OFFICIAL COURT 360BALL RULES 1. Introduction 1.1. Origins of 360ball 1.2. Terminology

2. Equipment 2.1. Rackets 2.2. Ball 2.3. Clothing and footwear 2.4. Miscellaneous

3. Court 3.1. Dimensions 3.2. Markings 3.3. Central disc and Ricochet Board 3.4. Serving stations 3.5. Surrounding walls

4. Rules of play 4.1. Scoring 4.2. The Service Page 1 of 22

4.3. The Set and The strike 4.4. Sequence of play 4.5. Obstruction 4.6. Umpiring

5. Competitions 5.1. Structure 5.2. Ethos

6. Governing body 6.1. Changes to the game 6.2. Changes to the Rules

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1. Introduction 360ball is a racquet and ball game played between two (singles) or four (doubles) players on a circular court. It involves bouncing the ball off a circular disc which is horizontally placed in the centre of the court. Play pivots around this disc. Two version of the game are played namely:  

Court 360ball played in a circularly walled court and Pitch 360ball played on any open and virtually level grass, sand, sprung or synthetic pitch the perimeter of which is defined by a circular boundary line.

The rules for Court 360ball and Pitch 360ball differ slightly and drafted separately. There are no separating sides to the court and although play is started from two diagonally oppositely placed serving stations and the positions of players at the service are dictated, players may rotate around the court as dictated by play. The object of the game is to hit the ball in such a way that it bounces off the disc and lands within the boundary of the court or alternatively force an error on the part of your opponents. Players or teams must use two shots to play the ball before bouncing it off the disc. The use of two shots is obligatory. During play, it is common for players to rotate right around the court, dive to the ground and perform a wide range of athletic movements in an effort to outplay opponents.

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1.1. Origins of 360ball The game of 360ball was invented in South Africa

1.2. Terminology The Shots The actual act of striking the ball with the racquet is referred to as a “Shot.” The game of 360ball involves striking the ball twice per side; i.e. playing two shots, before the ball is bounced off the disc and these shots are referred to as the “The Set” and “The Strike”. The act of striking or setting the ball including moving into position and the actual hitting of the ball is referred to as “playing” the shot. 360ball has three playing shots, in the execution of which each is governed by its own rules namely: “The Serve,” “The Set” & “The Strike.” (see Fig.1) The service shot aside the taking of two shots is mandatory in a playing sequence.  

“The Serve” starts the game by striking the ball onto the disc to the opposing team. “The Set” is the pass of the ball after the ball bounces off the disc where the ball is hit into the air with the intention of hitting it again (= strike). In Singles the set is played with the intention of that same player executing the strike whilst in doubles the ball is passed between the two team members; the “passing set.” The set may be executed by striking the ball so that it rebounds off the outer walls or kicker board. The act of playing the set shot is commonly referred to as “setting” and the team Page 4 of 22

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playing or about to play the set is referred to as the defending team. In doubles the ball passing of the ball between two players is obligatory. “The Strike” is the act of striking the ball the 2nd time after the set with the intention of making it bounce off the disc. The act of playing the strike shot is commonly referred to as “striking” and the team in the act of playing the strike is referred to as the attacking team.

Players who specialize in setting or striking are often referred to as setters or strikers.

Fig. 1 

The Court The court can be divided into three parts namely: The Surface, The Walls (& Kicker Board) and The Disc (& Ricochet Board).

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The Surface is the floor that one plays on. This can be made up of a number of materials but will always be known as the surface.

The Walls (& Kicker Board) are particular to Court 360ball and are used to “contain” the entire playing surface. While the Kicker Board allows the ball to be kept in play for longer by rebounding a ball that bounces off it on a playable trajectory. The Disc (& Ricochet Board) is the circular concave Disc placed in the very center of the surface and this is surrounded by the Ricochet Board which is also circular. Serving Stations Serving Stations are 2 disc shaped markings located on the kicker board at diagonally opposite sides of the court defining the point from where the serve is taken.

2. Equipment 2.1. Rackets Rackets may be of any color or material but must be of the following dimensions: Maximum Length: 54cm Maximum Width: 23cm

2.2. The Ball The Ball is a foam ball of a specified density and consistency. For all and any Tournaments or Challenges the ball used must be of the approved type.

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The ball is chosen as such for its actions and reactions off The Walls and Disc and as such and unapproved Balls would change the nature of the game.

2.3. Clothing and Footwear    

Appropriate clothing must be worn at all times. Shoes, a shirt and shorts or tights are appropriate during a Challenge or a Tournament. During doubles both team members must be wearing the same shirts so as to identify them as a team. Footwear must be of the sports type and MUST offer enough grip to play the game unimpeded. Studs or spiked are not allowed as they would damage the court. Sponsors clothing may be worn except where specified in the specific rules of a specific Challenge or Tournament.

