Each player wears a catching/pitching tool, called a basket, on one hand. Scoop-shaped on one side (the scoop), and flat on the other (the smack), it is used for the following:
Catching: A player may catch the ball in their basket when it is rolling on the floor, or when it is in mid-air.
Pitching: A player may launch a ball across the floor, either to attempt to score a point, or to pass it to a teammate. The player may also throw it through the air to another player on the same team. Tossing the ball through the air across the quator is illegal, and results in a penalty (and therefore, a point to the other team). An exception to this rule is pitching the ball from the plug to another member of the same team, even if the ball passes through the opposing team's "airspace". Interception or deflection of the ball by the opposing team in such a situation is perfectly legal.
Deflecting: A player may use the basket to either stop a ball in motion, or to deflect its course. The smack is typically used for this purpose, though it does not have to be.
PENALTIES
The following is a list of offenses that will result in penalty calls:
Entering the opposing team's hemisphere during gameplay (Time-Outs don't count).
Physically touching or striking a player from the opposing team with anything other than the ball.
Launching or throwing the ball with the malicious intention of striking a member of either team (awards a point to the opposing team, and results in instant ejection from the game for the aggressor).
Losing a dispute with the referees when the team has no available Time-Outs.
Delaying a Time-Out beyond the allowed two-minutes. Every minute, or part thereof, beyond the allowed time gains the opposing team 1 point. Excessive delays may result in a Delay Of Game call by the Head Referee.
POSITIONS
Each hemi is divided into five positions, designated as follows:
Anchor
Port
Starboard
Quator
Center
The positions of different team members during a game are therefore designated as Green Anchor, Blue Anchor, Green Port, Blue Starboard, Green Quator, etc.
There is no penalty for a player leaving their position during play unless they cross the hemi line into the opposing team's side. Abandoning one's position is usually seen as a bad move, however, since it leaves that area unprotected.
The captain of a team usually takes either the Center or Anchor positions, so as to have a better view of either their own hemisphere during play, or the opposing team's (depending upon strategy and game philosophy). They can then call out appropriate instructions to the team.
Anchor: The Anchor position is in the bow of the hemi, in a small semi-circle that extends over the line. This semi-circle is called a nook. The space can allow the Anchor an easy point, by pitching or smacking the ball in such a way that it rolls out of the nook, into the opposing team's hemisphere for a moment, and then back into his/her side again. This is referred to as a nook shot. For this reason, the Anchor is disallowed first pitch at the start of skirmishes, or when the game comes back from any kind of Time-Out, nor may the Anchor be directly passed the ball by a teammate at either of those times. During regular play, however, the Anchor may pitch as normal, and the Quator position exists, at least in part, to prevent opposing nook shots from being scored.
Port: The Port, or Port Guard, position exists to cover the opposing team's Port player, as well as to allow for a point-of-view around the plug on that side of the court. Port Guards need to be good runners and catchers, since their position covers a large section of the hemi, and they must often chase after the ball.
Starboard: The Starboard, or Starboard Guard, position exists in the same way and for the same reasons that the Port Guard position does. Port and Starboard players can usually be interchanged, as their training and special focuses are much alike.
Quator: The Quator, or Quator Guard, position exists to specifically cover the opposing team's Anchor, as well as to lend assistance to the Center. Quator Guards need to focus on speed and hand-eye coordination, since dashing to catch nook shots thrown by the Anchor of the other team requires a lot of focus on hand and footwork. Strong passing skills are a plus, to hand off the ball to teammates who are in open positions around the hemisphere.
Center: The Center position exists to let at least one person have eyes on the entire action of their hemisphere at all times. The Center does not see much of what the opposing team is up to, but has a perfect view of their own team. From the Center's POV, all fellow players covering their rightful positions appear to be standing on the side of a large bowl. The Center often acts as a coordinator (or Conscience of the team, in popular parlance), telling players when they need to tighten up form, when they need to line up for expected return shots, when to run for the ball, and, just as often, when not to. They also act as a facilitator, redirecting ball vectors toward fellow players with a simple smack of the basket. In addition to a strong understanding of gameplay and strategy, Centers need to focus on running, catching, and pitching skills, in order to send the ball where ever it needs to go.
CONTROLLING THE BALL
The concept of control is often confusing. Control can be exercised by catching, pitching, or deflecting the ball, and there are two states of control: possession and imparting.
A player who catches, or otherwise stops the ball, is said to possess control of it. A player that pitches or deflects the ball imparts control. Both states are required in order for points to be awarded through scoring (as opposed to points awarded via penalties against the opposing team). A team must impart control by sending the ball across the hemi line, and then gain possession by catching it again when it comes back around. If, however, the opposing team imparted or possessed control of the ball at any time while it was on their side, no point is awarded. If the team fails to gain possession when the ball comes back around (e.g., they miss the catch), no point is awarded.
Essentially, all questions of control boil down to the following:
If a player touched the ball, did it do what the player seemed to intend at that exact moment?
