Garbageball

Garbageball, also known as Ultimate Garbageball and Ultimate Basketball, is a team sport not-so-loosely based on Ultimate Frisbee, and comprised of elements of basketball, soccer, and rugby.

History

The game was developed in the summer of 2003 in Fairbanks, Alaska, after an ill-fated game of Capture-the-Flag that resulted in the group of players being kicked-out of an area tourist-park, Alaskaland (aka Pioneer Park), and into its parking lot.

One of the players had a 4-Square ball on hand. Still roused from the inconclusive Capture game, a few of the guys started tossing the ball around (or at eachother) and making a competition of it. No more than a minute later, the discovery of a pair of 55-gallon garbage cans at either end of the area effectively concluded the development of the sport:

1. score by throwing the ball into the opposing team's can
2. but no running with the ball.

Originally and unofficially called Ultimate Basketball due to the obvious, some later clarified the reference to Ultimate Garbageball. When the population of players of the game grew wide enough, it simply became known as Garbageball.

Summertime in Fairbanks means 20+ hours of sunlight per day. This fact is taken advantage of by many area youth who've been cooped up for 9 months of Alaskan winter, and leagues for many local sports pop up for pick-up play during this time, including Andrew Foley's recently patented similar Foleyball. Since the nature of the game lent itself to being played in inclement conditions on days other events would be foiled, its popularity spread quickly by word of mouth among area high-schools and University of Alaska, Fairbanks. Just two years after its inception, City League play of 5 official teams were gathering bi-weekly throughout the summer.

Rules of Play

1. One foot must remain planted from reception of the ball, and throughout holding the ball, until its release
2. There are no more permanent rules: and this is a rule

"House Rules" may be applied on a game-by-game basis. Sparingly. And they should probably be called suggestions.

Definitions

• Holding Possession: A player has a "holding possession" of the ball if she/he has physical contact with the ball and any body part for more than 1/2 second while it is off the ground.
• Dribbling: The act of moving with the play ball without violating rules of "holding possession" by bouncing the ball off (or along) the ground alternatively with the hands (or feet).
• Scoring a point: marked for the team that is not defending the can when the ball completely crosses the plane of an open end of the can.

Object

The object is to score points by placing (by hand, throw, kick, or otherwise) the play ball in the opposing team's can.

Teams

There are no dedicated player positions. Originally developed as a standard 2-team game, Garbageball has been successfully extended to 3- and 4-team matches with the simple addition of more garbage cans and division of players into corresponding number of teams.

Area of Play

Implicit in the beauty of Rule #2, is the fact that the game field is undefined, and as such, can be played anywhere. House rules can be instated to avoid damage to people or property, but since one must be near a can to score, there is no need to define a discrete play area.

Spirit of the Game

One would think the lack of rules could lead to problems. And one would be right. But that lack of rules runs both ways, so Tackle not, lest ye be tackled.