Gravball was a sport played in the Federation in the 23rd and 24th centuries.
History[]
Some 23rd century Federation Starfleet starships were designed with gravball courts. Chandley-class frigates were outfitted with a gravball court, and Northampton-class frigates had several. (FASA RPG modules: Federation Ship Recognition Manual, Where Has All the Glory Gone?)
Captain Robert Gray and chief navigator Lieutenant Banda of the USS Fife were gravball players. By the year 2287, Banda was an experienced player while Gray was fairly new to the game. (FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other)
In 2374, Benjamin Sisko and Jake Sisko played gravball matches weekly. Jake was quite competitive and sometimes exceptional at the game. (DS9 novelization: Far Beyond the Stars)
Appendices[]
Background[]
- Grav-Ball was a FASA Corporation game co-developed by L. Ross Babcock III and released prior to the company's Star Trek RPG in 1982 with box cover art by Mitch O'Connell. In that version of the game, two six-man teams attempted to place a steel ball in the opponent's goal. Each team consisted of a forward, left and right halfbacks, left and right fullbacks, and a goalie. What made it challenging was that it was fast-paced, played in an enclosed zero gravity arena, and involved lots of fighting. Players wore electromagnetically maneuverable armored uniforms. (FASA Catalog 1983-2, Grav-Ball Rulebook)
- FASA also adapted the game as Zero-Gee Ball for the Traveller RPG series.
- Grav-ball was also the name of a sport in the Star Wars franchise.
References[]
- FASA RPG module: Federation Ship Recognition Manual
- FASA RPG module: Where Has All the Glory Gone?
- FASA RPG module: A Doomsday Like Any Other
- DS9 novelization: Far Beyond the Stars
External links[]
- Grav-Ball article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
- Grav-ball article at Wookieepedia, the Star Wars wiki.