Agility ball
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History Agility ball was invented in 1995 by an aspiring young football player in the Midwest searching for a sport to keep him fit during the offseason. The sport spread quickly, soon achieving widespread popularity not only in the Midwest, but also along the Eastern Seabord and in the Deep South. Two months after the sport's invention, a new professional league, the Professional Agility Ball Association (PABA), had been formed. The league's founding teams, the Greenville Ghoulfish and Brooklyn Bottomers, both established in 1995, were later joined by several expansion teams the following year: the Cincinnati Sugar Bursties , Savannah Soul Skaters , Davenport Dingoes , and Rock Island Rippers. The PABA consisted of these six teams until 2000, when a new wave of expansion began. The league has since expanded to 16 members with the addition of the Pittsburgh Ponos (2000), Omaha Octopussies (2000), Morris L. Tibbs Agility Ball Club of Washington, D.C. (2002), Minneapolis Monks (2002), Boston Beets (2003), Saint Louis Slylock Foxes (2003), Montpelier Urchins (2004), Cleveland Steamers (2004), Albany Akelas (2005), and Pella Wooden Shoes (2005). The PABA is currently trying to promote the sport overseas by playing a series of preseason exhibitions in such locales as Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Cape Town, Mumbai, and Doha.
How to Play Each team has 4 players per game. Only one player from each team can be on the court at the same time. The serving player hurls the ball against the wall to begin the game. The serve must be under the Service Line which is .5 meters tall. The returning player must catch the ball and hurl the ball against the wall under the General Line (1.5 meters high). Then the serving player must return the shot in the same matter. The first player unable to return the shot loses and a point is rewarded to the other team. After a catch the player can only hold onto the ball for 1 second. If the ball touches the ground behind the Back Line the point is lost. Substitution is at will, much like hockey. A team may switch any of it's 4 eligable players at any time during the game. After each game the eligable players can be switched or kept the same. Each game is first to 11 and each match is best out of 3 games. Intentional contact between players is illegal, resulting in automatic loss of point and possible ejection.
Equipment, Playing Area, and Uniform Part of agility ball's appeal is the ease with which it can be played. The ball use is varied. The PABA and college regulations require the use of racquet balls, while high school and AAU leagues generally use tennis balls. An official ball is under design and has a scheduled release of Feb. 2007 (just in time for the PABA season opener). The new ball is rumored to be red and bouncier than a racquet ball to help the progression of the sport. Naturally an amatuer/high school ball will be released as well. The court must be 6 meters deep and 8 meters wide, with a 2.5 meter-high wall running lengthwise along one side. The floor is made of smooth concrete, while the wall is built of rough concrete bricks. Players must wear a pair of mid-calf wool socks, short cotton shorts that do not come down any lower than within 6 inches of the knee, and a cotton crewneck sweatshirt.
