Tetherball rules:
The player serving first selects the direction to hit the ball
The receiving player hits the ball back in the opposite direction
The objective is to hit the ball in your direction so the rope wraps completely around the pole

Alternate Play:
After serving, the server cannot touch the ball again until the rope is wrapped around the pole 4 times or the opponent touches the ball

Scoring:
One point is awarded to a player for wrapping the rope as far around the pole as it will go in his or her direction

Penalties:
If any of the following unintentional penalties occur, the game is paused, the ball is returned to where it was wrapped when the penalty occurred and the other player takes over the serve

Penalties include:
Crossing over to the opponent’s side
Double hitting: striking the ball more than once before it wraps around the pole or the opponent hits it
Hitting the ball with any part of the body other than the hands or arms
Holding or catching the ball
Touching or grabbing the rope
If a player grabs the pole or if a player commits 3 unintentional penalties in 1 game, that player loses the game

To win the game, the rope must be completely wound around the pole. The player with the highest score after 7 games wins the game.