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Reposted by International Oarball Union

Bayou Oaks Fruit Hogs @fruithogs.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

New logo, who this?

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Reposted by International Oarball Union

Amanda Mull @amandamull.bsky.social · 10/09/2026

This is correct, but also, I think a lot of people don’t realize how incredibly common coed youth sports already are. I think that in particular a lot of people obsessed with this topic have no idea because they actually have no interest in youth sports or young athletes.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 24/08/2026

If you are a parent who is sick of this, oarball is building something different. No shareholders, no exhausting schedules, just simple fun for kids

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

If you want to start a new club, or start a Lightweight team at your club, please reach out to the IOU via form or email, and we will be delighted to provide you with free resources and support. See you on the field! /end

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

While this system will not work for every sport, particularly those with extensive infrastructure in place, we hope that society can get away from its vile anti-trans, misogynist ways, and that Lightweight Oarball can be a step in the right direction for sport. 8/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

By keeping weights restricted, there is a safe and competitive range for safety at the weights typical of athletic women, without any room for disgusting “transvestigation” or enforced gender norms. The goal is for Lightweight Oarball to be inclusive and safe. 7/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Bigger women and even men in the 91-100kg range on Lightweight teams. This way, mass is not an advantage the way it is in Senior oarball, but no one needs to stress about making weight if they are on the edge, because there is room for lots of different body shapes. 6/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Lightweight teams will be allowed to field any player who weighs less than 90kg. They will also have 10kg of “overage” which can be used on one player or spread across several players. The idea is to keep players from doing unhealthy “cuts” like in combat sports and to leave room for 5/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

This new division, called Lightweight, will not replace under-12, under-15, under-18, or over-40 age divisions. Instead, it will operate alongside our Senior division for club competitions. It is called Lightweight because it is a weight class, not a gender class. 4/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

The IOU is fundamentally opposed to gender-segregation. We see it as a backward and prone to just this kind of bad-faith campaign. However, we do see the benefits of women-dominated spaces, particularly in sport. With this in mind, the IOU will be introducing a new division. 3/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Has driven a wedge in our society, being used as diagonalism, a way to drive well-meaning people towards radical and insensitive opinions. Almost all concerns over “protecting women’s sports” are introduced by people who genuinely do not care about women playing sports. 2/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

Much has been written about the fear of transgender women competing in women’s sports. Despite the fact that most women’s sports groups welcome transgender women, and that trans women actually have their performance handicapped by hormone treatments, a campaign in the name of “fairness” 1/

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

Just like Gramsci, you too can be the change you want to see in the world and found a rec sport league yourself too

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 15/08/2026

If you’re looking for a rec sports league to meet friends (or cuties), you should try oarball!

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

That’s a good rule. We are updating our coach trining programs soon; what are some others you use?

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

That is NOT true. You are a valuable person, and people would not be your friend if you did not bring them joy. Don’t be so hard on yourself!

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

As always, we want to thank our devoted volunteers, our community, and of course our players for making oarball possible. We look forward to growing the sport and our community together over the upcoming years.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

Our English and Spanish rulebooks, scoresheet, and coaching documents have all been updated to contain the new material. Expect more soon!

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

And also adds the opportunity for highly skilled drop-kicks, hand-spun passes, and more predictable first touches, making the penalty shot much more dangerous than before. While the roll-out is a departure from how the game has been played before, it adds skill and speed without disrupting game flow

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

This allows the team a much higher chance of getting possession, allows for quick re-starts, and punishes teams much more severely for breaking procedural rules. The roll-out is now also used to start play on the penalty shot, which unifies re-starts into just two set pieces (face-off and roll-out)

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

4. The biggest rule change in the sport’s history: the roll-out. Previously, violations were punished with a free hit, which results in a face-off. Now, the non-offending team picks the ball up in their hand and rolls it into play.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

3. The barging rule makes explicit the kind of contact that can be initiated with the shoulder and torso and what cannot. This kind of contact was already permitted, but this new rule makes it clearer when contact is legal.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

2. The defensive team is allowed 2 players in the crease and the offensive team is allowed 1. This simplifies the rules from before, which allowed limited goal hanging but unnecessarily complicated the already chaotic goal area.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

This prevents some gamesmanship, making physical contests more honest, and makes learning the contact rules simpler. It also allows crease defenders better ways to protect against attackers, and allows players to better protect themselves from unexpected contact.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

1. When hand checking, a player is now always allowed to push with one hand, and allowed to push with two hands if they are standing or walking. This is an update to previously when both a player and their opponent had to be standing or walking.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 10/08/2026

After careful deliberation, new rule changes for the 2026-27 season are final. The following changes have been made: 1. Updates to hand checking rules 2. Simplification of goal hanging and offsides 3. Addition of “barging” to clarify contact rules 4. A new type of re-start called a roll-out

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

The old solution, and one we will use more as our leagues expand, is to split gate receipts. It doesn’t fix everything, especially not in a league that makes a large % of revenue on TV and sponsorships, but it can fix some of the small-big market disparity without rewarding bad teams for being bad

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 02/08/2026

The IOU rules committee is undergoing talks of rules changes for the 2027 season. On the agenda: 1. Simplifying and clarifying rules around contact and the goal crease 2. Punishing teams more for technical violations 3. Increasing pace of play without compromising the current flow

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 30/07/2026

With the season coming to an end soon, the IOU is accepting ideas for discussion at the annual rules conference. What would you change about our sport?