2.4. Miscellaneous  

Sweat towels may be used during play but must be stored off the court. The use of these towels must not interfere with the run of play. Any hydration consumed while playing must be stored off the court. Care must be taken while drinking not to spill the fluid so as not to affect future play.

3. Court 3.1. Dimensions The Dimensions of a 360ball court are as follows: Page 7 of 22

Fig 2 Total Diameter of The Court is 9.2m this is made up as follows (See Fig 1):   

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Diameter of The Disk + Ricochet Board is 2.5m The internal edge of The Core Area, "The Core Line" is 5.8m in diameter. The Quadrant area defined by a line on the kicker board is thick and is divided into 4 equal quarters The external Circumference of the Court is 28.9m.

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Fig 3 3.2. Markings    

The floor and the walls of the court should have distinct colours. All of the lines on a 360ball Court must differ distinctly in colour from the colour of the floor and wall. The Core Line is a circular line defining the core area of The Court and is 5.8 meters in diameter. The Quarter lines are 4 straight lines defining the service Quarters of the court and extend directly away from the centre of the court from the base of the Kicker board to the court wall and up to the top or the court wall. These Quarter Lines divide The Kicker Board and outer wall into 4 equal parts.

3.3. Central Disk and Ricochet Board 

The Disc is the playing equipment placed in the epicentre of the court. The whole concept of the game of Page 9 of 22

360ball revolves around bouncing the ball off the strike surface of this central Disk. The design of the strike surface of the Disc, its dimensions, surface texture and curvature have evolved over time with the purpose of producing a predictable ball bounce thereby fostering the ideal game. Surfaces, Shape and Curvature. The Disc is a circular shape with a concave inner playing surface and an exterior convex downward tapering rim.  Shape: The concave curvature of the playing surface of the disc is specially designed for 360ball and is known as the “Douglas curve.” The Douglas curve is an irregular curve increasing from 0° at the centre of the disc towards the outsides of the disc which has a maximum angle of 27°.  Size: The radius of a competition disc is 750mm (disc only) and 2500mm (disc + ricochet board).  Colour: The colour of the disc may vary but should be of a darker non-reflective colour so as not to blind players especially for outdoor games. The two surfaces of the disc, the strike surface and the rim (ricochet board) should be of distinctly different colours.  Placement: The disc must be placed in a horizontal position (with the apex of the rim horizontal) in the exact centre of the court.  Height of the apex of the rim should be at 170mm above the playing surface of the court.  Official Equipment: Recognised league, tournament and Challenge matches must be played on the competition Page 10 of 22

CTR750 Disk (Competition Top Radius 750mm). 

The Ricochet Board is the apparatus that surrounds the circumference of the disc and augments the game of 360ball by prolonging rallies. The Ricochet Board was instituted with the triple objectives of:  Keeping players from approaching the disc too closely thereby limiting their potential maximum angle of attack.  Returning to play balls that deflected off the disc at an unplayable low trajectory by rebounding them into the air at a higher trajectory. A ball that deflects off the Ricochet Board after bouncing off the disc is still in play.  Creating a barrier that balls moving at low velocity have to clear before landing in the field of play thereby increasing the downside risk to playing a drop shot. Surfaces, Shape and Curvature. The Ricochet Board has a strike surface which inclines upward from the height of the edge of the disc rim.  Shape: The Ricochet Board inclines from the inside to the outside by 23° and its strike surface is flat. The outer edge is curved and downwardly tapering.  Size: The outer rim of the Ricochet Board's playing surface is 8.4m in circumference and has a radius of 1.35m. It has a maximum height of 280mm above court surface. The maximum outer radius of the Ricochet Board is 1.4m at court surface. The inner radius of the bottom strike surface of the Ricochet Board is the same height as the rim of the Disc. Page 11 of 22

 Colour: The colour of the Ricochet Board may vary but should be of a darker, non-reflective tone so as not to blind players especially for outdoor games. The two surfaces of the Ricochet Board, the strike surface and the rims, may differ but this is not essential. The colour of the strike surface of the Ricochet Board should differ significantly from the disc.  Placement: The Ricochet Board must be placed in a horizontal position surrounding the disc.

3.4. Serving Stations The serving stations are two markings painted on diagonally opposite points on the Kicker Board in the center of the two Serving Quadrants with the purpose of defining the point from which the serve must be taken.

