Whirlyball
From Free net encyclopedia
Whirlyball is a team sport that combines elements of basketball and jai alai, with the players riding "Whirlybugs", small electric vehicles similar to bumper cars. Because play requires a special court, it is played in only a handful of locations in the United States and Canada.
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The game
A Whirlyball team consists of five players. Each player rides a Whirlybug and carries a scoop, with which he or she can pass the ball, usually a wiffleball, to teammates and shoot at the goal, a circular target above each end of the court.
Players are not allowed to leave their cars or touch the ball with their hands. Other than that, almost anything is allowed, within certain bounds of safety, such as you are not allowed to ram a player from behind (4 point penalty). Games played by veterans at a National level can get particulary vicious, although it is extremely rare for an injury to occur.
Whirlybug
A Whirlybug is similar to an electric bumper car. It is round, with a bumper going all the way around. Unlike most bumper cars, however, power is not provided by an overhead grid, but rather by alternating conducting plates that make up the floor of the court. This means that Whirlybugs are more complex than traditional bumper cars, but this is necessary as an overhead grid would obstruct play. A Whirlybug is steered by a handle that looks like a crank. This handle allows steering not just side to side, but also backwards. In this aspect, it is very different from a traditional bumper car.
Popularity
Whirlyball is played as a competitive sport with organized leagues, but it is more commonly played for entertainment. Many Whirlyball locations have a sports bar atmosphere, offering billiards and other tabletop games to play between matches. There are locations in and around Chicago, in Cleveland, Seattle, Dallas, Atlanta, Toronto, Connecticut, Detroit, West Bloomfield, Ann Arbor, Flint and Ypsilanti, Michigan.
The Seattle Whirlyball center is the mecca of Whirlyball, winning the National Championship 18 years in row.
References
- Brian Alexander, "War of the Whirls", The Seattle Times, August 3, 2005, Sec. Times of Snohomish County, Pg. H14. Online copy