Paddle ball

Paddle ball is a one-person game played with a paddle and an attached ball. Using the flat paddle with the small rubber ball attached at the center via an elastic string, the player tries to hit the ball with the paddle in succession as many times as possible.

The paddle is similar in size and shape to a table tennis racket. It is usually made from either wood or plastic, although other materials can be used.

History

Created and patented (U.S. Patent 1,529,600) in the 1920s, the paddle ball was one of the more whimsical products to follow the invention of soft rubber.

In 1931, the Fli-Back Company was founded in High Point, North Carolina with the paddle-ball as their sole product. The paddle logo depicted a cowboy playing paddle ball while riding a bucking bronco. This first successful mass-marketing of the toy allowed the company to diversify into a number of other toys including the yo-yo and spinning tops. In 1972, the Ohio Art Company, the makers of the popular Etch-A-Sketch, purchased the Fli-Back Company. They continued to make Fli-Back paddle ball games in High Point until 1983.

Paddle-ball

Paddle-ball is a sport that can be played on a one-wall court with paddle racquets amongst two players (singles game) or in doubles with two teams consisting of two players. Below are the instructions for single games.

Necessary Equipment

To play Paddle-ball, it is necessary to have a paddle (resembling a racquet ball paddle) that is no longer than 17-1/2 inches and no wider than 9 inches, weighing about 0.78 lbs. Paddle-ball can be played with either a tennis ball or any small ball made of rubber. The ball must be kept dry at all times. The appropriate attire for Paddle-ball is ideally one for running, taking climate conditions into consideration.

Court

Paddle-ball is normally played on a court preferably about 20 feet wide and 37 feet long with a wall that is 16 feet in height. The court has a short line, a set of service markers, 2 side lines and a long line. The service zone is the area between the short line and the service markers. At the start of the play, one person must stand inside the service zone and strike the ball against the wall. The server must stay within the service zone until the ball crosses the short line.