Tetherball Specifications

Tetherball is a two-person sport typically played on a playground. A simple game of tetherball can be played anywhere with a long pole sticking out of the ground, a rope and a ball to tie on the end. There is no nationally organized tetherball league or organization as of 2011, but the game is widely known and rules to the game are similar everywhere.

  1. Equipment

    • A tetherball pole is ten-feet tall and two inches in diameter, typically made from steel. The end of the pole should be buried at least two feet. Place concrete around the pole to stabilize it. An eye-hook is attached 4-inches from the top of the pole. A standard nylon rope tethers the ball to the pole at a distance of 8 feet. The ball is the same size and weight as a standard volleyball, but may be modified slightly to make tethering easier. A 10-foot circle is drawn around the pole. The circle is divided into halves.

    Rules

    • First serve is decided by coin-flip and is traded back and forth each point. The server can only serve with her hands, but may strike the ball in either direction. Once the ball is served, direction of play is established until one player gets a point. A point is scored when the rope wraps completely around the pole in one direction. A player cannot strike the ball twice in a row, and must remain in her half of the circle. After the serve, players may use anywhere on the upper half of the body to strike the ball. Matches are played until one player reaches a predetermined number and is ahead by at least two points.

    Paddle Tetherball

    • Paddle tetherball is similar to normal tetherball, except it is played with a tennis ball and tennis rackets or racquetball rackets. A thinner rope is used to anchor the tennis ball to the pole. Protective eye wear is recommended with paddle tetherball because the ball tends to move much faster than in normal tetherball. Paddle tetherball is played with the same rules as normal tetherball.

    History

    • Some people claim that tetherball has its origins in a violent Tartar game that used the heads of victims as a ball. Others claim that it has its origins in the maypole rituals of northern Europe. One of the least likely stories has it that the game was invented by Nigel Tether of Ball, England. The game is closely associated with a volleyball, so it is likely it was created after 1895, the year the volleyball was invented.