Wallyball
Wallyball is a fast-paced sport that is similar to volleyball played in a racquetball court, where it is legal to hit the ball off of the walls.
The word "wallyball" is a portmanteau of the words "wall" and "volleyball".
History
American Wallyball Association was formed in 1979 and organizes US championship in Men and Women and coed.Events
While in USA American Wallyball Association organizes wallyball games, there are no international events for this competition.Number of players
The number of players on a side can vary from two to six. The American Wallyball Association allows two, three, or four player teams, while the Wallyball Information Network also allows five and six player teams.Court and equipment
Wallyball is played in a racquetball court which measures long, wide and 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 tall and hung at no more than above the floor for men's wallyball games and no more than above the floor for women. Two service areas are on each side, extending across the entire width of the court and 1 foot from each end wall. The ball is spherical, weighs between, and is in circumference. The ball is made of rubber.Scoring
Wallyball can use two types of scoring. The first is called 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 to score a point. The "freeze point" varies depending on the number of points needed to win a game. The freeze point is three points fewer than the number of points needed to win a game. The side-out and unmodified rally scoring methods of volleyball are also commonly used. In wallyball this is called speed scoring.Much of the strategy used in wallyball is similar to that used in volleyball. In the traditional three person game it is advantageous to employ one blocker, one person to defend against the dink shot, 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 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.
While some tactics in volleyball are effective in wallyball, there are several that are almost entirely unique to wallyball and highly counterintuitive to the average volleyball player. Ball handling in wallyball is more strict. Rotation on hand sets is watched closely and receiving the ball must be done cleanly. Steve Fuhrman, a National Wallyball Rules Director of over 20 years, explained that "Wallyball, Rebound Volleyball, and Volleyball are different games, with different rules", citing an example that "paintbrush" hit in wallyball is not allowed. In 2000, Fuhrman worked with US Volleyball to codify ball-handling guidelines for volleyball and wallyball, which only remain in place for wallyball today.
Players have been putting legal spin on serves, spikes, and placed hits in wallyball since the sport was invented. Legal spin is done by contacting the ball off-center as it is struck. The ball must pop off the players hand to be a good, clean hit with spin.
Out of 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. If the players hit a wall on their side, the ball cannot hit another after going over the net, although there are many groups of players who choose to include a two wall and back wall hit as legal hits even after going over the net. While not part of the official rules, many feel it adds a chaotic and fun addition to the game.Both The New Oxford American Dictionary and The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language state, incorrectly, in their definitions of "wallyball", that the ball may contact the ceiling before crossing the net.