Tetherball

playground · game · skill

Volleyball on a rope. Tetherball uses a real volleyball attached to a tall metal pole by a rope or tether. Players stand on opposite sides and hit it back and forth like tennis, but instead of the ball going away, it spirals around the pole.

Opposite directions. One player tries to hit the ball clockwise while the other hits it counterclockwise. It's like a game of tug-of-war, except you're both pulling with your hands and timing.

Win by wrapping. The game ends when one player winds the rope completely around the pole so the ball gets stuck and stops. The winner is whoever manages to wrap it all the way before their opponent does.

Hands only. Unlike some similar games, tetherball doesn't let the ball bounce. You must hit it with your hands, and it has to stay in the air as it spirals around the pole.

Classic playground game. Tetherball became popular on school playgrounds across America because it's fun, simple to set up, and needs just two people to play.