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This is a sport that can be a fun and easy backyard or school game, and can be very addicting. All that you need is a tennis ball and some form of 4 square. Lots of kids play this game called 'Downball' and also known as '4 square' and '2 square'
Steps
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Follow the rules. They are quite simple. There is a king, queen, jack, and dunce (like any 4 square) or if you are playing 2 square then it is only king and dunce. -
Serve. The king serves the ball, bouncing the ball (you can buy rubber ones in most sport shops, if you can't just use tennis ball) in his square first then it lands in an opponents square.- The player who receives the ball hits it by hitting it in his square first which goes into another square [1] X Research source
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Game play continues until one of these things occurs:- The ball is hit out (that means out of the squares) [2] X Research source
- Once someone gets out they swap with the person below them. For example, King gets out and has to swap with Queen.
- The ball is fulled (meaning that the player hit the ball into his opponent's square without first hitting it into his own) This is called straight.
- The ball is double bounced (meaning that the ball is hit, but does not reach another square on the second bounce)
- The ball may bounce in a square, then be hit into that square and then from there into the next square, although this is optional. You may let it not bounce
- If a line call (where it bounces in the middle of the squares) is unclear, then it is deemed a 'liner', where whoever gets the ball first bounces the ball into middle the of the squares,(in the middle of all points of squares) and when the ball bounces game play resumes
- The ball is double touched (by a person on any part of body or clothing)
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Learn the other rules used during the playing of this game. -
Know how Reserves work. There is a thing called Reserves. With reserves you can play handball with over four player, though might be little boring for the reserve. A reserve sits on the sideline until Dunce gets out. Once Dunce gets out it swaps with the first reserve and the person just in Dunce goes into Reserve. If you have four Reserves then once Dunce gets out the first reserve goes into Dunce. The person in second reserve becomes first reserve. The person in third reserve becomes second reserve and the person who just got out goes to fourth reserve -
Use footsies and headsies. Those are when you kick the ball or head the ball. When you kick or header it you are allowed to do fulls with the ball (hitting it over line without bouncing in your square first.- During the playing of the game the player in the King Square can call a certain number of squares such as Top, middle, or bottom 4, for the amount of players they want out during that round.
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Try modifying the rules. You may change the rules if you want but the main thing is that there are 4 squares or 2 squares and there is always king, queen, jack and dunce. -
Opt for eight squares. If you want to play 8 square then you would have to split a square in half. It is actually more fun to play this in squares larger than those of ordinary 4 square. The optimal playing field is to use rectangular parking spaces in a line
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow long is a rally of downball?Community AnswerRallies can go on as long as the ball is in play. Never prematurely end a skimmer rally. Keep on going until someone's out.
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QuestionWhat do I do if the king gets out?Community AnswerHe goes to dunce, the queen takes over, and everyone moves up a square.
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QuestionIf I full the ball, do the people just go straight to dunce?Community AnswerYes, you go straight to dunce if you full the ball (and it doesn't matter what square you are in). If you are in dunce already, you have to go back in line.
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Tips
- For the best shot, wait until the ball is almost on the ground then hit it basically forward, and it will bounce in your square then the other square. This can become so good that most people will think it's a full! To do this, start with a regular shot and gradually let the ball sink lower before you hit it. Eventually, you'll be hitting it without letting it go any higher than an inch off of the ground. Remember, practice makes perfect!Thanks
- Play when there is nothing to play. but you always need a ball that bounces quite well.Thanks
- Trickmaster- By serving or passing the ball under your leg( It still has to bounce in your and the other player's squareThanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- There's a mode called "tennis" where you just hit straights until the ball bounces twice or more in one square. Also, another mode is "insta-king" where whoever got the king out goes straight to king and skips the other squares.
- If two people hit the ball to each other three times it is called a rally. When a rally occurs, they must keep hitting to each other until someone gets out or hits to a player that wasn't their rally partner.
- Hitting the ball at an angle can give the ball a spin. This is really hard to do but if done right, it can mix up the opponent’s perception of the ball’s speed.
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Warnings
- If you lose, don't throw the ball at someone. It's just bad sportsmanship. Likewise, don't throw or kick the ball over a fence.Thanks
- If you have a high bounce ball don't throw it too high or else the ball may go on the roof or over the fence so be very careful of how hard you throw the ball when you hit it.Thanks
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Things You'll Need
- A tennis ball or rubber ball (any small ball that can bounce)
- A few squares
References
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 56,288 times.
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