Hooverball!

Frederick C. Hatfield II, MS, MFS, CSCS

Our current and past Presidents have been known to engage in exercise.  President Bush reportedly weight trains, Clinton often jogged to McDonalds, and just this morning I heard former President Gerald Ford is in the hospital after playing golf – at 89 years of age!  I do not know how dedicated they were to the chosen mode of fitness, but I am certain it was nothing compared to Herbert E. Hoover’s dedication to a game, which later was named after him:  Hooverball!

THEN…

AND NOW…

Hooverball is similar to tennis in that the rules and scoring are the same.  The difference is that a 6 lbs medicine ball is thrown, caught and returned instead of hitting a tennis ball with a racket.  The game is made a little tougher by raising the net to 8 feet.  The court is the same as a tennis court (66’ x 30’) so there is plenty of ground to cover and you aren’t throwing the ball just a couple of feet.  As you can imagine, this is not a game for weaklings!

President Hoover was a mining engineer and kept active through his youth, but reportedly wasn’t fond of formal exercise.  At the beginning of his presidency, he ballooned up to 210 lbs while standing 5’11”.  While on a goodwill trip to South America, Hoover and his physician, Dr. Joel T. Boone, were introduced to a game played by sailors called “bull-in-the-ring”.  This game was a version of “keep away” played with a 9 pound medicine ball; several men would throw the ball while one (the bull in the ring) tried to intercept it.  Hoover joined in the game and it became the inspiration for Hooverball.

Shortly after Hoover’s inauguration, he and Dr. Boone introduced Hooverball to the VIP’s.  While the game itself is strenuous, the amazing thing is the dedication Hoover showed towards the game.  At 7:00 AM sharp he and 4-18 other associates played for ½ hour, six days a week.  They played in rain, snow or wind.  If it were raining heavily, they moved the game inside.  With the exception of being out of town, it is reported that Hoover canceled only one game to write a message to the Senate.  Six days a week for 4 years straight!  Here are some interesting facts about Hooverball:

• President Hoover went from 210 lbs down to 185 lbs during his presidency and credits the game for his record of not missing one day of work due to illness during his term.
• Four to eighteen White House VIP’s (what became known as “The Medicine Ball Cabinet) played each morning.  The average age of the players was 53 years.
• Secretary of the Interior, Ray Lyman Wilbur, noted in his memos that rain drove the game inside only 2 or 3 times during the 4 years.
• A friend of Hoovers (Will Irwin) wrote an article in 1931 in Physical Culture magazine, reporting on the President’s physical activity.  The article (The President Watches His Waistline) noted the game was more strenuous than boxing, wrestling or football.  It’s virtue, according to Irwin, was not its cardiovascular benefits, but that it developed virtually every muscle of the body.
• How did Hoover fair during the games?  In his article, Irwin wrote: “The president has one special talent. He carries in his old baseball arm a powerful 'forehand drive.' When he volleys at close range, his opponent must usually give ground to keep from going over on to his back. President though he be, he expects no quarter and gets none."

Hooverball became popular during Hoover’s Presidency, but after his bid for a second term failed in 1932, the sports popularity dwindled.  However, it did not disappear as it is still played around the country as a club sport.  There is even a national championship for both men and women.  The bottom line is that there was once a time when “Men were Men”.  Perhaps Hoover wasn’t our greatest President, but he didn’t abandon the physical culture laid forth by folks like Washington, Lincoln and Roosevelt!  He was indeed a rugged fella!

Hooverball – Rules and Overview

The sport of Hooverball is played on a volleyball-sized court with a 4- or 6-pound medicine (“Hoover”) ball that is scored like tennis.  The object of the game is to throw the ball over the net with no passes to teammates in such a way that the other team cannot return it.  This happens when the other team drops the ball, returns it out-of-bounds, or returns it front-to-front (more on this later).  Teams are typically made up of 3 or 4 people.

The Court

Hooverball is played on a volleyball-sized court that has each side divided into two equal portions.  These portions are called the Front Court (or “Front” for short) and the Back Court (or “Back”).  Serves come from behind the end line and can land anywhere on the opponent’s side of the court.  Any returns that come from the back court may land in either the front court or the back court.  However, a return that comes from the front court MUST land in the opponent’s back court.  If it does not, it is considered “front-to-front” and the other team scores.  If the ball is touched by an opponent, regardless of where it would land, it is considered a legal play.

The Play

A serve from behind the end line starts each volley.  The defending team attempts to catch and return the serve.  No passing between teammates is allowed; however, if one team member tries to catch the ball and deflects it into a teammate’s hand, it is considered a legal catch and play continues as normal.  After every point, the serving team rotates a new server into position.  The defense may rotate if they feel it is beneficial, but this rarely happens.  One team serves the whole game; after the game is over, the serve goes to the other team.  Usually, teams play a best-of-10 set.  However, some college Hooverball clubs do not always adhere to this best-of-ten set rule.

Scoring

Hooverball is scored like tennis, meaning scoring goes Love – 15 – 30 – 40 – Game.  There is the stipulation that teams must win by 2 points.  What this means is if both teams have 40, it is considered “Deuce” and the next team that scores does not win, but has “Advantage” over the other team.  If the team with the advantage scores a point on the ensuing play, the game is over.  Otherwise, the score goes back to deuce.  There is no limit as to the number of times teams may go to deuce in any given game – several games have lasted a very long time due to this rule!