Fistball

Fistball

A fistball attacker hits the ball over the net
Highest governing body	International Fistball Association (IFA)
First played	First mentioned year 240, first organised play in 1894
Characteristics
Team members	5 players per team
Mixed gender	No
Type	Outdoor (summer) and indoor (winter)
Equipment	Fistball, net
Venue	Field (outdoor) and court (indoor)
Presence
Olympic	Included in World Games since 1985

Fistball is a sport of European origin. It is similar to volleyball in that players try to hit a ball over a net. The current men's fistball World Champion is Germany, winners of both the 2011 World Championships and the fistball category at the 2013 World Games.

When exactly the game of fistball was "invented", is not known. What is certain, however, is that the roots lie in the southern part of Europe, perhaps in Italy. The earliest known written mention of the game is by Roman Emperor Gordian III and dates to the year 240. Rules for an Italian version of fistball were recorded by Antonius Scaiono in 1555.

In the 16th century the game experienced a renaissance. However, it was seen less as a game of competitive nature and more as a pastime for nobles and gentry.

In 1786, Johann Wolfgang Goethe mentioned fistball games between 'four noblemen from Verona and four Venetians' in his diary An Italian Journey.

It was only in 1870 that fistball was introduced to Germany, led by Georg Weber. The sport was mainly played by gymnasts and was soon seen as a gymnastic sport. Fistball was first presented in 1885 at the German Gymnastics Festival in Dresden. In 1894, Georg Weber, along with Dr. Heinrich Schnell, drafted the first German rules that outlined a sport with competitive elements. The play and scoring however differed significantly from fistball as it is known today.

During this time the sport spread to the surrounding, mainly German-speaking, neighboring countries, and German emigrants also spread the sport in all continents, particularly in South America and West Africa. Fistball was first introduced to the United States in 1911 by high school teacher Christopher Carlton who had experienced it first hand on a summer vacation to Italy.

At the 1913 German Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig, the first German men's championships were held, where LLB Frankfurt won against 1879 MTV Munich, winning 114:101. Due to the First World War, no German Championships were held between 1914 and 1920. In 1921, the first women's fistball championship was held, with Hamburger Turnerschaft emerging victorious against TV Krefeld, winning 91:90. Fistball, while still a game affiliated to the Gymnastics Association, began to grow independently. In 1927, almost 12,000 teams played organized fistball in Germany.