Air ball
Encyclopedia
In basketball, an air ball is a shot that misses both the rim and the backboard.
The usage may have an ironic
subtext to it; "air" is generally used positively in basketball, often relating to jumping ability. The "air ball", on the other hand, is widely perceived as the opposite: a signifier of an unskilled player. To perform an air ball is often to be ribbed by one's co-players.
Although the term has often been deemed to have been created by the Cameron Crazies
of Duke University
, such attribution is highly suspect. Some have pointed to the date of February 24, 1979, during a college basketball game between the Duke University Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels, as the first recorded use of "air ball". During a highly usual Duke-UNC game, in which UNC failed to score during the first half, the Duke crowd broke into a chant of "air ball" after Tar Heel player Rich Yonakor took UNC's only shot of the half, which missed the rim. It has become one of the most iconic jeers in college basketball.
It is also believed that longtime Los Angeles Lakers
announcer Chick Hearn
was an early popularizer of the phrase.
Nevertheless, while the UNC-Duke game may have popularized the phrase, it is doubtful that the term originates from that date. American television announcer Keith Jackson can clearly be heard using the term "airball" in game five, during the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers and N.Y. Knicks 1972 championship series. With the score 69-65, Jackson's call is as follows: "Goodrich almost lost it to Monroe. Shoots. Short. Airball. Frazier rebounds. Bad shot by Goodrich." NBA Hardwood Classics (2005).
, there is a game called air ball. The circle that the players are forming whenever the game would start is called the Circle of Enlightenment
The ground players must throw the ball to shoulder level trying to hit the trampoline. The on-tramp players must grab the ball while in the air and throw it off the tramp. If the ball hits the tramp or is caught by a ground player the tramp players must leave the tramp and the player who caused the change switches to the trampoline.
The usage may have an ironic
Irony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
subtext to it; "air" is generally used positively in basketball, often relating to jumping ability. The "air ball", on the other hand, is widely perceived as the opposite: a signifier of an unskilled player. To perform an air ball is often to be ribbed by one's co-players.
Although the term has often been deemed to have been created by the Cameron Crazies
Cameron Crazies
The Cameron Crazies are the student supporters of Duke University's basketball teams, named for Duke's Cameron Indoor Stadium. Crazies stand courtside in a 1,200 seat student section and begin cheering during warmups...
of Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, such attribution is highly suspect. Some have pointed to the date of February 24, 1979, during a college basketball game between the Duke University Blue Devils and the North Carolina Tar Heels, as the first recorded use of "air ball". During a highly usual Duke-UNC game, in which UNC failed to score during the first half, the Duke crowd broke into a chant of "air ball" after Tar Heel player Rich Yonakor took UNC's only shot of the half, which missed the rim. It has become one of the most iconic jeers in college basketball.
It is also believed that longtime Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
announcer Chick Hearn
Chick Hearn
Francis Dayle "Chick" Hearn was an American sportscaster. Known primarily as the long-time play-by-play announcer for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association, the legendary Hearn is remembered for his rapid fire, staccato broadcasting style, inventing colorful phrases such...
was an early popularizer of the phrase.
Nevertheless, while the UNC-Duke game may have popularized the phrase, it is doubtful that the term originates from that date. American television announcer Keith Jackson can clearly be heard using the term "airball" in game five, during the third quarter of the Los Angeles Lakers and N.Y. Knicks 1972 championship series. With the score 69-65, Jackson's call is as follows: "Goodrich almost lost it to Monroe. Shoots. Short. Airball. Frazier rebounds. Bad shot by Goodrich." NBA Hardwood Classics (2005).
Air ball (the game)
In the PhilippinesPhilippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, there is a game called air ball. The circle that the players are forming whenever the game would start is called the Circle of Enlightenment
Air ball objectives
- To prevent the ball from touching the ground
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- If for any instance, the ball bounces off anything or anyone yet still not touching the ground itself, you will still have the opportunity to continue the game
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- 2. To be able to recite the alphabet while playing Air Ball successfully
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- This is accomplished for every hit of the ball.
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- (e.g. First Shot = A; Second Shot = B; so on and so forth until you reach the letter Z [26th Shot = Z])
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Air ball materials
- A ball (Soft and has a Latex Coating)
- 8 to 15 players (This is just the basic number of players, you can add or decrease if you want)
- A wide, open field (Most preferably in a place w/o a ceiling like a quadrangle)
Air ball (trampoline game)
Air ball was invented in Bountiful, Utah by a group of friends in the late 90's and early 2000's. The game is played on a trampoline with the number of players ranging from 3 to over 10. One or two players are located on the trampoline while the remaining players stay on the ground.Air ball (objectives)
The players on the ground have a ball (soccer, dodge, or volleyball) that they are attempting to throw on the trampoline. The players on the trampoline do not want the ball to touch the trampoline.The ground players must throw the ball to shoulder level trying to hit the trampoline. The on-tramp players must grab the ball while in the air and throw it off the tramp. If the ball hits the tramp or is caught by a ground player the tramp players must leave the tramp and the player who caused the change switches to the trampoline.