The International Oarball Union exists to sanction oarball events, ensuring a safe and enjoyable experience for everyone, and to grow the sport of oarball. As profit is not a motive in either of these endeavors, the IOU is a nonprofit, and is currently staffed and maintained entirely by volunteers.
The IOU is directly responsible for monitoring the good standing of leagues, clubs, coaches, and officials. It operates on a federal structure, delegating responsibilities to its sancitoned leagues, who in turn delegate responsibilities to their respective clubs.
Q: What do I need to play Oarball?
A: You need cleats, a wooden stick (which resembles a boat's oar, hence the name of the sport), and a ball, which is like a volleyball but smaller.
Q: How many players are on an oarball team?
A: There are 4 players on the field at a time, and 5 more on the bench ready to substitute at any time. Those players make up the "active roster." Teams can have just 9 players on the active roster. They can have as many players as they want on their "inactive roster" and they can switch one player between the active and inactive roster each game with an "interchange."
Q: What are the fouls in oarball?
A: Players are not allowed to hit an opponent with their stick, or make any violent impact with their body. Minor fouls, like accidentally touching an opponent with the stick, result in a 5-minute suspension. More serious offenses, like playing too rough or recklessly, land a player in the sin bin for 10 minutes. Very serious offenses, like intentionally hitting a player with the stick or trying to choke someone, get a player kicked out of the game.
Q: Where did oarball come from?
A: Oarball was invented in South Florida, in the United States. It was invented by a former ice hockey player, looking for a way to have fun and keep fit without the expenses associated with ice hockey.
Q: What are the age groups for youth oarball?
A: Different clubs are allowed to split youth players up into whatever age groups they want, but the IOU sanctions competitive "selects" events only for under-12 and under-18 levels.
Q: Senior oarball is "semi-professional" but what does that mean?
A: Most senior teams are not professional at all, requiring their players to pay dues in order to keep the team afloat. Teams that win championships are entitled to prize money to split between players, which can sometimes be enough to make an impact othe the players financially but isn't enough to warrant quitting their job and going "full professional". Teams that do well enough financially to make a profit from "oarball related revenues" split those earnings evenly among their players, usually enough for a stipend or a small wage to supplement their day job.
Association Football
Similarities: The ball is roughly equivalent to a size 2 football. Being a good striker of the ball will serve a player well, and good footballers tend to make great oarballers. Play is re-started with a free hit, which is similar to a goal kick. Teams get one interchange substitution per game, which is functionally the same as a football substitution.
Differences: Players are only allowed to touch the ball one time with their feet or body, forcing them to use the stick more often or to pass constantly. Players can use their hands to play the ball, striking it one time just like their feet. After a free hit (which can be kicked), play isn't live yet- it has to be re-started with a face-off. "Ball first" doesn't make a challenge legal- tripping an opponent with a standing or sliding tackle is a foul in oarball.
Positions: The fullback is like a sweeper-keeper- they are expected to come out of the goal and help for the breakout (buildup). The halfback back is like a center back- they defend near the goal and defend the middle of the field on offense. Forwards are like midfielders- they defend in wide areas, lead the attack, act as a long passing option on the breakout (buildup) and they lead the forecheck (press).
Ice Hockey
Similarities: Every player has a stick, and being a good stickhandler will serve a player well. Net front play is functionally the same, and players who are good at screening and tipping will be invaluable to their team. Tactics are extremely similar, because the two-line pass in oarball constricts play much the way offsides does in ice hockey. Play is re-started with face-offs, similar to hockey. Substitutions are on the fly, just like hockey. The offsides rule in oarball is just like that of hockey, except if the blue line only went around the goal crease instead of the whole zone.
Differences: No ice or skates, obviously. Every foul (penalty) leads to a penalty shot, not just a powerplay. Teams get out of having a powerplay after their first foul (penalty). It's much harder to rush the ball in oarball than it is to rush the puck in hockey, so passing is more important. Contact is only allowed if it's hip-to-hip, so while hip checks are allowed, big hits do not exist in oarball the way they exist in hockey. Goals can be sored by kicking or using the hand. Freezing the ball is not allowed, and there are no special goalie privileges in oarball.
Positions: Fullbacks play goalie on defense and defenseman on offense. Halfbacks are like defensemen. Forwards are just like hockey forwards.
Men's Lacrosse
Similarities: Scooping the ball is almost identical, and players who are good at getting ground balls are going to thrive in oarball, where putting the ball into the air is such a vital skill. Play is re-started with a face-off, and oarball face-offs are extremely similar to lacrosse face-offs. Hip contact is extremely similar to the style of contact used in man-ball situations.
Differences: Stick contact with the opponent is not tolerated. Rosters are small, so positions are less specialized than lacrosse. Players can effectively set walking-speed moving screens, but only against an opponent who is stationary or also walking. Defenders are only allowed in their goal crease for 5 seconds at a time, and attackers can go into the crease if the ball is already there, no "dive" required.
Positions: Fullback is like a goalie, halfback is like a close defender (or defender in box lacrosse), forwards are like a midfielder (somewhere inbetween a transition and a forward in box lacrosse).
