Tetherball
Tetherball is a North American game for two opposing players. The equipment consists of a stationary metal pole, from which is hung a volleyball from a rope or tether. The two players stand on opposite sides of the pole. Each player tries to hit the ball one way; one clockwise, and one counterclockwise. The game ends when one player manages to wind the ball all the way around the pole so that it is stopped by the rope. It must not bounce.
An early variant described in Jessie H. Bancroft's 1909 book Games for the Playground... involves tethered tennis ball hit by racquets, with similar rules of the game.
Rules
The game begins when one player enters the court and yells "Sides and ways" then serves the ball in the direction he or she chooses (provided that person yelled it first), usually by hitting it off the post, or after the opposing player serves it he or she cannot touch it until the other player touches it. The opposing player then attempts to return the serve by hitting it in the opposite direction. The object is to hit the ball in such a way that one's opponent will be unable to alter the ball's direction. This gives the server an advantage since the server has more control over the ball from the beginning. It is generally acceptable to hit the ball with either the fist or the open hand or swing.