3.5. Surrounding Walls The surrounding walls are made from Polycarbonate Sheets (8mm).  Shape: The surrounding walls must be circular in shape to allow for a true rebound of the ball. Hexagonal, octagonal or any other noncircular shape will be contrary to the essence of 360ball.  Size: With a circumference of 28.9m, a diameter of 9.2m and enclosing and area of 66.476m the size of a 360ball court must be accurate so as to keep all the interior marking ratios accurate. Page 12 of 22

 Placement: The court should be placed on a level horizontal (no slope) surface. Professional courts will be outfitted with sprung wood or Astroturf interior surfaces but these must be flat. lighting must be a consideration - floodlights are ideal but the court must be subject to sufficient light to play in.  Colour: The walls colour must be either transparent or a different colour to the floor.  Kicker Board. The Kicker Board is the inclined surface surrounding the court that joins the floor surface to the surrounding walls.

4. Rules of Play 4.1. Scoring TO SCORE A POINT A team scores a point by;  successfully grounding the ball on the opponent’s court;  when the opponent team commits a fault;  When the opponent team receives a penalty.  Fault: A team commits a fault by making a playing action contrary to the rules (or by violating them in some other way). The referees judge the faults and determine the consequences according to the Rules.

TO WIN A GAME A game is won by the team which first scores 21 points with a minimum lead of two points. In the case of a 20-20 tie, play is continued until a two-point lead is achieved (22-20; 27-25; …). Note; For tournament matches games may be contested over 11, Page 13 of 22

15 or 17 points

TO WIN THE MATCH The match is won by the team that wins three games. Note; for tournaments matches can be contested over 1, 3 or 5 games.

4.2. The Service  The service is decided by the toss of a coin or racket. The player/team winning the toss may choose either to take the first service sequence or chose the serving side and be served to. The player/team not favored by the toss gets the remaining option.  The service is taken from the opposite serving station to the side the other team/player chose.  The service is only taken from one service station per side. This serving station is referred to as the serving side. Serving sides alternate with every set.  The serving player must wait until his opponent(s) have indicated that they are ready before initiating the serve. Players receiving the service indicate this by assuming a position of readiness more or less opposite the serving side.  A player receiving the serve may delay play by holding up a hand. Players may delay play for a maximum of fifteen seconds without calling a time out. Any delay beyond 15 seconds will automatically be counted as a time out.  The player serving must place one foot on the serving station. That foot should remain on or in contact with the serving station until after that player has executed his service. Page 14 of 22

 The ball must then be tossed in the air and struck with the racket in such a way that it bounces off the disc.  The act of tossing the ball into the air and striking it must be performed in one continues action and no feigning (bokking) is permitted.  The ball must carry to rebound off the far wall after bouncing off the Disc unless intercepted by a player receiving the service.  The service is alternated between opposing teams players after every five services.  In doubles the taking of the service is alternated between members of the same team with each serving sequence. i.e Player 1 from Team A serves first, taking five services after which the opponents from Team B take the next five services after which player 2 from team A takes the next five services and so forth.

4.3. The Set and The Strike  In doubles on receiving the ball from a serve the receiving player must set the ball to his or her team mate.  Each team/player must play the ball twice per side before returning the ball. This is known as The Set and The strike.  The first ball is received and controlled (The Set) and the second shot (The Strike) is played back onto the disk to the opposing team/player.

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 Both The Set and The Strike are individual shots and must be clean, singular shots. A double touch of the ball is seen as a foul shot.  The service initiates a playing sequence following which each player or team must use a succession of two shots, The Set and The Strike, to return the ball by bouncing it off the disc after which that player/teams opponents must in turn attempt to continue the sequence. Play continues until one player/team makes an error leading to a breakdown of play.  The ball is allowed to contact any part of a player’s body or attire, accept for a player’s arms beyond the shoulders and the racket - this will not being counted as a shot.  The ball may be played after bouncing off the outer wall or be played onto the wall with the intention of passing it to a team member or bouncing it onto the disc (The Strike). The ball may only make contact with the wall a maximum of two times in any one sequence of play.  The Ball will be deemed to be out if it bounces over the wall and lands out of the court.  Fair Bounce The ball may bounce or deflect off the Disc/Ricochet board in 3 ways which are permissible:  Directly after bouncing once off the Disc  Directly after bouncing multiple times off the Disc without hitting an edge and deviating.  After bouncing off the Disc and then Ricochet board. The number of bounces taken by the ball is irrelevant so long as its course is true to the curve of the board and not kicked off

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course by any edges. It must also clear the edge of the Ricochet board in one clean movement.  Foul bounce:  If the ball contacts the rim of the Disc and deflects away from the disk, i.e. on a trajectory not consistent with curvature of the strike surface of the Disc, nor in a straight line, then it is deemed a “foul bounce” and the player/team who struck the ball will lose a point/service.  A ball that first contacts the Ricochet Board before the Disc or deflects solely off the Ricochet Board without contacting the disc at all is foul bounce.