Women's Lacrosse
Similarities: Being able to lift the ball into the air is vital in oarball, and players who can scoop ground balls well thrive when they come to oarball. Stick play is similar, and face-offs in oarball are similar to draws in lacrosse. Substitutions are on the fly, just like in lacrosse.
Differences: There is no concept of shooting space, or of the "bubble" around a player's head- a player commits a foul if they actually touch an opponent with their stick, or if the opponent needs to dodge in order to avoid being hit in the head. No equivalent to lacrosse offsides.
Positions: Fullback is like a goalie. Halfback is like point or cover point. Forwards are like a wing attacker.
Field Hockey
Similarities: Aesthetically very similar. Players tend to have an easy time switching from field hockey to oarball because handling the stick and ball is so similar.
Differences: Much more contact is allowed in oarball than in field hockey. Players can be left handed, use both sides of the stick, and they can score from anywhere on the field. Because the ball is softer, it can be kicked ot blocked safely, with no need for special pads or masks.
Positions: Positions are similar. Fullback is like a sweeper or the goalkeeper. Halfback is like a center half. Forwards are like left and right halves.
Rugby Union
Similarities: Free hits in oarball are similar to kicking for touch off of a free kick in rugby- trying to gain position followed by a contested re-start. The face-off is somewhat similar to the scrum, except if it was only contested by hookers and there was less contact. Players who are good at kicking tend to have a good time converting to oarball. The two-touch rule and concept are similar to the knock-on in rugby. Both sports have sin bins and don't use them for every infraction.
Differences: Extremely different. There is no equivalent to rugby's offside law. Contact is much less- wrapping and grabbing opponents is not allowed, and contact is only allowed if it's hip-to-hip or if both players are at walking speed.
Positions: Fullback in oarball is like a fullback in rugby- hanging back to watch the defense but also ready to come up and counterattack. Halfback is like a tighthead, the biggest and most powerful player on the team. Forwards are like centers or back rowers, doing a bit of everything.
Basketball
Similarities: The defense has a 5 second rule in their goal crease that is similar to basketball's 3-in-the-key rule, except it's only applied to the defense. Spacing is similar- it tends to bunch up in a tight area and then open up for quick counterattacks. The physicality of oarball resembles how basketball is played in the paint- lots of getting low, pushing through opponents, and shoving, but not lots of harsh impact.
Differences: Using the stick is totally different from dribbling, although some players find that bouncing the oarball off the ground works for them. Re-starting play is totally different, as if there was a jump-ball every time the ball goes out of play.
Positions: The fullback is like a center on defense and a point guard on offense- they defend near the goal and on offense they hang back, looking to pass first. The halfback is like a cover-everyone 3- able to push back big powerful attackers and close down with speed on defense and filling in everywhere the team might need on offense. Forwards can have a variety of different play styles and coule be like a shooting guard or a power forward.
Gridiron Football
Similarities: The forecheck in oarball is similar to pass defense, with players rushing (forechecking) at the ball while others sit back in some form of man or zone coverage. Placekickers who come to oarball tend to do well, since being able to kick the oarball is such a vital skill.
Differences: Very different from football in basically every way. There is less contact, advancing the ball is totally different, and oarball has a very different flow, with longer times between stoppages.
Positions: The fullback is like a safety, hanging back to defend but sometimes jumping up to make plays. The halfback is like an offensive lineman, except instead of defending the quarterback they defend the crease area. Forwards are like running backs, putting in lots of work to move the ball for their team, and just like running backs they can be small and fast or big and strong.
Australian Football
Similarities: Level of contact is very similar. Players who can kick goals in AFL can easily kick goals in oarball too. Both sports are chaotic, with the ball moving around quickly and constant battles for possession. The face-off is not the same as the ruck mechanically, but it fulfills a similar purpose and puts the ball back into play similarly. Players aren't allowed to throw the ball in either sport, and handballing a pass in AFL is a very transferrable talent to oarball.
Differences: The two-line pass rule prevents and long passes. Catching the ball is not allowed, and there is no equivalent rule to the "mark." Oarball tends to happen more along the ground since it can be difficult to lift the ball with sticks under pressure.
Positions: Fullback in oarball is like a fullback in Aussie rules. Halfback is like a center half. The forwards in oarball are like the followers in AFL.
Handball
Similarities: Contact is extremely similar, and a solid defender in handball would be a solid defender in oarball. Shot blocking in oarball is similar to goalkeeping in handball. Back play is similar in both sports. Both sports use on-the-fly substitutions.
Differences: Catching the ball is strictly prohibited in oarball. Instead of completely forbidding offensive players from entering the restricted area, offensive players can enter the crease if the ball is already there. Instead of being allowed to sit in the goal, any would-be goalkeeper needs to leave the crease area avery 5 seconds.
Positions: The fullback in oarball is like a goalkeeper on defense and a back on offense. The halfback in oarball is like a back in handball. Forwards can vary in style, so some players play like a handball winger, and others play like a pivot.