Suburbanball is an informal, social sport that began in Australia in November 2001. It has its roots in the European game of Danball, but has evolved into a highly organized game of its own. It is an outdoor game and is best played on the fairway where gutters can be used, but it is also played on cement, grass and clay. The court is thirty meters long and is generally the width of the fairway. Two teams compete, each with three players on the court at the same time.
The object of the game is to score by driving the ball past your opponents’ goal line at the other end of the pitch. Each player has their own suburban stick of choice, some players use cricket bats, others use hockey sticks, baseball bats and some even make their own custom sticks. The suburbanball itself is a regulation size netball, soccer or volleyball.
The game begins with the team starting on opposite sides of the court, one team serving (determined by a coin toss) and the other team receiving. A serve must meet certain guidelines to be legal and the serving team has three tries before they have to deliver the ball. Once the game is underway, players are free to move anywhere and try to maneuver the suburban ball down the pitch and beyond the goal line. After scoring a goal, the scoring team chooses whether to serve or receive. In the World Suburbanball League, a match is usually the best of three games, and a game is won when one team reaches ten points and leads by at least two (as in tennis).
The World Suburbanball League is the governing body for the sport, overseeing the growth of the game outside of the city of Melbourne, Australia and around the world. The sport of Suburbanball has been played in New Zealand, India, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. However, most Suburbanball has been played in Australia, particularly in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne. The Bayside Suburbanball League hosted the first Suburbanball game in 2001 and thrived throughout 2002 and 2003. During those years, the competition was dominated by the Blue Flames and Downloadable’s. The Downloadable’s won three Lightning Cup championships, while the Blue Flames won two. However, the Blue Flames triumphed in the most important contest, the championship finals of the 2001/2002 season.
For now, the sport of Suburbanball is relatively doormat. Those who have played the game have memories of being a part of something special. The founders and past players live in hope that Suburbanball will come to life again one day, discovered by a new generation of enthusiastic young entrants.
Copyright 2007 – Andrew L. Ferguson. All rights reserved throughout the world.
