Draft:Gerkin Ball - The new sport

Gerkin Ball - The new sport

Introduction

Gerkin Ball is an outdoor sport combining strategy, teamwork, and adaptability. Played with an airflow ball on a compact court, its unpredictable elements and unique dynamics make it both fun and competitive. This document outlines the official rules for casual and tournament play.

Rulebook

1. Equipment and Setup

1.1 Ball An airflow ball, lightweight and designed for unpredictable movement.

1.2 Net Positioned above waist height in the centre of the court. The net has vertical gaps in it just big enough for the ball to fit through to add to the unpredictability. The ball is allowed to touch the net on a serve as long as it crosses to the opponent’s side.

1.3 Court Dimensions: Around a quarter the size of a badminton court Perimeter: Outlined with uneven bricks, creating unpredictable bounces when the ball lands there.

1.4 Sides King Side: Serves first in doubles. Challenger Side: Serves first in singles.

2. Gameplay Rules

2.1 Starting the Game Rock paper siccors determines which team takes the King Side or Challenger Side for singles. In doubles, the King Side always serves first.

2.2 Serving The server must bounce the ball once on their side and then on the opponent's side. The serve is valid even if the ball touches the net, as long as it reaches the opponent’s side.

2.3 Rallies The ball may bounce once on the opponent's side or be volleyed directly. Teams are allowed one pass (set) between teammates before hitting the ball over the net. The set must be with one hand.

2.4 Scoring A point is scored when: The opposing team fails to return the ball legally. The opposing team hits the ball out of bounds. Casual games are played to 3 points, while tournament scoring varies (see Section 4).

2.5 Smashes and Infractions Players may smash the ball with no height or force restrictions. Players must not: Lean over the net into the opponent’s side. Double-hit or scoop the ball.

3. Penalties and Infractions

3.1 A point is awarded to the opposing team if:

The ball bounces more than once on the same side during a rally. The ball bounces out of the court boundaries. A player double-hits or scoops the ball. A player leans over the net or interferes with the opponent’s side. A player hits the ball out of the court. A player does a double-handed set.

4. Tournament Rules

4.1 Format

Tournaments are held weekly with three stages: Group Stage: Matches to 5 points. Semi-Finals: Best-of-2 games, played to 7 points. Finals: One decisive game to 11 points.

4.2 Tie-Breakers In semi-finals, ties are resolved by a challenge. Eg. First team to hit the ball through the net first.

4.3 Controversies Net Holes: Rare "sneaky points" occur when the ball passes through the net’s larger holes. Uneven Perimeter: The unpredictable brick edges create challenges, rewarding adaptability. Dodgy Ball: The airflow balls can get dented or cracked overtime leading to flat bounces. Scoops: It can be hard to restrain what is defined as a 'scoop' or not.

5. Spirit of the Game

Gerkin Ball involves skill, strategy, team chemistry and adaptability. Players are encouraged to embrace the sport’s uniqueness and compete with fairness and respect.

History and Creation

The sport 'Gerkin Ball' is named due to its similarity with sports like tennis and pickle ball. Instead of 'pickle', gerkin deriving from the vegetable 'gherkin' was used. This vegetable was chosen to its obscurity, reflecting the sport. The sport became widespread and was played in secondary schools in the UK due to its easy set up and quick play. It is believed to have originated in Tiffin School, Kingston. Tournaments now occur once weekly in some places to add to the game and make it more competitive. Every week 6-8 teams play and are sorted into 2 groups of 4. The top 2 advance. At the end of each tournament the top duo get 3 points each in the season leader board. Every week the the duos mix and at the end of the season (every 6 weeks) the top player wins. The seasons being 6 weeks derive from school holidays to the next holidays as it originated in schools.