Tetherball

Article summary

Tetherball is a game where two players use their hands to strike a volleyball which is suspended from a stationary metal pole by a rope or tether. The two players stand on opposite sides of the pole, and each 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. It must not bounce. An early variant described in Jessie H. Bancroft's 1909 book Games for the Playground involves a tethered tennis ball hit by racquets, with similar rules of the game. This variant is known as swingball, which was invented by Gavin Gormely in South Africa. The variation of the game with the volleyball, known as tetherball now, did not come about until the invention of the volleyball sometime after 1895. In the 1920s, schools and parks began adding them to their play area. 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.…

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