The genesis – and true history – behind Plunger Ball is a bit fuzzy since it was "invented" in the mid 1970's (possibly 1975 or 1976) in Bozeman, MT. It all began in a basement
apartment just off of the Montana State University campus.
It started with a plugged toilet that overflowed onto the linoleum floor of the bathroom and down a long, narrow hallway. After plunging the toilet to get it cleared and then
mopping the floor several MSU students (possibly including Rich Deming, John Schipf, and other hooligans) decided it would be a good idea to toss the plunger
to one another down the hallway. The ceiling was only about 7’ high so it required the plunger to be tossed at a low trajectory. After flipping – and then sticking – the plunger,
an idea surfaced to make a target on the floor. Electrical tape seemed to be the answer, so it was placed on the floor in a square with just barely enough room for the plunger
head to fit in if perfectly placed.
This then resulted in some gamesmanship and sketchy rules were developed, which continued to morph into the rules of today. After much discussion and numerous adult beverages,
we needed to come up with a name for this silly game. Plunger Ball was suggested but "there is no ball in Plunger Ball" was the comment and argument against it. However, creativity
was not a strong suit of this group of college students, so Plunger Ball was ultimately decided upon.
Now, almost 50 years later, Rich Deming (Plunger 1) and John Schipf (Plunger 2) have decided to market the game to the public. The game has a beautiful simplicity to it yet
can be confoundingly difficult. The game can be played indoors or outdoors and by all ages.
Welcome to the wonderful world of Plunger Ball!