAM it as hard as you can on a certain angle to make the ball go 50-100 feet behind you. This sends the other player far back into the court to hit the ball. BUT it also gives him the option to hit the ball to either side of the court if he gets to it, which will then leave you running! The SLAM is used most effectively when both players are in a heated battle close to the wall.
* THE SLICE
Master this shot and you will be feared in every school yard in the neighborhood. The SLICE is when a player gets low to the ground, swinging VERY hard with their hand inches above the concrete. When you make contact with the ball it zooms quickly just above the ground, slices the concrete and hits the wall just inches above the bottom. The trick is to put a backspin on the ball so when it returns from the wall it hits the ground and stops or does not travel to far. If this shot is done correctly it is very hard to defend. Only the most senior of player can make the necessary adjustments to play the ball. Even if he does he is usually in a position to get beat with the next shot, which is usually a SLAM. Because the player has to run very close to the wall to play the slice the slam is the best shot to send him deep into the court to try to play the ball. Perfect the slice and some player will ever get a chance to defend it off the serve.
* THE TAP
The tap is used when your opponent is playing far back. You fake a SLAM or hard shot but just tap the ball. It makes the defender run full speed directly at a brick wall. This is a good tactic when a weak ball reaches the wall after a SLAM.
* THE SKINNER
The skinner is a play when you find yourself stuck on one side of the court. The object is to skim the wall from the side and make it travel parallel with the wall. Remember the rules, it must hit the ground once before hitting the wall, after that your opponent is usually running into the street or across the schoolyard to get the ball! 
No get your kid off that friggin’ playstation and get him outside
playing. If your playing in Philly drop me a line and I will meet
you there!
Me and my friends play competively about 3x’s a week. let me know if u want in.
Great Game favorite with us on Second Street (Two Streeters)
I am 16 years old and i play almost everyday at Torresdale playground i will kill you in chink anytime anywhere
I remember playing “chink” when I was a kid growing up in Southwest Philly. Only Philly people know what chink is and how to play it, properly! gina b
Used to play chink in Southwest Philly on 73rd st across from the septa yard, we used the 73rd st lanes building as the big wall. The only sucky thing though was sometimes a slam would go right over the fence into the septa yard and we couldn’t get it back! This was in the early 90s, like 91, 92.
Just reading this article and am amazed peoplr still play this game. Grew up in Philly (Parkwood), played it a few times a week along with stickball, halfball, hoseball, wallball, stepball, and the infamous wireball. Whatever happened to those days? OOPS! I forgot handball, and boxball. The handball I’m talking about is played outdoors and it’s similar to stickball.
Used to play this game in elementary school in LA in the 80s, only we called it Handball. Most of the terminology was the same, except we called the situation where the ball hits the crack “Pops.”
This game keeps Roman Catholic High School occupied during lunch time. It is very intense.
Played this in SW Philly, 65th & Chester neighborhood. It was wall ball, not chink. The slice was known as a “grasscutter” to us.
im from jersey, im 14, but my family all played when they were kids, and my cousin plays it and stuff so he showed it to me and i just love the game, and i brought it over here to my town. alot of my friends play it and stuff around here. only prob is not asmany brick walls and stuff we play on stores like wawa, kmart, acme, basically.
Played back in 70′s and early 80′s…transplanted Germantown families brought it with them to the burbs…. Always time for a game of chink-a-dink…
I remember this game too. It made it’s way to Upper Darby in the late 80′s, also called it chink or wall ball, depending on who you were playing with.
It never really took off though. Wiffle ball and street hockey dominated.
What I miss is the basketball games played with a piece of plywood and a milk crate. That was some serious impervised street ball. The abundance of $99 hoops from Wal-Mart killed that.
Grew up on Elmwood Ave across from 73rd Street Lanes. We used to play on 73rd street against Franks hoagie shop. Good times, late nights! Wiffle ball and fast ball with a wooden broom handle…hot summer nights.
great posts. born and raised in kensington. we played this game with passion in mc pherson square, mc veigh and scanlon playgrounds. recently just started playing with another philly transplant in brooklyn. we found a handball court enclosed with a fence so we are able to play off of the fence.
i loved this game as a kid and have enjoyed my weekend games. our only problem is that we are only 2 players. we are hoping to post on craigslist to recruit more players this summer.
I’m 67; we played Chink all the time in Atlantic City (South Inlet, Dewey Place). Rules were the same as yours, except we combined it with the game of Assball. Losers had to lean against the chink wall, bend at the waist, arms out in front on the wall. Winners got to throw the ball from across the stree as hard as they could, at the losers ass. Great fun….when you were 14!
We played in Northwest philly at St Rays and a variation to the bottom of the wall were groves in the wall that when hit the ball would go directly down. We did it at recess, lunch and after school. After school we also added Ass ball in to the mix. Pimple ball!!!!!!! the best memories.
Well in my school, Central High School of Philadelphia, chink was revived some time ago and we play it daily. If you’re not good you’re taken out quickly. The best of the best don’t just play for bragging rights, we play for money. So if you want, we always play on our schools huge patio and there are three different walls at around 2:30. Whether you want to play against us or just bring back some memories you can come on by. CHS 270
NOBODY IN THIS CITY CAN BEAT ME IN CHINK ARE YOU SERIOUS KID? HMU ANY TIME ANY DAY AND ILL KILL YOU AND MOLEST YOUR FAMILY
My God- would LOVE to play again!!! Was obsessed with it!!! NOBODY TO PLAY WITH!!! I’m 56 but feel pretty good!!! If I get KILLED, I get KILLED. So what? mark sassano spideymark401@ aol.com
I taught my 8 year old this game the other day and he cannot get enough of it. I used to love it as a kid and still do