Bat a rat (also known as "splat-the-rat") is a simple and cheaply constructed party game or stall at a fête or similar community event. The game is centred on a large wooden board stood up on end, upon which an open-ended metal or plastic tube or section of drainpipe has been mounted vertically. The stallholder introduces a small rat-shaped object into the upper end of the tube, holding it by its "tail"; this "rat" is released in a way to surprise the player of the game, whose objective is to strike the emerging "rat" as it falls to the floor, usually using a stick or other kind of bat (see bat-and-ball games). Prizes may be awarded to successful batters.