Wireball
Encyclopedia
Wireball is a street game
related to baseball
, usually formed as a pick-up game
, in urban areas of the United States
. The equipment consists of a pimple or, pensie pinkie ball and a convenient place in a street or driveway where an electric power line or group of power lines bisect horizontally. The rules come from baseball and are modified to fit the situation. It can be played with one or more persons per team.
. Limits of play are defined by agreement, usually the width of the street
and landmark in the street such as a manhole cover
as the furthest limit of the field. The object of the game is for the “batter” to throw the ball
over or hit the wire to get a hit. The fielder must catch the ball before it bounces to make an out. Hits are scored accordingly- a ball thrown successfully over the wire and uncaught is a single
. A ball that touches the wire and continues over it is a double
. A ball that hits the wire squarely and drops straight down is a home run
. If the fielder touches but does not catch a home run ball, it is a triple
. If the batter throws the ball under the wire it is a strike. As in baseball
, foul
balls count as strikes for the first two, but you cannot foul-out. The rules vary from neighborhood to neighborhood.
trajectory
the better. It is not unusual for the batter to stand almost directly below the wire.
The game is more fun and easier if a group of wires is used (two or three).
Street game
A street game is a sport or game that is played on city streets rather than a prepared field. Street games are usually simply play time activities of children in the most convenient venue...
related to baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, usually formed as a pick-up game
Game
A game is structured playing, usually undertaken for enjoyment and sometimes used as an educational tool. Games are distinct from work, which is usually carried out for remuneration, and from art, which is more often an expression of aesthetic or ideological elements...
, in urban areas of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The equipment consists of a pimple or, pensie pinkie ball and a convenient place in a street or driveway where an electric power line or group of power lines bisect horizontally. The rules come from baseball and are modified to fit the situation. It can be played with one or more persons per team.
Rules
Opponents stand facing each other on opposite sides of the wireWire
A wire is a single, usually cylindrical, flexible strand or rod of metal. Wires are used to bear mechanical loads and to carry electricity and telecommunications signals. Wire is commonly formed by drawing the metal through a hole in a die or draw plate. Standard sizes are determined by various...
. Limits of play are defined by agreement, usually the width of the street
Street
A street is a paved public thoroughfare in a built environment. It is a public parcel of land adjoining buildings in an urban context, on which people may freely assemble, interact, and move about. A street can be as simple as a level patch of dirt, but is more often paved with a hard, durable...
and landmark in the street such as a manhole cover
Manhole cover
A manhole cover is a removable plate forming the lid over the opening of a manhole, to prevent anyone from falling in and to keep unauthorized persons out....
as the furthest limit of the field. The object of the game is for the “batter” to throw the ball
Ball
A ball is a round, usually spherical but sometimes ovoid, object with various uses. It is used in ball games, where the play of the game follows the state of the ball as it is hit, kicked or thrown by players. Balls can also be used for simpler activities, such as catch, marbles and juggling...
over or hit the wire to get a hit. The fielder must catch the ball before it bounces to make an out. Hits are scored accordingly- a ball thrown successfully over the wire and uncaught is a single
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
. A ball that touches the wire and continues over it is a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. A ball that hits the wire squarely and drops straight down is a home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
. If the fielder touches but does not catch a home run ball, it is a triple
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
. If the batter throws the ball under the wire it is a strike. As in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, foul
Foul (sports)
In sports, a foul is an inappropriate or unfair act by a player as deemed by a referee. A foul may be intentional or accidental, and often results in a penalty....
balls count as strikes for the first two, but you cannot foul-out. The rules vary from neighborhood to neighborhood.
Tips
The ball is thrown hard and high above the wires. The closer the batter can get to a verticalVertical direction
In astronomy, geography, geometry and related sciences and contexts, a direction passing by a given point is said to be vertical if it is locally aligned with the gradient of the gravity field, i.e., with the direction of the gravitational force at that point...
trajectory
Trajectory
A trajectory is the path that a moving object follows through space as a function of time. The object might be a projectile or a satellite, for example. It thus includes the meaning of orbit—the path of a planet, an asteroid or a comet as it travels around a central mass...
the better. It is not unusual for the batter to stand almost directly below the wire.
The game is more fun and easier if a group of wires is used (two or three).