Volleyball / Soccer

[Feger]

Evenflow and No-Use Split Double Hitter

On Saturday night, No-Use and Evenflow split a double hitter in the best of a five game championship series in Rocball. On Feb. 18th, President?s Day, Evenflow and No-Use will continue their competition of the world title for the sport of Micronesia.

No-Use won game one last week and was only a game away from winning the world title Saturday night?s double hitter. But, Evenflow won game three and forced at least one more game to determine which team has the right of closure. If No-Use can defeat Evenflow in game four they become the 2008 Rocball Champions. If Evenflow wins game four, then there will be another double hitter played out on Monday night to determine which team takes home the trophy.

In the first game of Saturday night No-Use juiced Evenflow in four sets 106 to 95. Evenflow won the first set 27 to 25 and No-Use won the second set 28 to 26. The difference of play in the third set came from David Tisa of No-Use with a three point play and a few shank serves by Evenflow. The score after two sets of the first game was tied 53 to 53 going into the third set.

In the third set, No-Use opened up an eight point lead by winning the third set 27 to 19 and finished the set with 80 game points to Evenflows 72 game points. In order to win the first game, No-Use only had to win the fourth set. Evenflow needed to win the fourth set with a nine point margin to win the game or win the set with less than nine points to send the game into over time.

In the fourth set, No-Use and Evenflow played tight offense and defense, there were no shank serves, neither team got xunked, and no goals were scored. But, No-Use outscored Evenflow in two point plays 7 to 5, and won the set 26 to 23 for the game.

In the second game, Evenflow and No-Use fought out a psychological game of will power with Evenflow squeaking out a first set 25 to 24 win. No-Use scored a three point play and six two point plays in the first set. Evenflow mixed up their game with kills and dinks, scored five two point plays and won the set on one point court plays.

In the second set, Evenflow stayed with their game plan, mixed up their plays, scored four two point plays, and out court played No-Use one point at a time 13 to 3 and No-Use only scored three two points plays in the second set.

In the third set, Evenflow jumped out to a 10 to 0 lead before No-Use was able to score a point. Evenflow went on to take another large lead in the second set 20 to 12 before No-Use was able to make a modest comeback of 12 to 20. And, when No-Use started to score, Enenflow lost a little confidence, choked, and shanked 4 serves before they finished their third set win 27 to 19.

No-Use was trailing Evenflow 61 to 78 going into the fourth set and would have had to win the fourth set by a margin of 18 points to win game three. With that kind of point spread, No-Use?s only hope of winning game three was to win the fourth set by any margin, block Evenflow from juicing out, and force the game into overtime. But, Evenflow postured for victory and wouldn?t be denied. When the score of the fourth set was 10 to 8 in favor of Evenflow, Terson Eina of No-Use shocked Evenflow with a three point goal that gave his team a temporary lead at 11 to 10.

Evenflow rebounded off the No-Uses?s three point play with a two point backcourt score that put them back in the lead 12 to 11. Then Typhoon Saito of Evenflow exploded off a net kill for a three point goal to increase Evenflows lead 15 to 11. After Typhoon?s goal, Evenflow tighten up their defense and went on to close out the fourth set 25 to 13 to win game three.

[Big Seany]

Yesss! Go on Evenflow.

Seriously Jim, we need some Rocball videos up in this mate. Get it sorted!

Also, do the Rocball t-shirts come in black?

[Feger]

Yesss! Go on Evenflow.

Seriously Jim, we need some Rocball videos up in this mate. Get it sorted!

Also, do the Rocball t-shirts come in black?

Evenflow wins 2008 Rocball Championship

After four months of competition, 18 teams, 140 players, and 70 games, Evenflow, after losing games one and two in a best of five game series for the World Rocball Championship, came from behind and defeated team No-Use in games three, four, and five to emerge as the 2008 Rocball Champions.

No-Use had a chance to knock off Evenflow and win the championship in the fourth game when they lead Evenflow in game points 75 to 65 at the end of the third set of play. In order to win the game and the championship, all No-Use had to do was win the set. In order for Evenflow to block No-Use from juicing out and sending the game into overtime, Evenflow had to win the fourth set with by any margin less than 11 points.

In order for Evenflow to win the fourth game and force a fifth game for the championship, Evenflow needed to win the fourth set of the fourth game by 11 or more points. No-Use won first set 25 to 16, Evenflow won the second set 27 to 25, and No-Use won the third set, 25 to 22; Evenflow was in trouble. No-Use didn?t have a reputation of losing sets by a double digit number.

In the fourth set, Evenflow had the serve and scored 11 points before No-Use was able to score and take control of the serve. But, Evenflow played hard defense and made a lot of two point backcourt plays and a three point goal to shut down No-Use?s scoring power and went on to win the fourth set with 25 to 11. Evenflow?s fourth set win of 25 to 11 gave them a 14 point margin win of the fourth set, and enough to juice out and win game four.

