Stringball resembles soccer, except the ball is one meter in diameter, and is very heavy, being solid string. One end is tied to a peg, and as the game progresses, the stringball unwinds. As it slowly shrinks, the game goes faster and faster until no more ball.

Game over.
-- ldischler, Nov 08 2004

Boingy http://www.american...ries/shock_cord.htm
[bristolz, Nov 09 2004]

home of the world's largest ball of twine, of course http://www.roadside...act/MNDARtwine.html
[RayfordSteele, Nov 10 2004]

sport string winder http://www.onlinesp...sprt,soft,stwi.html
they anticipated this idea [FarmerJohn, Nov 10 2004]

San Diego women's football team....(edit - the link went dead, the new team is called the Scorpions) http://www.shttp://...eacatz.com/gallery/
.....c'mon, po, just give it a try, it will be fun, I promise..... [normzone, Nov 10 2004, last modified Apr 12 2010]

this IS football! http://sportsmed.st...photo/davies2_i.jpg
[po, Nov 10 2004]

how to do cat's cradle http://www.ifyoulov...book/chten_cats.htm
[po, Nov 12 2004]

Extra points. http://www.mathcats...afts/stringart.html
[2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 13 2004]

and the game is called on account of the players hoplessly tangled up in string.

I'd like to see this.
-- dentworth, Nov 08 2004


That is a really great idea. +++
-- sartep, Nov 08 2004


Picturing teams of cats.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 08 2004


What guarantees that the ball unravels much beyond the length needed to span the area of the field?

Maybe the rules can dictate that, with each goal scored, the string gets wound around pegs at either goal ensuring that more string gets played out.
-- bristolz, Nov 08 2004


Also the string could change colors as the ball gets smaller thus adding or taking away points depending on the rules.
-- sartep, Nov 08 2004


...and certain lengths of the string could be elastic for added boingy.

If the string breaks while in play the team having had possession at the time of the break loses points or, maybe, the game.
-- bristolz, Nov 08 2004


//the string could change colors//
The periods of the game could be named/measured by the color of the string instead of time.

"Johnson scored 5 points unassisted during Magenta".
-- krelnik, Nov 08 2004


Yes, but how? I guess that's the beauty of it--that and the boingy comment.
-- yabba do yabba dabba, Nov 08 2004


Penalties for people who tie your shoelaces to the string while you're not looking. Vasts amount of string has just got to be fun, however you look at it. Hmm... maybe I was a cat in a former life.
-- moomintroll, Nov 08 2004


Elastic string?
-- wagster, Nov 08 2004


[+] !

Perhaps there could be an additional player for each team whose job it is to 'peg down' the string. One player per side; the new peg can only be added between the ball itself and the last peg to be placed.

Obviously, either "pegger" would be vulnerable to body-checking when not in the act of pegging the string.

Suddenly, this game begins to sound like Quidditch.
-- Trout, Nov 08 2004


Count me in, I wanna play too.....do we have to kick the ball, or could we have a hockey-style stick with a razor blade on it?

When the string is cut, you are penalized, the string is restaked at that point and play begins anew. I think shin guards might be a good idea too.....
-- normzone, Nov 08 2004


[bristolz]
"...and certain lengths of the string could be elastic for added boingy."
"If the string breaks while in play the team having had possession at the time of the break loses points or" an eye....
-- Cubical_View, Nov 09 2004


Of course the tournament championship would be played in Cawker City, Kansas.
-- RayfordSteele, Nov 10 2004


Here, MB, have a stick of Oxygum.
-- pluterday, Nov 10 2004


[Marine Boy] <sp> curmudgeonly.

Maybe unwinding the "gruff manner" could be fun too?
-- skinflaps, Nov 10 2004


//An ocean of fishbones for this.//
Nope, just the two so far.
-- angel, Nov 10 2004


"...can someone PLEASE tell me what is good about this idea?"

Apparently not.
-- bristolz, Nov 10 2004


+1
-- po, Nov 10 2004


Marine Boy, you are a [curmoudgeonly old fart].

No, don't thank me, anything to help out......Golf, if posted here, would be called "Hitting a small ball with a stick", and would be similarly reviewed, I'd wager.

[Insert I'm-not-a-golfer disclaimer here]
-- normzone, Nov 10 2004


Football, if posted here, would be "Kicking a bigger ball between two sticks after throwing yourself into the mud and before having a group snog"
-- po, Nov 10 2004


[po], I didn't know you played football! See link to the San Diego women's football team, the SeaCatz. If you'll come over and try out, I'll happily host.
-- normzone, Nov 10 2004


I've played [MB's] tape variant. It was a lot of fun - as far as I can remember the object was to be the person not covered in tape at the end of the game. I lost.
-- moomintroll, Nov 10 2004


norm, that just aint football! see link.
-- po, Nov 10 2004


"What's good about this idea?"

It's new, fresh, creative, and leaves some room for imagination and discussion. Next?
-- RayfordSteele, Nov 11 2004


Yes, [po], I can see why you'd rather play that football game. Ok, but I'll still host if you want to come over....Pericles and I have discussed a USA/Mexico West Coast Halfbakers convention, and I think it would be fun.
-- normzone, Nov 11 2004


[UB] first one to kill the troll gets free croissants...

More tolerant space...hmm... try outside the bakery, they're more tolerant there.
-- david_scothern, Nov 11 2004


<a hand raises feebly from way at the back of the crowd>
Erm, actually, to be honest, I didn't really get this one either.
<hand withdraws and hopes not to get noticed>

-- zen_tom, Nov 12 2004


[zt]: Same here, but then soccer bores me senseless anyway.
-- angel, Nov 12 2004


[angel] perhaps that's it, maybe there's something deep in the psyche of a soccer fan that wants to see soccer played this way.
Just out of interest, would a gluey ball that got stickier as the game went on be as good, or does it have to be string?
-- zen_tom, Nov 12 2004


If this becomes a reality I will play this game. Maybe there could be bonus points for making those string figure things like you make with your fingers? The designy things. You know. Whatever those are called.
-- Noexit, Nov 12 2004


cat's cradle
-- po, Nov 12 2004


linky. I didn't name it!
-- po, Nov 12 2004


Herringnetcorkfloatball has pastry written all over it.
-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Nov 13 2004


Goals are just two sets of poles on either side of the field. A goal is made not just by kicking the ball through the poles, but keeping the string through the poles. Therefore, you can un-score a goal. Forgetting the score is no longer an issue - just count the number of strings between each set of poles at the end of the game.
-- Worldgineer, Jan 04 2005


had to churn this one up in time for the World Cup...

[+]~~~~~~~~~~~~[+]
-- xandram, Jun 27 2006


I kinda miss curmudgeonly Ol'[Marine Boy]

*grunt*
-- skinflaps, Feb 02 2007


Yes .... like simulating the superstring theory model of the big bang, very ingenious indeed!
-- quantum_flux, Feb 10 2008



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