I bet the nets were used similarly to blankets, as when people where tossed in a blanket. Here's an image, much more recent, of a playful activity which has been going on for centuries.


tossed in a blanket

I bet the men weren't completely naked. I bet they were just shirtless. If called on it, John Stockwood, Schoolmaster, would shrug and say, 'Well, yeah, I meant half-naked. So it's a typo.'