In the fifth and final game of the series, No-Use came out strong and slammed Evenflow in the first set 26 to 12. N0-Use had 14 point lead going into the second set when it seemewd as though the floor dropped out from under them. In the second set, Evenflow was in the grove, they defeated No-Use 25 to 4. The second set victory put Evenflow on top at 37 to 30.

In the third se of game five, Evenflow had a 19 to 9 lead and ran out of gas. No-Use came from behind and tied the score 19 to 19. No-Use took the lead on a two point backcourt score 21 to 19. But, No-Use shanked a serve, lost a point, and Evenflow picked up momentum, regained the lead at 21 to 20, and fought their way to a 25 to 23 third set win.

In the final set of the 2008 Rocball Championship series of play, Evenflow took an early lead and extended the difference between scores 18 to 6 and looked like they were going to glide into a victory. But, No-Use didn?t cave in, and behind a series of two point backcourt scoring by J.R. Rudolph, made a strong comeback and closed the point difference to just 4 points at 25 to 21.

No-Use fought hard to gain the lead, but Evenflow wouldn?t submit and hung on to finally win the fourth set and juice out No-Use at 34 to 26 for the set, for the game, and for the Championship Title.

The MVP award for the year 2008 went to Typhoon Saito of Evenflow who scored 10 two point aces, 30 two point backcourt scores, and 3 three point goals in the final five games of the year.

[Big Seany]

Yesss. Evenflow did well to hang in there, sounds like No-Use nearly clawed their way back into it.

Got any pictures of Typhoon Saito? Would love to see what a guy with such a wicked name looks like.

[Feger]

Yesss. Evenflow did well to hang in there, sounds like No-Use nearly clawed their way back into it.

Got any pictures of Typhoon Saito? Would love to see what a guy with such a wicked name looks like.

Typhoon is front center sitting down with the game ball. He is a senior in high school. You can get a better picture if you google on Saipan Tribune and look in the sport pages. Its the top story for sports today.

Evenflow came back from a two-games-to-none deficit in their best-of-three final series against No-Use to win the 2007-2008 World Organized Rocball Community League Monday night at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

[Feger]

A group of high school students from Tokyo, Japan came down and learned how to play Rocball. This is the third group from Japan this year.


Rocball Rules March 27th, 2008


The sport of Rocball is played under a modified version of the side-out rules of play; not every serve is worth a point. And, a team must have the serve to win a set or game.

1. If the first serve of any player rotating into the service position is bad, the receiving team is awarded the serve and a point as a penalty for delay of game. A bad serve is a ball that touches the net off the serve, is not served within the boundaries of the receiving team?s court of play, a line fault etc.
A. If the serving team makes a first serve fault and has a zero score, then the receiving team will be awarded a point and the serve.

2. The receiving team has a two hit play off the serve. The receiving team only has two hits off a serve to send the ball back over the net to the service team.
A. Any situation where the receiving team cannot return the ball back over the net in two hits, the service team is awarded two points.

3. The service and receiving team have five hits to send a ball over the net. When a receiving team successfully returns a served ball back over the net to the service team in two hits, then each team has up to five hits of play to score points.
A. Either team can score off a served ball or during volley.

4. The person playing the goalie?s positions cannot step down within the ten foot area next to the net to play on the ball. The goalie is restricted to the backcourt area of play. However, when a goalie of either team scores from back court, his/her team is awarded two points. And, the goalie must wear a different color shirt.

5. Whenever a goal is scored, a team is awarded three points.
A. The goalie of each team is not allowed to catch a ball to prevent a goal from being scored.
B. Any player on either team can score a goal
C. If a player accidentally scores a goal against his/her own team, their opponents will receive three points and the next serve.

6. A team has to be at set point to win a game. If set point is 15, a team must have scored 14 or more points to win a set. A team cannot win a set from 13 or less points. For example, if a service team has 12 points and scores a goal, it earns 3 points and has scored a total of 15 points for the set. But, the set isn?t over and the service team needs to score one more time to win the set.
A. There is no two point margin of difference in scores required to win a set.

7. The Quarter/Set System of Play: Rocball games are four sets of play.

[Feger]

I'm wondering

If Ultimate Fighting is replacing boxing in that kind of sport, might one day Rocball replace volleyball in team net sports?

[Feger]

What are the physical intelligent aspects of a team net sport like volleyball?

And, how are the other sports rated in physical intellegence, how would a sport's physical intellegence be defined and compared to other sports? Is there a system of rating the characteristics of competition or the nature of the competitive challenges of sports. Example, which sports are more anaerobic and which sports are aerobic? What is the source of energy most likely to be used by the body in whatever sport activity a person is involved with? And, if there are physical intelligence difference how does that relate to attracting spectators?

