User:Wsbeditor/sandbox

= Water Skyball =

Water Skyball (WSB in short) is an aquatic sport played between two teams of two players each. It was developed in Europe for both recreational and competitive play. The goal of the game is to score more points by throwing the ball into the opposing team’s goal. The game is played in waist high water where the players can move by jogging. The ball may be passed between the players and there is no time limit for possessing the ball as long as the players are building up an offensive and not stalling the game. Depending on the setting (recreation / competition) the duration of a game can vary widely from 10 minutes to 20 minutes or more. The rules, the size of the field/court, the number of zones and the structure of the goal are all designed to encourage continuous positioning, passing and tactical thinking.

History
The game was created in 2013 by the professional team of the Fontanus Center, led by Balázs Török-Szabó. Their goal was to create a game that is suitable for developing numerous mental and physical skills while being as fun and engaging as possible for a wide range of audiences with a very low chance of injury. Following the years of its inception, the game became more popular and matured to a sport of its own with more than a hundred registered first and second division players. Starting from 2015 the Water Skyball Federation organizes national championships and amateur events each year.

Rules
The game is played by two opposing teams of two players respectively. The team that scores the most points wins. Points are scored by throwing the ball into the opposing team's goal.

Field
The game is played in a pool that is approximately 11m x 8m and around 100-120cm deep. The field is divided into 3 zones. These zones run in the entire width of the pool. Each team has their own 3m long defender zone in the opposing ends of the pool. The middle of the pool is called the midfield. Only one player can be present in each of the defender zones regardless of their team (ie. other players may not even reach into the zone to pick up a ball that landed there). The midfield has no such constraints and all four players can be present there at once.

Goals
Each team has a goal at the end of their defender zones. The player in their own defender zone can act as the goalkeeper. The goal is 4 meters wide and segmented into 3 sections. There is a center section that is 2 meters wide and there are two 1 meter wide side sections on each end. The score of a goal is determined by two factors: which zone was it thrown from and which section of the goal was it thrown into. Which leaves 4 different combinations: A goal thrown


 * 1 point: shot from the midfield to the side section of the goal (Action)
 * 2 points: shot from the midfield to the center section of the goal (Center)
 * 2 points: shot from the defender zone to the side section of the goal (Sniper)
 * 4 points: shot from the defender zone to the center section of the goal (Deadeye)

If a goal is scored then the ball is given to the defending team and the game is restarted.

While shooting from the midfield, the attacking player can not reach into the defending team's defender zone.

Non contact
WSB is a non-contact sport. The players can not make physical contact during the game. Each player has a "zone of control" around them (which is approximately half an arm's length) and other players may not enter or reach into this zone. Moves that are are potentially hazardous or pose the threat of injury can be penalized even if no contact was made (ie. one of the players dives for the ball in the direction of another player and contact was only avoided because the other player moved out of the way).

Stealing the ball
Since WSB is a non-contact game, it has a unique way for stealing the ball from the opposing team.

1. Front interception: If the ball is in the possession of a player in the midfield and the defending team moves both of its players into the midfield and gains superior numbers there (1 vs 2) then the ball is stolen and is awarded to the defending team and the game is restarted.

2. Rear interception: If the attacking team has both its players in the midfield and one of the defending players enters the attacking team's defender zone while it's empty then the ball is stolen and is awarded to the defending team and the game is restarted.

This creates a very unique gameplay since the act of stealing the ball is not connected to the actual location of the ball.

Handling the ball
Throwing and shooting can only be done with one hand. The player in the defender zone can use both hands to make a save or otherwise handle the ball, but as previously stated, throwing / passing / shooting can only be done with one hand. Players in the midfield can only handle the ball with one hand regardless of the circumstances (Even saves and blocks can only be done with one hand). The ball can not be submerged to hide it from the other players. Holding the ball by grabbing it is also not allowed in the game.

Fouls and Penalties
A team can receive a penalty for violating the rules of the game. The severity of the penalty depends on the severity of the violation.

The possible penalties are:


 * Verbal warning
 * Taking the ball away
 * One, two or three penalty throws

Variations
The game can be played in the official WSB pool, but it can also be played in the shallow end of pools, warm-up pools or in natural waters (beaches, lakes).