The basic mission of this Barefoot Hub Ball website is to establish what Barefoot Hub Ball is, to popularize it, and to provide a starting point for getting people introduced to the sport and then beginning to play it. The intent is for this sport to someday become a popular major sport that is played widely.
This website has been set up for easily providing the primary initial way to get information out about Barefoot Hub Ball. This is a sport developed by Tom A. Kutscher (Kansas, USA) who wrote the official rules (referred to here as the Rules). As stated in the other sections of the website, this sport is a safe, healthy, low contact alternative to other widely-played sports that cause injuries as a result of contact or full collisions.
The website objectives and general plans are as follows.
First Version – This current website is to provide all the basic information on the sport and the Rules. The Rules are copyrighted by Tom Kutscher but can be freely printed out from the website. The printouts should always include the Introduction and Disclaimer & Indemnification sections as well as the Rules. The intent is to generate interest and get unofficial play of the sport going as soon as possible. The rollout plan of the website is in final third of 2018.
It is hoped that enough interest will develop in 2019 and soon after such that informal matches can be played, and feedback with possibly segments of videos of the matches can be sent in. That material may in some cases be used for the News section of the website and for generating more interest.
Future – The future of the website will depend on how well the sport is accepted. It may possibly provide some instructional tips for players and teams as well as news on teams and leagues that have started playing the sport. I assume that some unofficial play will occur that will spur on more website material. Also, some feedback and video from the unofficial matches, if freely proved and sent in, will be added to the website if it is deemed useful. The video must be useable for free.
It may also be possible that instructional information for referees may begin to be provided in this phase. If official leagues are started (by others) and there is sufficient interest in more website services, they will be planned in these future phases of the website.
In “the best case scenario” the sport will have begun to accelerate in popularity by 2020 or 2021. And (in that scenario) leagues in schools, parks & recreation, athletic facilities, and other organizations are being formed and official play is being done. The extent of new free services on the website will depend on how fast the popularity of Barefoot Hub Ball grows.