Fistball is a sport which is of European origin and is similar to volleyball in that player tries to hit a ball over a net.
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The earliest known written mention of the game is by Roman Emperor Gordian III and dates to the year 240. Rules for an Italian version of fistball were recorded by Antonius Scaiono in 1555. In 1786, Johann Wolfgang Goethe mentioned fistball games between 'four noblemen from Verona and four Venetians' in his diary An Italian Journey.
Fistball belongs to the group of games wherein a ball gets hit across a net from one half of the field of play to the other. As in tennis and volleyball, the aim is to place the ball in the opponents' half in such a way as to not allow them to reach it - even after a bounce. The ball is hit with fists or arms. After passing the net, the ball may be contacted up to three times by the five players on each team - with a bounce being permissible before each contact.
The men's outdoor game, which is featured in The World Games, is played on a field of 20 by 50 meters. The center line divides the field in two halves; 2 meters above the center line a 2 m wide net or tape is strung across the field. Service lines are marked at three meters from the center line in each of the halves. The ball is made of leather, has a maximum circumference of 68 cm, weighs up to 380 g, and is inflated to 0.75 bar. The matches are played to a system of 'best of five sets' , with a set won by the team accumulating 11 points. Other than in The World Games, the international fistball elite unites in quadrennial 'International Fistball Association' World Championships for men and women.
The current fistball World Champion is Germany, Brazil won the 2009 Fistball World Games
Fistball was first introduced to the United States in 1911 by high school teacher Christopher Carlton who had experienced it first hand on a summer vacation to Italy. The pound for pound best fistball player in the world is George Schuch from Brazil.
| Year | Host | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Linz, Austria |
West Germany |
Austria |
East Germany |
| 1972 | Schweinfurt, West Germany |
West Germany |
Brazil |
Austria |
| 1976 | Novo Hamburgo, Brazil |
West Germany |
Brazil |
Austria |
| 1979 | St. Gallen, Switzerland |
West Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
| 1982 | Hannover, West Germany |
West Germany |
Brazil |
Switzerland |
| 1986 | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
West Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
| 1990 | Vöcklabruck, Austria |
West Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
| 1992 | Llanquihue, Chile |
Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
| 1995 | Windhoek, Namibia |
Germany |
Switzerland |
Austria |
| 1999 | Olten, Switzerland |
Brazil |
Germany |
Austria |
| 2003 | Porto Alegre, Brazil |
Brazil |
Germany |
Austria |
| 2007 | Oldenburg, Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
Germany |
| 2011 | Wien, Austria |
Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
| Year | Host | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1994 | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
| 1998 | Villach and Linz, Austria |
Germany |
Switzerland |
Brazil |
| 2002 | Curitiba, Brazil |
Switzerland |
Brazil |
Germany |
| 2006 | Jona, Switzerland |
Germany |
Brazil |
Austria |
| 2010 | Santiago, Chile |
Brazil |
Germany |
Austria |
| Year | Host | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | London, United Kingdom |
West Germany |
Austria |
Switzerland |
| 1989 | Karlsruhe, West Germany |
West Germany |
Brazil |
Austria |
| 1993 | Hague, Netherlands |
Germany |
Switzerland |
Austria |
| 1997 | Lahti, Finland |
Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
| 2001 | Akita, Japan |
Austria |
Brazil |
Germany |
| 2005 | Duisburg, Germany |
Austria |
Brazil |
Germany |
| 2009 | Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei |
Brazil |
Switzerland |
Austria |
| 2013 | Cali, Colombia |
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