tetherball

thumb|A game of tetherball

Tetherball is a game where two players use their hands to strike a volleyball which is suspended from a stationary metal pole by a rope or tether. The two players stand on opposite sides of the pole, and each 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. thumb|Swingball with the use of racquets An early variant described in Jessie H. Bancroft's 1909 book Games for the Playground involves a tethered tennis ball hit by racquets, with similar rules of the game. This variant is known as swingball, which was invented by Gavin Gormely in South Africa. The variation of the game with the volleyball, known as tetherball now, did not come about until the invention of the volleyball sometime after 1895. In the 1920s, schools and parks began adding them to their play area.