O.T.L. (Over The Line)
OTL is a small sport that can be best desribed as three-man beach softball. It's big in San Diego (where I first learned about the sport and played it), Arizona, and Texas. Most people have never hear of it, but those who have usually only have positive things to say. In order to be consistant with myself, I should describe OTL as a game, rather than a sport (it's too long to get into it, but very few things are sports, whereas there are a ton of games, and even more recreational activities--and golf & bowling are NOT sports). Anyways, OTL is great. It's played on the sand and should be played while drinking beer and surrounded with good friends.
Basic points of the game are as follows: three men on a side; the field is played on a pencil shaped field which is maked by ropes; you must hit the ball over the line that separates the triangular part of the field from the rectangular portion (hence the name of Over The Line); only a special OTL ball is used--it is a softer version of a softball; there are only singles and homeruns; it takes three singles to score a run; homeruns are when the batter hits the ball on the fly past the third (and deepest) fielder (wherever he may stand); there is no base running involved; there are no gloves and only light taping allowed; your own team member pitches to you; you only get two swings of the bat; if you swing and miss you are out; if you hit the ball foul and the other team tries to catch it but drops it you are safe; if the game is tied after four innings (a standard game) the winner is decided by whoever has the most hits. Confused???? Well, ya got to play it to love it. Grab a twelver of natty light, find a bat and an OTL ball, get some friends together, go to a beach, and have a blast.
I myself was introduced to the game as a freshman in college by my big brother (Steve De La Cruz) in my fraternity in order to play in an interfraternity OTL tournement. We spent the entire day out on Mission Bay in San Diego playing OTL, drinking beer, and having a blast. By the end of the day, I was sunburned, drunk, tired, and thoroughly hooked on OTL. The annual OTL tournament became the highlight of Spring for the remainder of my five years at college. If you really want to see what the game is all about, the biggest OTL tournement is on Fiesta Island in Misson Bay (San Diego) on the 4th of July weekend. It's a little wild, but I guess that's what the sport is all about. It's the greatest game you've never heard about.
