Half-rubber facts for kids

Half-rubber, also called halfball, is a fun bat-and-ball game. It's a bit like stickball or baseball, but with some cool differences! This game started in the American South in the early 1900s. It might have spread north during the Great Migration. By the 1950s, many people were playing it. You can play with just three players, and you don't even need to run bases!

Half-rubber is often played on city streets, in parks, or at the beach. Players use a regular baseball-sized rubber ball that's been cut in half. People tell different stories about how "half-ball" came to be. Some say kids split a ball so two games could happen at once. Others say a ball broke, and kids just played with the half they had. Another idea is that adults cut balls in half to stop them from breaking windows!

How to Play Half-Rubber

The main idea of half-rubber is simple. A pitcher throws a half-ball to a batter. The batter tries to hit it with a stick or bat. A catcher then tries to catch the ball. Some players wear gloves, but many don't. The rules can change a lot depending on where you play. They can be different from state to state, city to city, or even block to block!

In 2020, the World Halfball League (WHBL) made official rules. Their goal is to make the game easy to play everywhere. Even with different rules, everyone agrees: half a ball means twice the fun! If you want to join WHBL games, you need to follow their rulebook.

Who Can Play Halfball?

Anyone who can hold a stick and throw a halfball can play! There are no age or height limits. Halfball is a game for everyone, no matter their background. For many, it's a great way to be active and have fun. It's perfect for people who don't feel very athletic. It's also great for athletes who can't play other sports due to injury or age. Halfball lets everyone enjoy the excitement of friendly competition.

What Equipment Do You Need?

Playing half-rubber needs just a few things. You'll need a broomstick or mop handle to use as a bat. You also need a solid rubber ball cut in half. In cities, players often use a cut-up pimple ball or tennis ball.

Official half-rubber rules suggest a stick 48 inches long. Some experts say 41 inches long and 1¼ inches thick is standard. The World Halfball League says your bat can be any length. But it must be a wooden dowel or broomstick no wider than 1 inch. In Boston, people often use a bladeless hockey stick as a bat. You can even buy special bats and pre-cut balls for the game! These balls are usually 2½ to 3 inches wide.

How Many Players?

The number of players can change how the game works.

• Three players: Each person plays for themselves. They take turns being the pitcher, catcher, and batter.
• Four players: You can have two teams of two people. One team bats, and the other fields. The fielding team has a pitcher and a catcher. When it's their turn to bat, they take turns hitting.
• Tournaments: These usually have three-player teams.
• Southern games: In the South, four-player teams are common in parks and on beaches. Extra players can join the field.

How the Game Works

The game starts with the pitcher throwing the ball to the catcher. The batter tries to hit the ball, just like in baseball. Some half-rubber rules say the pitcher stands 50 or 60 feet from the batter. The WHBL says the distance from home plate to the pitching spot is "13 Strides." They also have rules for playing in parks, parking lots, or even against tall walls.

Pitchers try to get batters out. If the batter misses the halfball and the catcher catches it, that's an out. If the catcher misses the pitch, the batter gets another chance. If the batter just tips the ball and the catcher catches it, the batter is out. In some places like Savannah, Georgia, and South Carolina, this counts as "double outs." That means the batter is out, and the next hitter is also out!

There's no running in half-rubber. Instead, you keep score by imagining runners on bases.

• A ground ball that goes past the pitcher is usually a single.
• If the pitcher catches a ground ball before it goes past them, it's an out (but not in Savannah).
• Fly balls that go past the pitcher are doubles, unless they are caught for an out.
• Balls hit a certain distance are home runs. This distance is agreed upon before the game.
• Triples are also agreed upon before games.
• In tournament half-rubber, there are only singles and home runs. A home run is hitting the ball 120 feet. This is double the distance between the batter and pitcher.

In games with three players, the batter keeps hitting until they get out. Then, players rotate: batter becomes catcher, catcher becomes pitcher, and pitcher becomes batter. In team play, the next player in the batting order hits when their team is up.

Game length can vary by region. It's three innings in South Carolina, four to nine in Georgia, and seven in New Jersey. Some games have a rule for ties: an extra inning where "all hits are runs."

Game Strategy

• Skills: Pitching, catching, and hitting are all important. Pitching is the hardest skill to master. Good pitchers can make the ball curve, drop, or shoot up in many directions. Batters try their best to hit the ball.
• Backstop: It's a good idea to play with something behind the catcher to stop missed balls.
• Learning: Becoming a good pitcher takes a long time. Becoming a good catcher takes a bit less time. Hitting is not easy, but it's the easiest of the three skills to learn.
• Double Outs: Remember, if the batter tips the ball and the catcher catches it, the next batter on that team is also out!
• Speed: The game moves faster if someone helps get the balls after they are hit. Having a few extra balls is also helpful.
• Playing Surface: Playing on grass or sand makes the ball bounce less than playing on concrete.
• Home Rule: Some players have a special "home rule." If a pitcher throws four pitches in a row that the batter doesn't swing at and the catcher doesn't catch, it counts as a hit for the batter. This rule makes pitchers throw pitches that the batter can reach.

Other Ways to Play

Similar street games have been played in different cities. They use everyday items instead of a ball. One game called "tire ball" was played in Philadelphia. It used a 4-inch piece of a balloon bicycle tire or garden hose. Since the tire was harder than a half-ball, it could break windows more easily. So, this game was usually played along a driveway, not across a street.