A combination of tennis and volleyball, eclipse ball is played in or outside on a volleyball court. The game's name comes from an eclipse ball, a black and white ball that spins like a corkscrew. Players generally use a racquet to hit the ball; however, you may also use your hands, legs or other body part to keep the ball in play. Full games play to 21 points, while half games go to 11 points.
Players
Teams are usually made up of four to six players on each team. The game can be played with as few as two players per team or a larger number if space allows. EclipseBall.com recommends a volleyball-like formation with three players in the front, one in the middle and two in the back is utilized. You are encouraged to stay in your area or zone during play. Players rotate clockwise, as in volleyball, once the service is won. According to EclipseBall.com, "players must not go under the net or in any way enter the other team's court." Passing the ball to other players is recommended.
Serving
To choose who serves first, teams volley by having a team member throw the ball over the net and volley back and forth a minimum of three times, according to EclipseBall.com. The winning team serves the first game. In subsequent matches, the losing team from the previous game serves first. An eclipse ball is always served underhand from 3/4 court or further back. A second serve is granted if the first fails. EclipseBall.com states that once the ball is over the net and inbounds, it is in play whether it touches the net or not. Any ball landing on the line during play is considered inbounds. To score, your team must be serving, except in a "Play it" situation.
"Play it!"
According to EclipseBall.com, "Play it!" occurs when a team member decides to keep the ball in play when the opposing team is at fault. The player must call "Play it!" when the ball goes over the net. The team who wins the volley scores points regardless of who served the ball. Points earned during "Play it!" are worth two points and increase by multiples of two each time "Play it!" is called due to a fault. The game continues as usual if a team fails to call "Play it" on the opposing team's fault.
Bounces
Eclipse ball allows only two consecutive hits per player; however, the ball may bounce inbounds once and between hits any number of times. Unlimited passing between players is allowed. During a volley, an inbounds ball may double bounce one time, per side. The second time a double bounce occurs, the team at fault loses a point. If a ball bounces inbounds and lands out of bounds, the team has the opportunity to bring the ball back into play by hitting the ball three consecutive times with three additional bounces, according to EclipseBall.com. Players may not enter the opposing team's court while recovering the ball.
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