You don’t need a lot of things to have a game of tetherball.
You really only need a pole with a ball on a rope attached to it.
The limited amount of required things makes it great because you can really make the equipment a focus.
In tetherball, the most important piece of equipment they need to get right is rope length.
If they get this wrong, then they will find that the way the game plays is going to be slightly different than they are used to playing.
The tetherball rope length should sit 2-feet high off the ground while the standard pole height for tetherball is 10-feet above the ground. So that means the average tetherball rope length should be just a little over 8-feet long..
Now let’s explain this a little more.
Because there are so many different things to consider when thinking about how long a tetherball rope should be.
How High Should a Tetherball Pole Be?
The standard size of a tetherball pole is 12 feet tall. The tetherball pole is buried 2 feet, with the 10 feet visible above ground.
This is for a regulation tetherball pole. You will be able to find shorter sets made for kids.
Remember though, if you get a shorter set, make sure to always adjust the tetherball rope so it stays 2 feet above the ground.
What Happens If The Tetherball Rope Is Too Low?
When the rope of a tetherball is too low, it makes it incredibly difficult to hit a tetherball.
The rope must be adjusted in order to tackle the ball that is going to be lower than it should be.
There is, of course, an indication that the rope will be too long if the tetherball rope is too low.
If the rope is too long, it also means that it will take a whole lot longer to wrap around the pole.
Games of tetherball are meant to be over rather quickly, and often when that ball is placed too low, games of tetherball run longer than they should.
What Happens If The Tetherball Rope Is Too High?
If the rope on a tetherball is too high, it does exactly the opposite of when it is too low.
Players will also have to change their strategy, or at least their strategy will be different to start the game with the ball being situated higher.
When some player who are accustomed to playing on a tetherball courts where the ball is at a normal height, miss some of the earlier hits, it creates a demerit.
You also need to understand that if the rope is too high, then there is also a too short of a rope. The ball will rotate much less times around the pole before the game is over.
This will cause games to be extremely short.
In fact: In some situations, if the tetherball rope is too short, it may only take one miss of the ball at the early parts of the game and someone already has a loss.
Does a Tetherball Rope Stretch Over Time?
Yes.
Tetherball ropes are made of nylon, which will stretch over time.
Keep in mind, there is a heavy ball on the end, and that ball, will be struck continuously, often very hard.
All this does, is pull on the threads of the rope.
But don’t worry;
Even if you are playing on the court regularly, it does take a fair amount of time for the rope to stretch to the point it needs to be replaced.
How Often Do You Need To Replace a Tetherball Rope?
Not as often as you might think.
Now, it’s true tetherball ropes do stretch over time, but more than likely, it will take months before you see anything worth noting in the length.
Most tetherball ropes are purposely made a little longer than necessary to allow the user to tie an adjustable knot.
What this means is if the tetherball rope does stretch, it can be shortened again by simply tightening the knot.
Keep this in mind – the only time you would need to replace a tetherball rope, is if it begins to fray. Because that is getting dangerous when the rope snaps unexpectedly sending the ball flying.
You may also need to replace a rope if it was left in heavy rains outside, because the rope can become heavy with water and may take time to dry out.
We would not be surprised if a well taken care of tetherball rope lasted for years.
How Thick Should a Tetherball Rope Be?
There’s no limitations on how thick the tetherball rope can be.
Of course, it has to be thick enough to fit around the ball and withstand being whipped around a pole repeatedly. But it really doesn’t matter how thick the rope is.
As long as something is sold as a tetherball rope, you’re good to go.
Can Children Use Shorter Tetherball Ropes?
Sure, they can if the length of the pole changes.
Most tetherball sets for kids are around 7-feet, which means the tetherball rope should only be about 5-feet.
Most tetherball rope will come in lengths around 10-feet.
But don’t cut it!
Instead: Tie a firm knot on top of the pole. This gives you some adjustability after the rope stretches.
Final Thoughts
There are no limits to tetherball leagues, tetherball sets, or organizations on the length of the rope. All they want is the end of the rope to be 2-ft from the base of the pole.
So, in most cases the tetherball rope length is about 8-ft long.
Some junior tetherball sets may require a shorter rope length (as short as five feet!)
Most tetherball ropes you buy will come in lengths of 10-feet long. You will need to tie a knot at the top of the tetherball pole to ensure only 8-feet shows.