What is toppleball?

Toppleball is a fast-paced, high-energy game that can be played with as few as six players. Originally developed for physical education to help students practice throwing and batting skills, the game of toppleball has evolved into an incredibly popular sport that can be enjoyed by beginners and experienced players alike.

This site is designed to give physical educators, camp and recreation staff, and the rest of the world an overview of toppleball. There are rules for large group Team Style, one-vs.-all Olympic Style, and intense Tournament Style play. No matter what rules you use, all players are guaranteed to get a good workout and have lots of fun. All styles of play are also very spectator-friendly and do not require expansive playing space.

History

"Toppleball" is a registered trademark, originally of U.S. Games Inc. (1983), renewed by Sport Supply Group, Inc. (2003), for "equipment sold as a unit for playing a recreational ball game indoors or outdoors."* U.S. Games Inc., now defunct, published a set of rules that were distributed with its equipment. I first learned how to play toppleball at summer camp, where the game was introduced ca. 1995. Only the Olympic Style of play was outlined in the original set of rules, but modifications were soon made that led to Team Style play, and toppleball caught on quickly. Toppleball tournaments, organized under Team Style rules, were an irregular but immensely popular form of recreation at camp in the late 1990s.

In 2003, a group of staff members developed, refined, and codified a new set of toppleball rules and put together a tournament bracket consisting of teams of five players each. The game took on legendary status at camp almost immediately. With as many as 15 teams per tournament, games quickly drew large crowds as campers and staff rooted for their favorite teams and bore witness to some of the most intense and amazing athletic moments imaginable. The tournaments are now a fixture of camp life, and there are often weeks when the toppleball field is constantly occupied for practices and games.