The Interesting Sport of Fistball: Just another version of Volleyball or something better?
Fistball is a very interesting sport; interesting not only for the reason that it is so similar to volleyball, but also because it is a very fast paced game that is now being played all over the world. The rules are simple and the game play is addictive. It takes a lot of skill and athleticism to play and is slowly becoming very popular. Its similarity to volleyball is striking but there are some significant differences that make fistball a different sport. With its popularity growing all over, it is only a matter of time before fistball completely takes over and we see the sport everywhere we turn.
Fistball seems to have ancient origins; a game resembling fistball was invented in Ancient Rome. It was mentioned in text for the first time in 240AD by Gordian III, an emperor of Rome. The game evolved and moved on but people continued to play it over the years. It was next mentioned when an Italian man named Antonius Scaiono wrote down the first set of rules for the game in 1555. The sport was very predominant in Italy and was even mentioned in 1786 by Johann Wolfgang Goethe in his book ‘An Italian Journey.’ Over the centuries the game spread all over the world and was introduced in America in 1911 by a school teacher who had witnessed the game being played in Italy. Today fistball is played in many different countries and many tournaments take place culminating in the yearly Fistball World Games.
The way the game is played is very similar to volleyball. There is a net or a rope strung between two halves of a court. The court is a lot longer than a volleyball one and the net is lower as well. Teams of five are on each side and fists, hands and arms can be used to hit the ball which is similar in size to a volleyball. The biggest difference between the two sports is the fact that in fistball the ball is allowed to bounce once before a player hits it back to a team mate or over the net. Three hits are allowed before the ball has to cross the net into the other half. The objective of the game is simple, a team has to hit the ball over the net into the other teams half in such a way so that it is very difficult for the other team to return the ball. Matches are played on a best of five basis with a set consisting of 11 points. This makes for a game about the same length as a volleyball match. Fistball is similar to both tennis and volleyball because like tennis a bounce is allowed before contact and like volleyball three hits can be made before the ball is placed in the other side of the court. The objective of all these games is the same; the opponent should not be able to return the ball even after a bounce.
The interesting thing about fistball is that due to its ancient origins it may be the predecessor to volleyball. Volleyball was invented in 1895 in America, but with fistball being invented even before 240AD, it may have been the originator of almost all net type games. From tennis to volleyball to the more obscure Sepak takraw, all of them owe their existence to this early pioneer of a game that used hands and arms to get a ball across a net. But the sad part about this is the fact that the game that started it all is not that well known all around the world as tennis or volleyball are. It may need a revival to get more people interested in it and as more people play it, they will share it with others and the game will spread. It may be too early to say, but the sport might even see an entry into the Olympic Games one day. Whatever happens, this fascinating game with ancient origins is hopefully here to stay.
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