How to Play Tetherball

Gear Up for Tetherball

• 1

  If you can't find a tetherball setup at a local park or school, assemble a portable tetherball set or build your own area of play by sinking a permanent pole in concrete and attaching a tetherball and rope.

• 2

  Pair up for play with someone roughly matched in height and athletic skill, if possible.

• 3

  Demarcate your center boundary and agree on basic rules of play or add your own variations.

• 4

  Choose which player will serve first.

Play Tetherball

• 5

  Serve the ball toward your opponent, attempting to wrap the rope around the pole. Hit the ball in the same direction throughout the game. Your opponent must try for the opposite direction.

• 6

  Try to hit the ball out of reach of the other player so the rope wraps more than once around the pole. Use your body to block the ball and then return it, or follow the rule that allows hits only with hands and arms.

• 7

  Play to win by returning the ball consistently in one direction.

• 8

  Call time-out and penalize a player one wrap for stepping out of bounds (over the center mark), for hitting the rope or pole, or hitting the ball more than once per volley. Call time out with no penalty for a "dead" ball. Recreate the number of wraps and height of the ball and resume play.

• 9

  Win the game by being the first player to wrap the rope all the way around the pole in your designated direction.

• 10

  Alternate serves and play "best of 3" or "best of 5" sets.

• 11

  Purchase the "Big Book of Rules" from Amazon.com to discover varying tetherball rules (see Resources below).