Wall Ball is one name of a type of group-game played throughout the U.S. and Canada, primarily by elementary and junior high school children, (usually boys). There are many variations on game play, and many different names used to describe the game, including:

• Butts Up
• Death Ball
• Executioner
• Hand Ball, (for the bouncing version of the game only)
• Homicide
• Red Ass (Arse)
• Slaughter House
• Spread Eagle
• Suicide
• Wall Ball
• Firing Squad

It is a popular school yard game, perhaps owing to the simplicity of equipment needed, namely a wall and a ball that bounces, (usually a tennis ball).

There are two basic versions of the game:

• The ball is thrown against the wall, followed by the other players attempting to catch the ball.
• The ball is kept in continuous play by bouncing it with the palm of the hand, where it usually hits the ground first and then hits the wall.

Although there are sanitized versions, the more popular games have a violent component to them. Again, the rules vary widely, but usually when someone fumbles the ball, (or breaks some other rule of the game), that person must run to the wall and touch it before another player can throw the ball directly at them. In some other variations of the game, a special punishment occurs where a player must run (or even slow walk) the width of the wall while another player tries to hit them with the ball, (at some agreed distance away from the wall).

Because the game can be very violent, schools have been known to ban or attempt to curb the playing of all forms of Wall Ball once the activity is made known to administrators or to parents. Similiar actions have been taken against the milder game of Dodge Ball.

Slaughter House

Slaughter house, also known as wall ball or spread eagle, is a 2-or-more-player game that involves speed and quick thinking. This is a list of rules for the game:

• Throw the ball at the wall.
• Try to catch the ball after the ball hits the wall.
• If another player catches another person's throw before the ball hits the ground, the player who threw must run and touch the wall to be safe from being "slaughtered" with the ball.
• If the ball hits a player's head at any moment when the time is in, in the game, the player who threw the ball will be "slaughtered" once, for rule breaking.
• While the game is in session, the player with the ball must hit the wall first; if this rule is broken, the player who "missed" the wall must run and tag the wall before being pegged with the ball.
• When a player calls "gates", the player with the ball (outside of the throwing limits) must freeze where he or she is standing and hit the wall with the ball.
• If a player catches his or her own ball, the player must drop the ball and touch the wall.
• If a player is to throw the ball behind him, there is a penalty of "one free slaughter" for rule breaking.
• If a player catches a ball, but then suddenly drops the ball, the player must run to the wall.

External Links

[1] (http://www.ac.wwu.edu/~wwbc/) To the best of their knowledge, the Western Wall Ball Club is the "first official wall ball club in the history of the world."

[2] (http://www.odps.org/glossword/index.php?a=list&d=2) The Ghastly Games listing. Several versions of Wall Ball are described.