Taspony is a recreation sports. It involves using bare hands to hit a sponge ball. It is played on an indoor rectangular court. The game formation is singles(with one player per side) or doubles(with two players per side). Points are scored when the opponent is not able to play a valid return.

 

Taspony is played at all generations. The sponge ball helps bridge the gap between different age groups.

Taspony originated in Japan, 1981 by Eizo Yamaguchi. He applied the sponge ball made in USA, for the rehabilitation, to make a new sport.

The new sport was named Taspony, an abbreviation derived from Atsu”TA“ ward in Japan, “SPON”ge ball, and “Y”MCA.

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Rules

Manner of play

Every player shakes hands with each other, before and after the game.

And toss or janken ”rock-paper-scissors” to decide service or court.

 

Court

The court is rectangular and divided into halves by a net. Court is 8.0m long, and 3.5m wide for singles matches and 4.1m wide for doubles matches. The net is 70cm high at the posts and the center.

Lines

The line layout is similar to the tennis court, such as the baseline, the service line and the sideline (singles and doubles). Sometimes, in the unofficial game, the singles sidelines are omitted.

 

Scoring

Each game is played to 11,15,17 points and 1-3 sets depends on the competition. The player scores a point whenever win a rally regardless of whether they served.

 

Service

The serve is initiated by dropping the ball onto the floor and hitting it after it bounces, so that it lands in the diagonally opposite service area without touching the net. If the ball touches the net and then lands in the diagonally opposite service area, the serve is a let, and the server serves again. If missed serving then the server lose a point immediately (no second service).  

When the server (or server side in doubles) won the rally, called “point”, then play again continuously. When the server lost a point, called “service over”, opposite side player do the service next.

 

Stroke

Player can use a hand either left or right. That is indistinct forehand and backhand.

In case of right-hand, the stroke begins on lower-right side of the body, continues throw forward to make a contact with the ball, and ends on the foreside of the body.

 

Volley

The volley is a shot returned to opponent in mid-air before the ball bounces, generally performed near the net. Usually that makes push the ball “Push volley” or absorb the ball power and drop near the net “Drop volley”.

 

Smash

A smash can usually be hit fairly near the net, generally against lobs. A player can smash to deep end-line or cross the side. Sometimes the ball is given the back-spin and its bound is less.

 

Lob

The lob can be used as defensive stroke, hitting the ball high and deep into the opponent’s court to enable the lobber to get into better position.