Whether or not the ball actually gets to where the player wants is immaterial for the purpose of this question. Some examples may best illustrate the concept:
Example 01: The ball is pitched by the Green Port Guard. Blue Port must dive to reach it in time, and attempts a desperate smack. Blue Port lands on the floor with basket outstretched, swiping at the ball. It deflects, and rolls quickly back across the line to Green side. If Green Port (or someone else over there) fails to stop or deflect the ball, and it rolls right across their side and over the hemi to Blue again, the point is Blue's. Blue Port succeeded in making a trajectory change, and did, therefore, impart control on to the ball before it passed back over to the Green side. The onus to retake control was on Green, and Green failed.
Example 02: The same situation as Example 01, except this time, the Blue Port fumbles the swipe. Port does contact the ball, but manages only to make it bounce over the basket. It continues to roll through the Blue side, and then over the hemi, passing back to the Green side. The point is Green's. Blue attempted to deflect the pitch, but did not successfully impart control. Since Green imparted control with its original pitch, the onus was on Blue to change that condition, and Blue failed to do so.
Considering the shape and nature of the smackball court, the exact intent of a player can often be hard to interpret. For this reason, motion, bio, and many other kinds of sensors are embedded throughout the court, and employed by referees to follow and, if necessary, deconstruct any player contact with the ball.
Additionally, dedicated artificial intelligence programs (DAIP's) are being increasingly used, instead of human refs, to ensure fast, comprehensive, and bias-free judgements. DAIP's are the only referees used in all professional Interstellar Smackball Association (ISA) games, and their programming and algorithms (often referred to as toolsets) are open for inspectio
n by either team. In point of fact, multiple DAIP's are often used in such games, running separately and with various different toolsets -- but in parallel, drawing from the same sensor data. Players may contend DAIP rulings, at which time the DAIP's confer in order to reach a consensus, before presenting a final ruling. This all happens within a fraction of a second of the contention being voiced.
Catching, passing, and pitching a ball are clear indicators of control, and rarely open to contention. Stopping, deflecting, and accelerating a ball may -- or may not -- be indicators, depending upon circumstances.
Stopping The Ball
The ball may be stopped by any part of the player's body, whether intentionally or otherwise. Stopping implies that the ball's trajectory has been interrupted, and its relative velocity reduced to something near zero meters-per-second. A player may catch the ball with their basket, which stops it, but the ball may also be stopped by any part of a player's body, whether or not the basket is used. Stoppage of the ball, even if unintentional, always results in control. If a player is struck by the ball, and the ball is stopped, that player's team then controls the ball.
Occasionally, players are struck by the ball and injured. Injuries immediately stop gameplay, and the injured player is attended to. When gameplay resumes, the injured player's team is considered to be in control of the ball, and may make the pitch. Understand, though, that the injury does not award control -- it is the stoppage of the ball that awards control.
Deflecting The Ball
A player that intentionally deflects the trajectory of a ball already in motion, either by using the basket (usually the smack, in specific), or by using any other part of the body, is considered to have imparted control onto it. Even if the ball doesn't go where the player actually intended, an attempt to deflect the ball that does, in fact, change its trajectory in a directed way is considered control. Control is awarded based upon the apparent intention of the player versus the result. Most contended referee calls arise from player deflections.
Accelerating The Ball
A variant of deflection, acceleration occurs when a player smacks or pitches a ball already in motion in such a way that control is neither gained through stoppage, nor imparted through a significant trajectory change. By definition, acceleration means the ball is moving faster after the player smacks or pitches it. A successful acceleration imparts instant control on the ball for the player. This is generally a difficult thing to do while also maintaining the ball's original course, but failure to do so often imparts control anyway, through deflection. (Accelerations are uncommon outside the professional leagues.)
To Be Continued...
Acknowledgements
As always, I need to thank my good friend, Scott Fitzgerald (the world famous Deepgeek), for his words of encouragement, unimpeachable integrity, and vast technical know-how. You are the Info-Underground gunner supreme!
Special thanks goes out to Chris Lake, for early remarks, critique, and suggestions. His perspective helped to shape the story you just read.
And finally, all gratitude to my beautiful spouse, Debbie, and brilliant son, Emmett. Through you, and for you, I am living this crazy, joyous, never-boring life.
And finally, to you dear reader, I offer my sincerest thanks. Without your ongoing kindness, interest, and encouragement, there'd be no reason to do this at all.
AUTHOR
David Collins-Rivera is a husband, father, and hardcore unemployable. He makes his home in Arizona, USA.
Visit his site: Cavalcade Audio Productions
Listen to his podcast: LnB's Audio Diary
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Drop him a note: [email protected]
Ejoq Dosantos
will return
in
Stardrifter Book 04
All He Surveys
Risk Analysis (Stardrifter Book 03)
© 2017 David Collins-Rivera
Castle Hill Publications
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0
This story is a work of fiction, and is not based upon nor meant to portray any person, living or dead, nor any particular place or situation.
Cover art by Deranged Doctor Design
Contact the author at [email protected]
Visit my site Cavalcade Audio Productions
Risk Analysis (Draft 04 -- Reading Script) Page 48
