Skyball is a fast-paced, physically demanding sport that makes use of a multi-tiered arena laden with enchanted jump platforms and gravity fields located in unusual places. Think of basketball in an Escher landscape.
The following scene from Making the Cut shows some of the gameplay (from a High School championship level game):
Daniel Sharabi surveyed the court with the keen eye of a commander viewing the battlefield. On the ground floor his team members waited, spread out into a loose attack formation as they waited for him to pass the ball in-bounds. Fiona hin’Conaill, the shooting guard, stood in a hunched posture, her arms bent before her. Her pale, freckled face was drenched in sweat and her short, red hair was matted to her head in stringy curls, but her expression was a mask of calm control. Next to her was the point guard, Kevin Darby, his own auburn hair a tangled mess but his eyes bright and eager. Further up was the center, Trace Umbara, two hundred centimeters of Irombian muscle. He grinned at Daniel, his white, even teeth brilliant against his rich brown skin. At the front was his fellow forward, Del Matthews, a theriomorph whose wolfish features did more to intimidate opponents than even Trace’s towering height. Del was panting like a dog on a hot summer day, but his amber eyes were focused and hungry. The Westfall Academy Warriors were out for blood.
The opposing team, the Metamor Central Falcons, stood waiting on the higher levels of the skyball court, their feet firmly planted to the alternate-gravity planes of the upper tiers. Most of them were bigger than his players. The guards were twin theriomorphs with gazelle blood, capable of bursts of speed that would put most players to shame. Their center was a towering senior from Arabarb who must have outweighed Trace by fifty percent. Beyond them all was the goal, a circular hoop nine decimeters across that was suspended fifteen meters above the arena floor.
Daniel bared his teeth at them with a predator’s joy. None of it would make the slightest bit of difference.
He threw the ball inbounds to Kevin, starting the clock, then ran to the front of the formation. He hit the jump pad with both feet together and soared three meters up to the first tier on the left, landing in front of the enemy forward. They were now at a 45-degree angle to the floor, but he adjusted to the new gravity field as naturally as breathing. Del hit the tier on the right side, while Trace hit the center pad and leapt a full six meters to the second tier, a thin strip of court that hung parallel to the ground.
Kevin passed the ball up to Daniel, who grinned at the lanky young man in front of him. He dribbled the ball from one hand to the other, then juked to the left. His opponent over-committed, and Daniel spun right and cut around him, passing up to Trace before hitting the next pad and leaping up to the third tier. Trace caught it in one enormous hand without looking, then turned to face the big Northlander in front of him. His opponent waved his long arms in front of Trace, trying to disrupt his vision and break his concentration, but the Irombian hardly seemed to notice. He flipped the ball up to Del one-handed, who caught it as easily as if it had been homing in on his fingertips. He growled and snapped at the guard in front of him, and the gazelle’s nerve broke for an instant as his prey instincts reasserted themselves. Del charged past him and tossed the ball to the fourth tier, where Trace and the Northlander were already waiting.
The hoop was three meters above Trace and six meters back, and the Northlander had backed off a couple of steps, clearly expecting Trace to take the shot. At that moment, however, Daniel could see Fiona racing up the court along the third tier on the right side, darting past defenders with inhuman speed. She hit the jump pad at the end of the third tier and bounced onto the fourth, behind the Northlander center, before darting toward the final jump pad and leaping into the air toward the hoop. Trace’s throw was timed perfectly and landed between her outstretched hands, high over the Northlander’s head. Fiona did a flip in mid-air and sailed through the goal feet-first, carrying the ball with her. The scoreboard ticked up three more points for the Warriors, as Fiona landed safely in the net beyond the hoop.
Daniel laughed and jogged back toward the Warriors’ end of the court, getting ready for the Falcons’ attack. The only hard part about this, he thought, is trying not to make it look too easy.
Equipment & Court
There's a ball, and a court that's at least 4 tiers tall with alternate-gravity planes of the upper tiers that have multiple surfaces for play off of. The goal is a circular hoop nine decimeters across that is suspended fifteen meters above the arena floor.
This is large enough for a person to fit through. Holding onto the ball while it goes the hoop (so the player goes through it too) is permitted and will score points for the team.
Use of Extraordinary Abilities
It is not known what abilites are and are not allowed on the court during a game. Theriomorphs who can have much more stamina or speed (depending on their animal form) than Uncursed mortals are allowed with no apparent restrictions.
Nothing is said about magic use at all (and one player we know of is an illusionist mage).
However, the Westfall Academy team have a discussion after they win a HS championship, that if their psionic abilities were known that they would be banned from using them or disqualified from playing.1
Scoring
Goals are 3 points.
Penalties
Unknown
Team Makeup
There are 5 players active in a team (there are first string, second string, subistute players just like any team sport).
The positions are as follows: Forwards (two), Shooting Guard, Point Guard, Center.
Known players
- Westfall Academy Warriors (high school level team)
- Daniel Sharabi (Forward)
- Del Matthews (Forward)
- Fiona hin'Connaill (Shooting Guard)
- Kevin Darby (Point Guard)
- Trace Umbara (Center)
- Unknown college team
- Kate Kitaen (position unknown)
Known Fans
Author's Notes
Sources: Making the Cut, Kate