Fourping

Fourping (also known as, 4-ping) is a game that combines qualities and rules of four square and ping pong. It was founded in February of 2009 at Penn State Erie, The Behrend College by four college students. The point of the game, as conceived, was to bring a challenging new aspect to ping pong while bringing more players into it. The game is played with a standard ping pong table with the net removed, four ping pong paddles, and a ping pong ball.
Objective
The objective of the game is to maintain the King's square for a decided amount of turns. The first conceived, and most common, decided number of turns is 100. These turns do not have to be consecutive, indeed, they rarely are. For instance, if you maintain the King's square for 11 turns, you gain 11 points; the next time you make it to the King's square, that is your 12th point and you resume there on your way to 100.
How To Play
The game begins by one person taking each of the four squares on a ping pong table. One square must be declared the "King Square". To the King's left is the "Queen Square". Across from the Queen is the "Jester Square". And to the left of the Jester is the "Peasant Square". Within the game, the objective is to reach the King's Square by going from Peasant to Jester to Queen to King. This can be achieved by knocking out any players who are ranked ahead of you.
The King always serves. At the beginning of the game, the King starts at zero points. After the initial point, the act of acquiring the King's Square earns you one point. If there are four people playing, then the person who gets knocked out goes to the Peasant Square. If more than four people are playing, then the person who gets knocked out exits the game and goes to the back of an assumed queue.
Rules
1. No spikes
-a) A spike in this game is defined as a fast-paced hit in which the ball is driven forcibly off the square of an opponent to the point where it is very difficult, if at all possible, to return.
2. Serves
-a) The serves must not be below around 4 inches off the table. Because the height cannot always be definitive, a serve can be challenged and forced to re-do the point.
-b) "Paddle in hand" Law
--i) The paddle must be in the hand of all the players
--ii) All players must be within a three foot vicinity to start
-c) The ball must hit the table twice on a serve before another player hits it.
--i) One feasible serve is to bounce it on the table then hit it to another square.
--ii) Another feasible serve is to hit it onto one's own square and then have it hit another square.
--iii) If the ball bounces once then hits the line or goes off the table without hitting a second time then the King forfeits his/her spot.
3. The ball can be played off the ceiling but not the wall
4. Lines
-a) The lines on the edges of the table don't count
--i) Hitting it on the side of the table doesn't count
-b) The ball can be played off the line
-c) If play is ended as a direct result of the line then the point is redone
5. All disputes are judged by majority vote by the 4 members at the table. If there is a tie decision, the point is re-done.
6. The "99" Law
-a) If a player loses his spot at the King's square at the score of 99 then the player must win a point after having re-acquired the spot to be deemed the victor.
7. Interference
-a) If a ball hits player 1's square and player 2 goes to hit the ball, if player 2 makes contact with player 1's paddle or the ball while player 1 is in clear contention for the ball, then the point is re-done.
8. The ball can be played off of a player's paddle hand but the ball cannot touch any other part of the player or else the point is forfeited.
Note: As this game was founded by a group of Ultimate frisbee players, a very important aspect of the rules is the "Spirit of the Game" with which the rules must be followed in the best interest of the game and not personal gain.
House Rules
Although players are not forced to abide by these extra rules, it has been found that maximum enjoyment is met when they do. The first house rule is that the score is kept on a board and is kept using roman numerals. This can be educational and fun. Second, the "69" rule which states that when a player reaches the score of 69, he must forward thrust and declare "Get some".

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