The utility ball (also known as a playground ball or named after the games in which it's used, such as dodgeball and kickball) is a spherical, inflated ball used in several kinds of playground games and sports. Utility balls were introduced in the mid-20th century and have continued to be used in various games.
The first dedicated utility balls were introduced by American manufacturer Voit shortly after World War II and became popular within a few years, being adapted to several games such as dodgeball and kickball that had previously been played with harder objects, like basketballs. [1] The softer ball was safer and easier to adapt to other games, such as four square. [2] [3]
Utility balls are typically made of polyvinyl chloride or rubber and have a diameter of 8.5 inches (220 mm) and weigh between 11.6 to 13.3 ounces (330 to 380 g). [1] The balls are often made with ribbing for grip and are inflated to 2 pounds per square inch (14 kPa). [2]
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The Knickerbocker Rules are a set of baseball rules formalized by William R. Wheaton and William H. Tucker of the Knickerbocker Base Ball Club in 1845. They have previously been considered to be the basis for the rules of the modern game, although this is disputed. The rules are informally known as the "New York style" of baseball, as opposed to other variants such as the "Massachusetts Game" and "Philadelphia town ball".
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In Canada and the United States, a football is a ball, roughly in the form of a prolate spheroid, used in the context of playing gridiron football. Footballs are often made of cowhide leather, as such a material is required in professional and collegiate football. Footballs used in recreation, and in organized youth leagues, may be made of rubber, plastic or composite leather.
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport that has many recreational variants. The major sport most related to baseball is the Olympic discipline of softball, with the two sports being administered internationally alongside Baseball5 by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.