Hooverball


Hoover ball is a medicine ball game invented by President Herbert Hoover's personal physician, Medal of Honor recipient Joel T. Boone, to help keep then-President Hoover fit. The Hoover Presidential Library Association and the city of West Branch, Iowa co-host a national championship each year.
In general, the game is played on a volleyball-type court of grass or sand and involves throwing a heavily weighted medicine ball over the net. Officially, in Hooverball, the medicine ball weighs about 6 lb and is thrown over an 8 ft volleyball-type net. The game is scored like tennis. The ball is caught and then thrown back. The weight of the medicine ball can make the sport quite physically demanding.

History

The sport was conceived shortly after Hoover's 1928 election. On a trip to South America Hoover observed a game of "Bull-in-the-Ring" being played on the Battleship Utah. Bull-in-the-Ring was popular among navy ships and was an inspiration for Hooverball. In Bull-in-the-Ring the ball was soft and weighed 9 lb. The person in the middle of the circle was called the "bull". While on these navy ships, Hoover enjoyed watching and playing the game. The net was 8.5 to 9 ft high and 30 ft wide.

Rules

Rules are usually determined "in house." However, the traditional rules are as follows:
  1. Points are scored when a team either fails to catch the return, fails to return the ball across the net, or returns the ball out of bounds.
  2. The ball is served from the back line.
  3. The serve is rotated among one team until the game is won. Teams alternate serving after each game.
  4. The ball must be caught on the fly and immediately returned from the point it was caught. There is no running with the ball or passing to teammates.
  5. Each team's court is divided in half. A ball returned from the front half of a team's court must be returned to the back half of its opponent's court. If the ball doesn't reach the back court, the opponent is awarded the point.
  6. A ball that hits the out-of-bounds line is a good return.
  7. A player who catches the ball out-of-bounds, or is carried out-of-bounds by the force of the ball, may return in-bounds before the return.
  8. A ball that hits the net on its way over is a live ball.
  9. Teams may substitute at dead ball situations.
  10. Women serve from the mid-court line.
  11. Women may pass once before a return.
  12. Women may return the ball to any area of the opponent's court.
  13. Good sportsmanship is required. Points in dispute are played over.

    Ultimate Hooverball

  14. If there are more than four players on each team, there must be two medicine balls in play at all times.
  15. Throwing rules differ from regular Hooverball. If the ball is caught in the front of the court, it must be returned with a one-arm side-throw. If the ball is caught in the back half of the court, the ball must be returned with a two-handed, overhead pass.
  16. When catching the ball, the player's feet must remain firmly on the ground. If even one step is taken, that player is disqualified from that round, and must sit out the rest of that particular match, allowing the other team the advantage of having an extra player.*
  17. All original rules still apply.
  18. Any ages above 50 cannot play.

    Types of throws

There are many different ways to get the ball over the net. Both power and control are important for a good throw, and can be achieved simultaneously with proper technique. Proper technique requires use of the whole body when throwing the medicine ball, not just the arms.
There are many strategies that are used when playing Hooverball.