Downball
Downball (also known as handball) is an Australian variation of four square played throughout Australian schooling institutions. It is played on courts usually consisting of 4–6 squares, in which each player occupies one square at a time. The game is played with a tennis ball or a rubber ball, which is served by the player in the "king" or "ace" square. The object of the game is for the player to navigate their way to the "king" square by eliminating opponents. Eliminating opponents can be achieved in the following ways:
- A player fails to touch a ball as it bounces(limited to one bounce) through their square
- A player touches the ball twice in their own square
- A player hits the ball and it bounces twice in their own square (This of course include a serve from the "king or "ace")
- A player hits the ball into another square without first bouncing in their own square (This is known colloquially as a "straight" or "full")
- A player hits the ball and it proceeds to roll through their square or another players square. (Naturally, this is known as "rolls" because of the rolling nature of the ball)
- A player hits the ball and it lands out of the boundaries of the court
- Interfering with other players or the ball
- Hitting the ball on an inside line. Elimination does not occur if the ball is hit on exterior lines (know as "Liner"), for there is no question on which square it was hit into. If the ball is hit onto an intersection (where and inside and an outside line meet), the player who hit it is out.
Read more about this topic: Four Square