[spagmasterswift]

I'm wondering

If Ultimate Fighting is replacing boxing in that kind of sport, might one day Rocball replace volleyball in team net sports?

I think Rocball should mos def embrace Ultimate Fighting - make it happen Feger!!1

[Big Seany]

Is there female Rocball?

Because obviously there are some hot girl volleyball players. From the reports it would appear all the players are (admittedly buff) highschool lads.

Answer me that Jim!

[Feger]

Is there female Rocball?

Because obviously there are some hot girl volleyball players. From the reports it would appear all the players are (admittedly buff) highschool lads.

Answer me that Jim!

Yes, we have the ladies playing in Rocball. There are high school, college, and community women on a lot of teams.

Next batch of shirts, I'll get some more black ones made up. But, it probably won't be until next season: (Extra Extra large?) And, probably a long sleeve shirt.

[Big Seany]

XXL would be quality Jim. Long sleeve as well you say? Off tha hook!

Mmmmm - lady Rocball players, eh? Wouldn't mind seeing that in action. What are the ladies like down Saipan?

[Feger]

Island Women are beautiful !

But, don't take my word for it. I've been living out here in Micronesia for the last 30 years and have probably become predjudice in my opinion about such things. Come on out to Oceana and visit any of the Nesian Island: Micronesia, Melanesia, or Polynesia, and see for yourselves.

[Feger]

Rocball

The Quarter/Set System of Play / Only the team in service can win set/game.

The Quarter/Set System of Play is four sets of play. There are two sets of scores to calculate a team’s progress: The sets scores and the game score. Sets points are predetermined and can end at any given point; 10, 15, 21, etc. The game score is calculated by adding up the points teams scored after completing a set of play.

For example: Two teams, the Magic and the Chiefs have completed set one. The Magic won the set 15 to 12. After the first set, the game score is the same as the set score. The game score for the Magic is 15 and the game score for the Chiefs is 12. In the second set, the Chiefs won 17 to 13. The game scores have changed to reflect the completion of the second set. The game score for the Chiefs is 29 and the game score for the Magic is 28. In the third set, the Magic win 15 to 10 and regain the lead with a game score of 43 to 39. The game’s score changes to reflect the completion of the third set. The Chiefs win the fourth set 15 to 9 and win the game 54 to 52, and the game score is adjusted to reflect the completion of the fourth set of play.

In the game between the Chiefs and the Magic, the Chiefs outscored Magic after four sets of play and won the fourth set, to “juice out” and win the game. The Chiefs fulfilled all the conditions of playing a quarter/set system to win a game in four sets.

The quarter/set system is not the regular set system of play where a team wins a game based on the number of sets won. In the quarter set system, a team is challenged to outscore its opponents in four sets of play and win the fourth set, to win the game.

A team cannot win a game under the quarter/set system, if they lose the fourth set regardless if they have a higher game score than their opponents. And, a team cannot win a game under the quarter/set system if they win the fourth set with a game score less than their opponents.

If a team cannot “juice out”, win the fourth set with a higher game score than their opponents, the game goes into overtime.

In overtime, the team that had the highest game score after four sets of play has to win one over time set to win the game. The team that had the lowest game score after four sets of play will have to win two overtime sets to win the game. If teams have a tied score after four sets of play, only one overtime set is required to determine the game’s winner.

The over time sets are ten points or a goal, whichever is scored first. If no goal is scored, then a set can only be won by a team with the serve.



The Set System:

There are four sets to a regular game. The time it takes to play each set is considered a quarter of a game of play: Half time comes after the completion of the second set. Teams should get extra time to rest before starting the third set and the second half of the game.

The number of points it takes to complete a set are predetermined and can end at any given point such as 10, 15, 20, 25, etc. If it is decided that the game’s quarter/set system will be played with four sets of 15 points, a team can have no less than 14 points with the serve to win a set: Set point, the situation in which a team serves to win a set, is at least one point less than the agreed upon points it takes to win a set.

If team Magic has scored 14 points and the serve, they can win the set by scoring a point or points off their next serve. But, if team Magic had 13 points and scores a goal, a three point play, their set score is 16 and their next serve would be to win the set.

A team has to have the serve to win the set: When team Chiefs has scored 10 points and is serving (offense) to team Magic (defense) with 14 points, and team Magic scores a point off the Chiefs’ serve, team Magic will have 15 points and the next serve would be to win the set. A team can not win a set or game without the serve.

