Wallyball offers a hybrid of sports

With Miami temperatures dipping below normal, it’s only appropriate that wallyball season has arrived.

Wallyball, a hybrid of wall ball and volleyball, is part of the spring intramural season at the Wellness Center. In the eastern part of the United States, it often draws northerners who wish to avoid the outdoor climate.

“I like the fact that it’s played indoors,” junior Jarvis Lundy said. “When it gets cold, I want to stay inside and still be able to play. Wallyball makes that possible.”

Also known as “rebound volleyball” or “ricochet ball,” the basic rules of the game mirror those of volleyball, except wallyball allows players to use the walls as a weapon.

Teams consist of two to four players, with a minimum of two needed to start a match. Matches are played up to 15 points, but a team must win by at least two. A best two-out-of-three format decides the winner.

Several nuances make it different from volleyball, however.

The back wall and ceiling in the racquetball courts are deemed out of bounds unless a team hits either on their own side first. Another difference is that only the returning team can hit two or more walls with the ball.

“There’s a lot of options in wallyball,” senior Christian Schrampf said. “Some people like to use the walls a lot, but I prefer not to. I think people focus too much on the wall ball aspect and overuse them. I play it a lot more like regular volleyball.”

Intramural wallyball is played on both Mondays and Thursday on the racquetball courts at the Wellness Center.

“The first time I played, I thought it would be stupid,” Lundy said. “Now that I’ve played it a few times, I’ve realized that it can be a lot of fun.”

For more information on game rules, visit www.miami.edu/um_global_static_files/wellness_department_files/IM/Rules/wallyrules.htm