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	Nothing but walls

There are actually two versions of Off the Wall. The normal game is closely related to stoopball, with anywhere from one to perhaps six players per team. Basic baseball rules apply and you either run out the hit or get bases depending on the number of bounces. It is a classic of street play that can adapted to a variety of locales.

The other game known as of Off the Wall is often played in school yards while finishing lunch. It might be described as the lunatic version, definitely more colorful and clearly not a team sport. Rules are almost non-existent, with every man for himself. Here's an attempt at some guidelines: the guy who has the ball runs up and throws it against a wall. All players in the field then rush over and attempt to catch the ball on the fly. They scramble, bump, and knock into each other, trying to perform the deed. If it drops, the thrower gets another turn. If someone successfully catches the ball, he immediately dashes up and throws it against the wall. That's about it.

If you want to get organized, you can play for points, get one each time you throw an uncaught ball. However, the real intention isn't to rack up points, rather it's to knock the heck out of each other while hanging out at school and playing ball.

Sounds like the kind of game in which someone can get hurt? That it is, and during a recent reminiscence, Off the Wall veterans proudly point out exactly which fingers were broken or sprained during this game.