h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Balloon volleyball - A1109774
Author: weberquetzal - U231111

This is my first article!

Seems good to me I rather like this one, there's one instance where you've used bold when it ourght to be italics, where you're describing a foul.

Thanks! Bold has been eliminated!

Is blowing at the balloon instead of hitting it legal?

I like this

As an avid volleyball player your version of the game captures the essence very well.

One set of rules questions ...
- can you block at the net?
- can you block/spike serves?

One inaccuracy ... the conclusion begins "Balloon Tennis blah, blah, blah", Shouldn't this be BV? Or are you concluding the previous paragraph about BT? Bit confusing ...

Great entry otherwise

Yes I can't think why blowing at the balloon would be illegal but I don't think it would get very far!! Depends on the amount of puff I suppose! Think it's worth mentioning though, thanks!

Thanks!
Yes, blocking is allowed as virtually everything is legal! What would blocking entail exactly, just having players up close to the net to prevent the balloon getting further over?
Will mention blocking though, good point!

Thanks! Can't believe I left balloon tennis in at the end!! Great spotting!

Your work has inspired me to go back to working on my Volleyball entry

Nice to be an inspiration!
You're article is worth continuing with though! Very useful!

I slipped a little link into my Volleyball entry for your balloon version Nothing major you understand, but a mention nonetheless.

Always up for a mention!

Sounds like an enjoyable game. If it is possible fully or partially water-filled balloons would add a further frisson.

Rules 6 and 7 are open to nit-picking misinterpretation (as one rule uses "opposing team" as 'team-not-serving', the other as 'team-on-other-side-of-the-net', which may not always be the same thing).

How about:

6. If the balloon falls into the centre channel of the chairs without being 'played' by the opposing team (includes blowing) then they win a point.

7. If the balloon touches the floor on one teams' side during the course of play, the other team wins a point.

Pimmsaloonie

Alternatively ...

6 - use the terms "serving" and "receiving", or "attacking" and "defending" to define the teams. I'm not sure quite what the rule is saying is it ... "If the balloon is served into the centre channel of the chairs without the receiving team having touched it, the receiving team will be awarded a point and the right to serve".

7 - "A team wins a point and the right-to-serve when the balloon touches the floor on their opponent's side".

Yes, fair alternatives, but I think it is implied that either (attacking) team has failed if they let the balloon end up in the centre without reaching the opponents side - whether or not they are serving (allowing for opponents/defending/receiving team not having affected the balloon by blowing/touching and thus become the attacking team)

PL

Thanks! I think it was important to clarify that teams win the right to serve after they win a point. If the balloon is hit into the centre channel the attacking team who hit the balloon loses that point because the aim is to get the balloon over to the defending team's side. It is up to the defending team to decide whether or not to play a shot quickly while the balloon is over the channel or to see if the balloon will land in the centre channel winning them a point.

Hope that helps to clarify that. But I agree rules 6 and 7 were rather vague!

Ok now the competitive among us have started looking at the rules and are trying to work out how to bend them our advantage, I have a couple more quibbles ...

1) you mention balloon tennis, using long balloons. You specify that players may use "any means necessary" to return the balloon. Does this allow for equipment? For example long sticks to retrieve the balloon from low down? Are shoes legal for kicking?

2) rule 16 - you mention out of bounds. No previous mention of court markings that I noticed. When you say go beyond the net, do you mean into the opposition's court, or beside it? (Believe it or not you can do this in "real" vb).

3) I don't see any rule prohibiting players climbing onto the net/central channel. Is it permissible?

Are we there yet? I'm pacing up and down in agitation...

looks like this is 'picked' as soon as you say it is ready weberq'l
well done - get those last minute amendments in!

Pimms

I can see the rules being bent already!!

Any means necessary means exactly that! But obviously teams can decide amongst themselves, which is why the rules are flexible!

The out of bounds has been fixed!

Centre channel cleared up!

Yup I think it's ready!
Can hardly contain my excitement at having an entry accepted!

Well done.. assumuing that it gets accepted of course.