Patball
Patball is a non-contact competitive ball game played in many forms using one's hands or head to hit the ball against a wall – the objective being to get the succeeding player out. The game is popular in school playgrounds during break-time. Patball is played with a tennis ball, or other similar-sized specific patball, and the preferred hand, rather than any form of racquet or bat, similar to wallball. The hand is used to "pat" the ball at the wall or at the opponent with the objective of making the ball un-returnable, similar to squash. Variations of the game include the use of the foot -'footies' or 'Devils' touch'; a semi-contact rule popularised at Coopers Technology College.
A Black Patball | |
| Nicknames | "Pattball", "Wallball", "Slapball" |
|---|---|
| Characteristics | |
| Contact | limited to none |
| Team members | one person per team, each team competes against the others |
| Mixed-sex | yes |
| Type | Competing sport, ball sport |
| Equipment | wall/court, hand, tennis ball/patball |
| Venue | school playground, Patball court |
It is very popular among London public schools, most notably, private schools such as Whitgift School, Dulwich CollegeDulwich Hamlet, and Woodcote.
The game is also played extensively across London state schools. In 1992, Highgate Wood School in Haringey installed special Patball walls made from plywood in order to satisfy the popularity of the game.