History of Toli

Toli, also known as kapucha toli or simply stickball, is a traditional Native American game that has been played for at least 400 years. It has also been called the "little brother of war", as it, at one time, had been used to settle disputes between Native American groups. These games often involved hundreds of people per team, were played on fields that were several miles long and lasted from sunrise to sunset.

Modern games are a little less epic, though they are still extremely important to the Choctaw. The official tournament amongst the Mississippi Choctaw is held in mid-July each year, uses teams of 30-40, has 15 minute quarters, and is played on a 100 yard field. Each Choctaw community on the reservation sends at least one team to compete and several thousand spectators attend the games.

Variations of the game are played, or have been played, by many Southeastern Native American groups, including the Creek and the Cherokee. The modern game of Lacrosse is a direct descendant of Toli