Raljoball
From Falsipedia
Raljoball (Rah-LOW-ball) is a hand-to-ball sport primarily played between two players. The two players are pitted against one another in a test of agility and endurance. Due to the rigorous export protections imposed by the government, raljoball is only played in the United States at this time. The ultimate objective of the sport is to score more points than your opponent. It is played similarly to volleyball, table tennis, and badminton. The court is a 12 foot by 12 foot square on the ground, split in half by a net that is about 2 feet high. On each side of the court there is a wall that the players can play off, much like in badminton. Each player tries to hit the ball over the net and past their opponent. While it is legal to play off any body part, the sport is primarily played with the hands. The ball used is small (approximately 5-1/2 inches in diameter) and is made of basketball type material. The scoring is based on a non-rally system, meaning, the players can only score points if when they serve the ball. To regain the serve, the non-server must score. The server's boundaries are inside other small boxes attached to the main court called service boxes. The ball may touch the net on the serve, but not at any other time during raljoball play. Also the ball may not hit the boundary line during the serve. Any other time, the ball is able to hit the line. Players can only allow the ball one consecutive bounce on their side. A bounce is not required before a return except on the serve. Games are played up to 25, with a win-by-two rule. There are several other rules designed to make the game fair in any situation that may arise on the court.
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History
Raljoball was invented in August of 2004, in the town of Penfield, New York. Andy Gerlach and Matt Burton are the co-founders of the sport. It was originally played in Burton's home without walls, and many different variations to the rules. The name 'raljo' was derived from the word rally. The sport has progressed in many ways from the original game to what it is now. The majority of the rule changes took place when the game was first played in Gerlach's basement. This is how the very unique rule of playing off the walls was formed.
Raljoball's history is short as of now. The first ever recorded match was between CJ Fogle, and Jim Gerlach. This game was the first to use the current system of scoring. In the historic match, Fogle defeated J. Gerlach by the score of 25-14. Though the date of the match is unknown, historians of the sport believe it was played in the fall of 2004. Hundreds more games have been played since 2004. Other historic events in raljoball history include the first ever shut out when Andy Gerlach defeated Doug Fogle 25-0. Since that game, only three shut-outs have occurred.
During the spring of 2006, the National Raljoball League (NRL) was formed. Despite being a failure, due to lack of dedication, the NRL was a major step in spreading the word of the fledgling sport. The original league included eight teams, each consisting of four players. The first ever team raljoball game was between the Snow Smurfs, and the Justice League. The Snow Smurfs won by a total score of 100-40.
On March 21, 2008, the first ever official raljoball tournament was held. It was a small eight man bracket. The finals match was between the number one seed, Andy Gerlach, and the number two seed, Doug Fogle. Gerlach defeated Fogle in a hard-fought match ending with a score of 25-21.
Gameplay
The Coin Toss
Raljoball games begin with a judge who assigns each player to either heads or tails and then flips the coin. The winner of the coin toss can choose to pick a side of the court or which player will have the first serve. The player who loses the coin toss is given the opportunity to determine the other option. For example: Player A wins the toss and chooses first serve. Player B now has can choose on which side of the court he/she would like to play. If the player has no preference of which option they want to decide, they may defer to the opposing player. Once the sides, and first serve are assigned, the players shake hands to start the game.
Serving
The serve in raljoball is unique from that of other rally type sports. A legal serve in raljoball consists of several different elements. Before serving, the serving player must be sure that both they and their opponent are inside the designated service boxes of the court. To serve, the server forcefully drops the ball onto the court, causing it to bounce back towards them. As the ball is rising, the server strikes it toward the opposing player. For the serve to be considered legitimate, the ball must fall in service area on the opposite corner of the court. It cannot hit a boundary line on the serve, and the ball must hit the ground before it can be played off a wall. The ball may hit the net on serve, as long as it still lands in the opponent's service area. The server has two chances to complete a proper serve. One poor serve constitutes a fault, and the second is a double fault and gives the opposing player the opportunity to serve. An ace in raljoball is a recognition of an excellent serve. An ace occurs when the server scores on just one hit of the ball. If the opponent returns the serve, but the ball lands out of bounds, it is still considered an ace.
Rallying
Raljoball uses a non-rally scoring system, meaning you can only score points if it is your serve. Acceptable rallying consists of only one bounce in the court, or none. There are no limits to volleying in raljoball. Raljoball's most unique quality is the "play it" rule. This rule causes both players to become conscience of whether to play it or not. If a player continues a rally despite the ball being out or hitting the net, then the ball is still alive and the opposing player must again return it. This allows for longer rallies. Exceptions for the rule are when the ball becomes a dead ball. These situations include but not limited to a double bounce, double hit, carry, and if the ball goes under the net. All smashes and slams are completely legal in raljoball. It is a common strategy for players to smash the ball at their opponent to score in a rally; this is a legal maneuver.
The Court
Raljoball court's can have slightly different measurements based on their locations. The official size is a 12 foot by 12 foot court. The court is split in half by a net making two 12 x 6 foot halves. The net is 2 feet high. There are service boxes on the right sides of each half. These boxes are 2 feet x 2 feet. The ground the game is played on is a rough carpet, with a small amount of foam padding beneath it. Walls can be made of almost anything, most commonly wood panels.