4.4. Sequence of Play Fig 4 4.5. Obstruction  Obstruction is when a player from one team moves into, or remains in, a position that obstructs or hinders an opponent form playing his intended shot or moving into a position from which the player is unable to play a shot, either through physically hindering or visibly obscuring, that player with the players body or racket.  The onus is on the team who is in the act of playing the Strike to provide the defending team with:  An unobstructed passage to a position from where to play their setting shot prior to, and after, the strike shot has been played. Page 17 of 22

 Unobstructed visibility of the ball whilst the striking shot is being played.  Unobstructed visibility of the ball whilst the ball is bouncing off the disc.  Unhindered movement in playing the setting shot.  The attacking team does this by having the non striking member move:  In a direction away from the Disc.  In a direction away from opponents that are in, or moving into, a position to play the ball.  Away from the obvious path of a defending player.  The defending team has absolute right of way on the court. The team playing the attacking shot has partial right of way until the moment when the ball is struck.  Absolute right of way refers to the right of way given to a team playing the setting shot in that that team’s opponents may not institute any obstruction, be it accidental or intentional against that team, and doing so will result in the team being awarded with a point.  Partial Right of way refers to the right of way given to a team playing the striking shot where that team must be given every reasonable opportunity to play an unhindered and unobstructed shot and that their opponents are not permitted to move into an obstructive position and must vacate the area of play provided that they are given a reasonable opportunity to do so. As the team playing the striking shot is responsible for control of the ball between shots a much greater onus now rests on that team not to Page 18 of 22

direct play into an area of the court already occupied by their opponents or into an area in the path of an opponent moving into a defensive position.

4.6. Umpiring The game is adjudicated by an umpire who is sole arbiter or the game. The umpire may be assisted by two assistant umpires and a 4th umpire to whom certain types of decisions may be referred for adjudication using televised replays of the point.  The Umpire will be situated in a position where he or she can best see the run of play but may not be situated on the court itself.  The head umpire is the sole adjudicator of the game he has been selected to umpire. His or her decision is final and no arguments will be tolerated.  Any disrespect to the Umpire will be an immediate forfeit of service and a point penalty.

5. Competitions 5.1. Structure 

Competitions may take 3 forms: A once off Challenge where a team with an acceptable track record challenges another team/player to a game.  A tournament in the form of a round robin with a semifinal and then a final.  A tournament in the form of a knock out. 

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Championships can be won in any of these forms of competition. The form of competition depends on the organizer and/or the sponsors but irrespective it must always adhere to the basic rules of 360ball.

5.2. Ethos Ethos is defined as follows: "The fundamental character or spirit of a culture; the underlying sentiment that informs the beliefs, customs, or practices of a group or Society; dominant assumptions of a people or period: In the Greek ethos the individual was highly valued." In 360ball our Ethos is very similar - Building character, Respect and sportsmanship through competition. We strive to respect all other players irrespective of their skill level. We seek to improve the standard of play and the game through coaching and community drives. We are sportsmen and women sharing the best of ourselves and each other through 360ball!

6. Governing Body 6.1. Changes to the Game  Any and all changes to the game itself must be approved by the founders of 360ball or there duly appointed representatives.  Submissions for changes to the game must be made in writing with a comprehensive reasoning for this proposed change. Page 20 of 22

 Once a decision to change the game has been made this change will not take effect until the change has been written into the rules and all governing bodies have been notified.

6.2. Changes to the Rules  The rules are drafted by a rules committee appointed by the ITSBA who will meet regularly with the purpose of updating the rules.  The Rules of 360ball are designed to foster athleticism, skillful play and a balanced and fair contest with great consideration given to the safety of players and spectators.  The rules of 360ball have evolved over time in an attempt to enhance the desirable attributes of the game. As player’s skills and tactics improve and equipment is advanced the rules have to evolve to protect and enhance the desirable attributes of the game. The desirable attributes being determined as a balanced and fair contest between: athleticism, skillful play, tactical play and endurance whilst reducing the impact that luck has on the contest. It has generally been considered that longer periods of play (rallies) are desirable and it should be less easy to “kill” the game and therefore rules that encourage longer periods of play are encouraged.  Any proposed rule changes should be submitted in writing to the rules committee. This submission should include the current rule (if applicable), the new proposed rule and a justification for the change.  Once a decision to change a rule has been made this change will not take effect until the change has been written into the rules and all governing bodies have been notified. Page 21 of 22

Official 360 Rules as set out by the founding members and rules committee as at 21 August 2013. Draft 3 of 3 final and abiding. 360ball

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