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

And across sports, teams and leagues encourage this, both implicitly and explicitly. Not oarball. No oarball team or league will promote sports gambling or take sponsorship money from organizations that facilitate it. We have updated our competition guidelines accordingly.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

This is no longer the case. The complete deregulation of sports gambling, particularly from the mobile phone, has given rise to terrible consequences for society and for sport. Fans are ruining their futures and lashing out against athletes. Athletes are tainting competition to make more money.

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 22/07/2026

As recently as five years ago, loosening regulation on sports gambling seemed like a reasonable decision to many people. After all, at that time sports betting was mostly the realm of friends and coworkers making small-time wagers, a mostly harmless bit of good fun.

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Reposted by International Oarball Union

Mari- homeless. Still Indigenous. @wordglass.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

The Anishinabek Nation is now accepting in-kind donations on behalf of Namaygoosisagagun First Nation in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Acceptable items: ▪️Adult clothing (in all sizes & genders) ▪️Non-perishable food items & goods ▪️Toys for children of all ages 1/3

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Kyle Goon @kylegoon.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

In February, USA Rugby banned trans women from all levels of one of the world’s most inclusive sports. What happened next was telling. Across the country, teams refused to comply. The story of the Baltimore Ferals, who are pushing back: www.thebanner.com/sports/rugby...

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 06/07/2026

For the record, the IOU will not rescind any disciplinary decisions no matter who calls us

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Reposted by International Oarball Union

Bayou Oaks Fruit Hogs @fruithogs.bsky.social · 05/07/2026

We are back in business with enough joiners to continue our FREE weekly pickup games. Thank you for your support!

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 04/07/2026

While it’s easier to rake the ball, and we encourage young players to do that just to get the ball off the ground, oarballers should train to lift the ball on the run, scooping through the ball. You won’t need as much time and space, and you can create plays in transition much more easily!

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Hay posiciónes para toda la gente, alto y bajo, grande y pequeño. Pelotaremo es para todos. ¿Que posición te gustas?

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

El Delantero Arriba es como un delantero centro de fútbol: se escapa detrás de la defensa y salta al aire para marcar goles. El Delantero Arriba a veces encuentra espacios en las bandas para disparar desde larga distancia, como un escolta de baloncesto

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Luego están los delanteros. El Medio Delantero es fuerte y compite por ganar el balón en el cara a cara, igual que un talonador en una melé de rugby, y conecta el juego como un centrocampista de fútbol

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

El Defensor de Área es grande y fuerte, y trabaja sin descanso en el área de la portería para mantener a los oponentes alejados de su compañero, el Defensor Libre. Su estilo de juego es como el de un ala-pívot de baloncesto o un defensa central de balonmano

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

El Defensor Libre es como un portero de fútbol o un líbero de voleibol. Es una posición para atletas pequeños, rápidos y con reflejos ágiles. Tapan la portería como un portero, pero también sprintean hacia el ataque para jugar ofensiva y marcar goles, sobre todo en jugadas a balón parado

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

En el pelotaremo hay cuatro posiciones en el campo. Hay dos posiciones defensivas, el Defensor de Área y el Defensor Libre, y dos posiciones ofensivas, el Medio Delantero y el Delantero Arriba. ¡Te vamos a ayudar a entenderlas y a elegir la mejor posición según cómo quieras jugar!

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

Así que has decidido probar algo nuevo y convertirte en jugador de pelotaremo. Tienes una pala, un palo y un plan para divertirte y hacer nuevos amigos. Pero ¿qué posición deberías jugar?

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

We want to expand oarball to university campuses. If you are a student, faculty, staff, or administrator at a university, please reach out to us!

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 30/06/2026

Transgender people belong in sport. Same as everyone else

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 28/06/2026

Watching all of these “meat wall” corners, perhaps football could stand to borrow our goal hanging rule? Maybe slightly more lenient since teams have 11 players instead of 4

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

The best diet for you is the one you can maintain. Make small adjustments to stay comfortable: to cut calories, reduce your vices slowly over time. To bulk up, start with a large snack or a small meal. The results you want will take time, so it’s important to be happy through that process

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International Oarball Union @oarball.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Did we say a couple of weeks? Well our all-volunteer staff work really hard and it’s already ready! oarball.org/gallery/IOU_...

oarball.org

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