Rocball has a multiple point, offensive and defensive scoring system, under a modified side-out rule of play. A team needs the serve to win a set or game, not every serve will result in a point, both teams can score off the serve or during volley/rally, and a team isn’t required to win a set or the game by a point margin.

A team can win a 15 point set without a two point margin, 15 to 14. And, if team Magic and the Chiefs were tied 15 to 15, the advantage is with the team that serves. If it is team Magic’s serve and they score a point, they win the set 16 to 15. If the Chiefs scored a point off team Magic’s serve, the Chiefs would have the advantage of the serve at 16 to 15 to win the set.

The Service Team’s advantage:

Under Rocball’s modified side-out scoring system, a served ball is a challenge and a threat because it can’t be penalized error points to the advantage of the receiving team, with one exception. However, it is the responsibility of the team with serve to provoke a competitive situation of cause and effect. When a team in service fails to fulfill the character of its role, a penalty situation would be defined and enforced: A penalty where the service team loses a point.

If a service team fails in its responsibility to successfully challenge its opponents off the serve, it should be penalized a point. From this method, a service team’s opponent would benefit by increasing its lead, reducing the service team’s lead, or gaining the lead if both teams are tied. But, there would be no unearned points awarded, non competitive action would be devalued, and each team would have to gain set/game point off its earned points and competitive skills.

And, only the first serve of the person rotating into the service position would be subject to penalty. Otherwise, all that is created would be an inversion of the sport under the rally point scoring system, where every non-competitive action off any serve, is an unearned point.

However, the exception of a team losing a point off any first serve, Is as follows: If I’m playing on a team and my team hasn’t scored any points, and I rotate into the service position and make a bad first serve, my team doesn’t have any points to lose, so! My team loses the serve and an unearned point is given to my opponents. This is the only time a rally point system of awarding of unearned point off a bad serve is used.

In order for the serve to be valuable enough to compete for in an offensive and defensive side-out scoring system, the receiving team would be limited to two hits off a served ball and five hits during volley.

A serve is made just like in volleyball, but the receiving team in Rocball only has two hits off a served ball to send it back over the net. The service team has the first five hit play and then both teams are allowed five hits until one or the other scores a point: Whichever team scores a point, serves.

It is important to remember that Rocball rules are a modified system of the old side-out rules of play for volleyball. If a ball hits the net on the serve it is a bad serve. And, when at any time a team gets the serve, their first serve has to be good, or the team loses a point and the serve. If the second or any subsequent serve is bad, the service team doesn’t lose a point and the receiving team isn’t awarded an unearned point, but the serve and scoring advantage changes.

As stated earlier, if a team does not have the serve, they cannot win a game. And, in Rocball, a team doesn’t need a two point margin to win a set or game.

An ace: If I serve the ball over the net and only one player hits the ball and the ball is hit out of play before another player can touch it, it is an ace and worth two points.

A serve can be spiked down at the net and this play is called a “Jam”. A jam is worth one point. The court lines are inbound and the faces of the goals are considered court lines also. Any court score, same as in volleyball, is worth one point, except for when an ace, kee, or goal is scored.

[Feger]

Rocball starts preseason matches next month


The islands' only indigenous sport, Rocball, returns for its 26th year early next month at the Marianas High School Gymnasium.

The sport's founder, Jim Feger, said the longest uninterrupted extra-curricular sport activity of the CNMI's Public School System will start with its preseason games on Oct. 6.

?Team net sport players interested in competing in this year's Rocball games need to form a team, choose a captain, and register with me at the MHS Gym during the MHS Drug and Violent Free Safe Haven Program,? said Feger.

The aforementioned program runs between 5pm and 8pm Monday through Thursday, and Saturday.

Feger said seven teams have already signed up for this year's season of Rocball competition. They are led by last year's champion Evenflow, No-Mercy, Soul Rebels, Okies, Naturals, Uraiwak, Section A, and Ghasias Brothers.

The Ghasias Brothers were former triple crown champions and are raring to make a comeback in the 2008 season.

Feger first wrote about the rules for Rocball in Ebisu, Japan in 1979. The sport itself went through a two-year experimental period at Hopwood Junior High School from 1981 to 1983. Rocball started being played as a regular sporting activity in 1983.

Feger said Rocball is unique because it is the first team net sport to develop offensive and defensive scoring, multiple-point scoring, penalty point scoring, and included goals for scoring in this kind of sport.

The offensive and defensive scoring developed for the indigenous sport of Saipan predated the Federation International de Volleyball's adoption of rally point scoring by 15 years.

Rocball is also the first sport of this kind that developed a scoring system, where a team could win a game by total amount of points scored using a set system of play.

The unique sport is played on a slightly modified standard volleyball court with an overhead net bisecting team courts and a 6x12-foot soccer type goal located 10 feet behind each court. (Saipan Tribune)