A game of tetherball

Tetherball is a game for two opposing players. The equipment consists of a 10 ft (3 m), stationary metal pole, from which is hung a ball from a rope, or tether. The two players stand on opposite sides of the pole. Each player tries to hit the ball one way; one clockwise, and one counterclockwise. The game ends when one player manages to wind the ball all the way around the pole so that it is stopped by the rope. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1365 pixel, file size: 552 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source: http://www. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 800 × 533 pixelsFull resolution (2048 × 1365 pixel, file size: 552 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) Source: http://www. ... For other uses, see Ball (disambiguation). ... A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ... A clockwise motion is one that proceeds like the clocks hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back to the top. ...

Rules

Rules vary from region to region and even from one court to another, and there is no definitive set of rules that everyone follows. However a common set of rules is as follows:

1. You are not allowed to be over the pole

2. You are out if you have 1 foot or toe over the line

3. If you touch the string or go over the line at any time (even before the other person serves), you are out

The game begins when one player serves the ball, usually by holding it in one hand and hitting it with the other. The opposing player then attempts to return the serve by hitting it in the opposite direction. The object is to hit the ball in such a way that one's opponent will be unable to alter the ball's direction; this gives the server an advantage since the server has more control over the ball from the beginning. It is generally acceptable to hit the ball with either the fist or the open hand.

A player can commit a violation by stepping onto his opponent's half of the pole, by catching and throwing ("carrying") the ball, by striking the rope instead of the ball, or by hitting the ball twice before it has either circled the pole or been returned by the opponent (or, in some variants, struck the pole). Generally, after a violation occurs, the game pauses and the ball is returned to the position it was in before the violation; the number of wraps around the pole is re-created. The player who did not commit the violation then serves the ball. If, however, the violation appears to be intentional, it may result in loss of game.In some schools, tetherball is played differently such as a rule called 'Freestyle' where no rules exist.

The game ends when one player hits the ball around the pole in their own direction as far as it will go, so that the ball hits the pole. In addition, the ball must strike the pole with the final wrap above a line marked on the pole; a five-foot high mark is satisfactory, though a lower mark might be used for younger players. A match can consist of one, three, five, or more games.

Equipment

Tetherball requires only a stationary pole, a rope, and a ball. Originally a volleyball was used, but today many sporting goods manufacturers make tetherballs specifically out of a butyl bladder and a rubber cover. The ball is roughly the size and weight of a volleyball, but is somewhat firmer. Tetherballs usually have a bar recessed in the top that the rope is tied to. Some simply have loops that protrude out, but this is less common as striking the loop with the hand can be painful. Volleyball is an Olympic sport in which two teams separated by a high net use their hands, arms or (rarely) other parts of their bodies to hit a ball back and forth over the net. ... In organic chemistry, butyl is a four-carbon alkyl substituent with chemical formula -C4H9 . ... This does not cite any references or sources. ...

The pole must be 10 feet (3 m) high and completely stationary, meaning that it must either be weighed down (often by a concrete-filled tire), or, in more serious tetherball courts, embedded in the ground. The rope is generally slender nylon, and is long enough that the ball hangs 2 ft (0.6 m) above the ground. This article is about the construction material. ... Tires or tyres (see American and British English spelling differences) are pneumatic enclosures used to protect and enhance the effect of wheels. ... Nylon is a generic designation for a family of synthetic polymers first produced on February 28, 1935 by Wallace Carothers at DuPont. ...

Tetherball is played on many surfaces: sand, gravel, lawn, asphalt, or others. Since it requires only a small area to play in, it can also be played indoors. Patterns in the sand Sand is a granular material made up of fine rock particles. ... Gravel (largest fragment in this photo is about 4 cm) Gravel is rock that is of a certain particle size range. ... A lawn is an area of recreational or amenity land planted with grass, and sometimes clover and other plants, which are maintained at a low, even height. ... Asphalt is a sticky, black and highly viscous liquid or semi-solid that is present in most crude petroleums and in some natural deposits. ...

An alternate version of the game and sold as Swingball uses a smaller, softer ball that the players strike with racquets. It can be described as "tether tennis", and is more popular in the United Kingdom. Swingball has a shorter pole, is portable and the ball flies around the pole at a constant distance from the pole on a helical screw; the game ends when the ball reaches the top or bottom of the screw. Generally the ball used for these games is a tennis ball, and the racquets can come from ping-pong or games with similar paddles.You can not cheat or if you rope then the other person is out no matter what. You are also allowed to bobble the ball. Squash racquet and ball Racquetball racquet and ball A racquet (or racket) is a sports implement consisting of a handled frame with an open hoop across which a network of cord is stretched. ... A helix (pl: helices), from the Greek word έλικας/έλιξ, is a twisted shape like a spring, screw or a spiral (correctly termed helical) staircase. ... For other uses, see Tennis (disambiguation). ... Regional competition level table tennis, showing table, net, and player getting ready to return the ball with a winning backhand topspin stroke. ...

Organizations

Tetherball is still an informal sport, and has not seen any organization beyond contests within schools, summer camps, or towns. Tetherball leagues are extremely rare. Professional tetherball simply does not exist. Perhaps this is because it is easier for a right handed person to hit the ball clock-wise, and therefore giving the person hitting the ball clockwise an unfair advantage if both of the players are right-handed. However, a small band of San Diegans are hoping to turn the tide with the success of the first ever San Diego Tetherball Tournament which was held on May 20, 2007. A deep field of 79 participants on three courts rigorously competed resulting in 28 year-old Michelle Kennedy of Menlo Park and 26 year-old Robin McGillicudy Sieben of Guam as co-champions. A consultation has been formed to solicit sponsorships for developing a professional league in the area. Summer camp is a supervised program for children and teenagers conducted during the summer months in some countries. ...

Variations

There is a version of this game called Swingball, where the two opposing players hold bats, and hit a tennis ball that is connected onto the rope. This is substantially different from Tetherball. In Australia this game is called Totem Tennis.

There is an alternate version called "pole", where many people can play. The object of the game is to not hit the pole with the ball. Hovever, you may hit the pole on a serve. You may swing the ball any way you like, but if you hit the pole with the ball, you are out. The last person standing wins.

Tetherball in pop culture

The title character of the 2004 film Napoleon Dynamite is often shown playing tetherball (both competitively and solo). Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 independent film co-written by Jared and Jerusha Hess and directed by Jared Hess. ...

A zombie is killed by a Swingball pole in the movie Shaun of the Dead, which is a reference to Kenny McCormicks death in the South Park episode Mecha-Streisand. Shaun of the Dead is a zombie-themed romantic comedy (or rom zom com as it dubs itself) or zombie comedy released in 2004. ... This article contains a trivia section. ...

In the film Kicking & Screaming Will Ferrell's character challenges his father to a game of tetherball. Promotional poster for Kicking & Screaming Kicking & Screaming is a 2005 comedy film, directed by Jesse Dylan. ... This article or section may contain excessive or improper use of copyrighted images and/or audio files. ...

Tetherball or swingball has appeared often in many cartoons including The Simpsons, South Park and Recess. Simpsons redirects here. ... This article is about the TV series. ... Children can be found playing on playhouses such as this during recess. ...

There used to be some movies about swingball where some people have a match for some goods but it never got released.

External links

• The Total Tetherball website — A thorough guide to the sport of tetherball, and a major source for this article.