# When was the last time anyone invented a stick and/or ball sport that caught on? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [May 4, 2007, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722 "2007-05-04T06:09:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![T\_SQUARE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/9de053/32.png) [@T\_SQUARE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/T_SQUARE)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/1 "2007-05-04T06:09:19Z")
Title pretty much says it all. It seems like the sports that are popular today were all invented a hellava long time ago. Basketball is probably the newest sport I’m aware of, and it’s over 100 years old. I’m not all that familiar with sports outside the States, though. I would also be interested in newer stick and/or ball sports that didn’t catch on. For obvious reasons, you never hear about those. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/2 "2007-05-04T08:39:05Z")
BASEketball? ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/3 "2007-05-04T10:27:30Z")
[QUOTE=T\_SQUARE] It seems like the sports that are popular today were all invented a hellava long time ago. [/QUOTE] [Quidditch](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quidditch#Non-fictional_Quidditch) ---
**Author:** ![Quercus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/7ab992/32.png) [@Quercus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quercus)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/4 "2007-05-04T14:27:01Z")
Interesting… Ping Pong (Table Tennis) is actually over 100 years old, as are volleyball and water polo. Racquetball is (according to Wikipedia) only 60 years old. Not an Olympic sport yet, but Ultimate frisbee is only about 40 years old. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/5 "2007-05-04T14:50:24Z")
Frisbee Golf Foot volleyball ---
**Author:** ![Papermache\_Prince](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f05b48/32.png) [@Papermache\_Prince](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Papermache_Prince)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/6 "2007-05-04T15:02:09Z")
Depending on the definition of “sport”: [Dodge ball](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dodgeball)? [Miniature Golf](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-golf)? Would the [Hackey sack](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hackey_sack) qualify as a “ball”? ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/7 "2007-05-04T15:48:34Z")
Interesting question. Suppose we restrict it to Olympic sports, just to have an objective definition of what is a “sport” and whether it has “caught on” . . . and suppose that we don’t count variations as new sports; that is, softball is a variation on baseball, beach volleyball is a variation of volleyball, and so on. Glancing down the list of Olympic sports, it appears the sports involving balls are water polo, baseball/softball, basketball, soccer, team handball, field hockey, table tennis, tennis, and volleyball. I would add badminton, ice hockey, and curling as similar types of games, although because of their medium these involve shuttlecocks, pucks, and rocks instead of balls. It appears that _every one_ of these sports was being played in something pretty close to its present form by 1900. There is a virtual tie in the 1890’s as basketball, handball, field hockey, and volleyball all date to that decade, with some minor variation from web site to web site as to the exact date. ---
**Author:** ![Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/f19dbf/32.png) [@Only\_Mostly\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Only_Mostly_Dead)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/8 "2007-05-04T15:50:59Z")
[QUOTE=Telemark] Foot volleyball [/QUOTE] A pale ripoff of various ancient [Mesoamerican Ballgames](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesoamerican_ballgame) like Ulama and Ti Pitziil. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/9 "2007-05-04T15:54:10Z")
Phone tag. Seriously, it’s hard to come up with much of anything without limiting to stick/ball. There’s paintball. Maybe if you get into the X-Games sports, you’re pretty new. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/10 "2007-05-04T15:54:46Z")
[Segway Polo?](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-8940120949202973376) ---
**Author:** ![Hampshire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hampshire/32/4887_2.png) [@Hampshire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hampshire)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/11 "2007-05-04T16:05:44Z")
I remember in gym class back in the 80’s our teacher trying to teach us this “new and upcoming sport” called [SPEEDBALL](http://www.belleville.k12.wi.us/bhs/physed/studyg/speedball.html). However, according to the article I found it had been around since the 1920s. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Who](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Doctor\_Who](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Who)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/12 "2007-05-04T16:08:20Z")
How about [Over the Line](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_line)? The Tournament only dates back to 1953 if Wikipedia is to be believed, and it’s a stick/ball game. Of course, in practice it’s more of a drinking game than anything else, so maybe it doesn’t qualify. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/13 "2007-05-04T16:16:28Z")
[43-man squamish?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43-Man_Squamish) ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/14 "2007-05-04T16:59:40Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] [43-man squamish?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43-Man_Squamish) [/QUOTE] Damn you. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/15 "2007-05-04T17:17:12Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] [43-man squamish?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43-Man_Squamish) [/QUOTE] For some reason I’ve always used the quote “My uncle is sick but the highway is green” without knowing where it came from. Another bastion of ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/16 "2007-05-04T17:28:09Z")
[QUOTE=Doctor Who] How about [Over the Line](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Over_the_line)? The Tournament only dates back to 1953 if Wikipedia is to be believed, and it’s a stick/ball game. Of course, in practice it’s more of a drinking game than anything else, so maybe it doesn’t qualify. [/QUOTE] So is softball. The over the line tournament in San Diego seems to draw a crowd. And they are trying to do something about the beer. > [@](#): > > Admission is free, but guests are asked to observe OTL’s “Five B Rules.” No bottles, babies, bowsers (dogs) and new this year, no birds or Boa Constrictors. ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/17 "2007-05-04T17:36:58Z")
[Slamball](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slamball). ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/18 "2007-05-04T17:37:32Z")
Actually now that I think about this, they are not trying to restrict beer just glass bottles. So I guess over the line is a ball stick beer game after all. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/19 "2007-05-04T17:42:19Z")
[QUOTE=Hampshire] I remember in gym class back in the 80’s our teacher trying to teach us this “new and upcoming sport” called [SPEEDBALL](http://www.belleville.k12.wi.us/bhs/physed/studyg/speedball.html). [/QUOTE] Oh my. Baaaad junior high P.E. memories . . . what ever happened to speedball? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2007, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722/20 "2007-05-04T18:19:57Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] [43-man squamish?](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/43-Man_Squamish) [/QUOTE] Don’t forget [Brockian Ultra-Cricket](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brockian_Ultra-Cricket) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-was-the-last-time-anyone-invented-a-stick-and-or-ball-sport-that-caught-on/402722.md?page=2)