Bury Aces

Equipment for play

Picture showing showdown equipment including two paddle like bats, two pairs of eye-shades and five yellow balls

The Table

The table used to play showdown is made of wood. It is 1.2m wide and 3.7m long with curved corners. There is a goal at each end with a screen at the halfway point set 10cm above the table’s surface to allow sufficient space for the ball to pass under.

Parts of the table

  • Centerboard Screen: The rectangular board divides the playing area in two sides. The centerboard screen rests on the sidewalls above the playing area.
  • Contact board: The narrow cap that rests on the top of both end walls.
  • Goal area: The space between the goal pocket and (including) the tactile viable boundary line.
  • Goal Pocket: The opening in the horizontal playing deck and the vertical end wall. The end wall must have a hard surface.
  • Playing deck: The surface of the horizontal board.
  • Sidewall: The vertical wall at the edge of the playing deck down both long sides.
  • End Wall: The vertical wall at each end of the playing deck across the short sides.
  • Curve: The rounded vertical part of the table connecting the end walls to the sidewalls.
  • End of table: The part of the table defined by the curves, including the whole curve and the end wall.

Showdown Bats

The bats are shaped like small Cricket bats with curved ends. The part of the bat used to strike the ball is referred to as the blade.

Bats must conform to the following specifications:

  • Total Length 30cm
  • Blade Length 20cm
  • Blade Width 7.5cm
  • Blade Thickness 1cm (including soft cover)
  • Handle Diameter 4cm

The Ball

The ball is made from a hard plastic and contains ball bearings to indicate the location of the ball during play.

The ball must conform to the following specifications

  • Sound: the ball must be audible
  • Diameter: the ball must be round and have a diameter of 6 cm
  • Surface: the ball must have a hard and smooth surface
  • Weight: 23-28gr

Eye Shades

All players wear eye shades so that players of any sight classification can play together on the same level playing field

For competition eye shades must conform to the following specifications:

  • Must completely obscure the player’s vision, complete darkness must be achieved by wearing the eye shades
  • The rim must be padded with foam or silicone material to completely shut out all light
  • Darkened Alpine skiing glasses or adequate alternatives like Goalball masks are the only types allowed

Glove

Protective gloves are worn on the batting hand to prevent possible injury from being hit by the ball, the glove needs to extend 6cm above the wrist joint.

The hand protection must conform to the following specifications

  • The glove must not enlarge the hand by more than 2cm on each side.
  • The thickness of the glove may be maximum 2.5cm in the front part (all fingers) up to the wrist
  • The thickness of the part above the wrist joint can be a maximum of 1cm
  • Players may ware arm protection beyond the hand protection (6cm from the wrist joint) for example sweat bands, bandages etc

Any additional arm protection used is required to:

  • Be of a different colour from the hand protection
  • Not enlarge the arm by more than 1cm on each side
  • Extend a maximum of 6cm below the elbow

The arm protection is not considered to be part of the batting hand.