Tetherball Rules
- Players
- 2 players, head to head
- Ages
- 6+
- Setup time
- Minutes (with a set pole)
- Space
- A circle about 12 to 15 ft across around the pole
What you need
- A tetherball pole, standing about 10 feet tall above the ground
- A rope or cord attached near the top of the pole
- A tetherball clipped to the end of the rope, hanging about 2 feet off the ground
- An open circle of clear space around the pole with no obstacles
Set it up
The pole stands about 10 feet tall above the ground, with the ball hanging roughly 2 feet off the grass on a rope. Players need a clear circle about 12 to 15 feet across around the pole.
Scoring
- There is no score-to-a-number in tetherball. You win a game by fully winding the rope around the pole in your direction so the ball stops against it.
- For this version, stop on a foul, restore the rope to its position before the foul, and let the non-offender serve. Agree consequences for repeated or intentional fouls before play.
- Choose the match target before play, such as first to two, three or five game wins. Switch sides between games.
How to play
- Set up the pole and ball. Stand the pole so it rises about 10 feet above the ground with the rope fastened near the top. The ball should hang roughly 2 feet off the ground when it dangles straight down.
- Pick sides and directions. Each player stands on their own side, typically on opposite halves of an imaginary line through the pole. One player tries to wind the rope clockwise, the other counterclockwise.
- Serve to start. One player serves by tossing the ball up and hitting it in their winding direction. The other player tries to stop it and send it back the other way.
- Rally back and forth. Strike the ball with a hand or fist to wind the rope in your direction. Stay on your own half and do not catch, carry or hold the ball, touch the rope, or touch the pole. Agree the match length before play.
- Win by fully wrapping the rope. The first player to wind the rope completely around the pole in their direction, so the ball is snug against the pole, wins the game. No points to count, just the wrap.