Old School Rules
HOW TO PLAY
1. Players are ranked from King through to Dunce. In a four square configuration: King, Queen, Jack and Dunce.
2. Each person stands in a square:
a. In a four square formation, King circles down clockwise to Dunce (King, Queen, Jack, Dunce).
b. In 8 or more squares, the top-left square is King, and the rank of players zig zags down to the Dunce square in the bottom right.
3. King serves the ball. The ball has to bounce in the King's square (only) and must be above knee height after it bounces.
4. A player can hit the ball on the full or let it bounce once in their square. When returning the ball, it must bounce once only in the returner's square.
5. When returning the ball, a player has to hit the ball with a flat hand (no cupping the ball).
6. Players can’t go into anyone else’s square, but can step outside of the grid to hit a shot.
THINGS TO KNOW
A Double Bounce or “Double B” is when a player hits the ball and it bounces twice in their square. If this happens, the player is out.
If a player hits a return and it goes into someone else’s square without landing in theirs first, it's called a “Full” and the player is out.
If the ball hits the line at any time during play, it’s called a “Liner”. Play stops and the Queen serves to replay the point.
When a player is out, they go to the back of the line and the person waiting in the first “sub” or first “drop” position comes in to the bottom ranked square, and everyone else comes up one place. If no one is waiting in the “substitution” or “drop” line, go instead into the bottom ranked square – commonly known as Dunce.
Interference is called by a referee and refers to anything that interferes with the point/ play. The King serves the ball again and the point is replayed.
Official Tournament Square Size: 2m x 2m, however Downball Tournament Square Size may differ depending on existing lines in indoor stadiums.