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Wallyball

[wol-ee-bawl, waw-lee-]

Wallyball (known in some places as rebound volleyball) is a fast-paced sport that was invented by Joe Garcia in 1979 and originally called "ricochet ball." The word "wallyball" is a portmanteau of the words "wall" and "volleyball". Indeed, wallyball is very similar to volleyball. However, wallyball is played indoors, and that is what makes it most popular in the Midwest and Eastern United States, where cold winter weather drives people indoors.

Number of Players

Wallyball can be played with any number of players from 2 to 4 players a side. Teams do not have to be balanced to play against each other.

Court and Equipment

Wallyball is played in a racquetball court which measures 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and 20 feet high. A center line divides the court in half. The net is hung above the center line, traversing the entire width of the court. The net is 3 feet tall and hung at no more than 8 feet above the floor for men's wallyball games and no more than 7 feet 4 1/4 inches above the floor for women. Two service areas are on each side, extending across the entire width of the court and 3 feet from each end wall. The ball is spherical, weighs between 9 and 10 ounces, and is 25 to 27 inches in circumference (the same size as a regular volleyball).

Scoring

Wallyball uses a modified form of rally scoring. A point is scored on every service up to the point where one team reaches the "freeze point". Once that occurs, a point is awarded on the next side-out and from that point on, each team must serve in order to score a point. The "freeze point" varies depending on the number of points needed to win a game. This point is three points less than the number of points needed to win a game. It is also common to use the side-out and unmodified rally scoring methods of volleyball.

Strategy

Much of the strategy used in Wallyball is similar to that used in beach volleyball. This is as a result of there being only two, three, or four people on the court at the same time. In the traditional three person game it is advantageous to employ one blocker, one person to defend against the dink or duff (short, soft) shots, and the last person to defend shots over the other players' heads but still in bounds. On offense, the widely accepted strategy is of designating one player to receive all second hits in order to allow for the other players on their team to prepare for the third hit. In addition, varying the number of touches before the ball is hit over the net is crucial.

Out of Bounds

Hitting a good ball is harder than it seems. It takes a lot of skill to hit hard and stay in bounds.

During the serve the ball can hit one side wall on either side of the net. It cannot hit the back wall or two walls. The ball also cannot hit the ceiling when it crosses the net. The same is true during the volley. The ball can hit any number of walls, including the back wall and ceiling during the course of your three hits on your side. Once the ball is crossing the net though, it must comply with the one wall, no ceiling requirement, or it is considered out of bounds.

Both The New Oxford American Dictionary (2001) and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (4th ed. 2000) state, incorrectly, in their definitions of "wallyball" that the ball may contact the ceiling before crossing the net.

Time-Outs

Two timeouts of 30 seconds each are allowed. If more than the allowed timeouts are called, there will be a penalty given. The timeout must be given in between games; never in the middle of a point or game.

Service

The player in the back position of the court puts the ball in play by hitting it with one hand only or any part of his/her arm. A jump serve is permitted. In order for the serve to be good, it must pass over the net without touching the net or any other players on the server's team. In addition, the ball may not touch two or more walls before being played, the opponent's back wall, or the ceiling of the court. Pushing the ball or rolling the ball off the fingers is not permitted. Should the server catch the ball on service toss, he/she may replay the serve. No members of the serving team may attempt to block the opponent's view of the server in any way. A team must maintain their serving order throughout the match. If the players are discovered out of order, the game stops immediately, any points scored while the server was in an illegal position are canceled, and a side-out is declared.