• Tamburello Classic (also known as Tambourin or Tamburello Open)
• Indoor Tamburello (also known as Tambourin en Salle)
• Tambourelli
• Tambeach
All sports share the use of the Tambourelli Bat (also known as Tambourin or Tamburello) – which bears a close resemblance (as the name suggests) to a Tambourine. Tambourelli was indeed originally played with tambourines when it was first developed in the South-West of Scotland in the 1970s.
The bats also resemble small drums, known as tambours in French. Currently, these bats are made of plastic, reinforced with steel. The skin is made of the same material as that used for bullet-proof vests and is stretched to a tension approximately 100 times greater than that for a tennis racket.
All disciplines balance competition with respect for one’s opponent(s), a high level of social etiquette which is missing from many other sports today, and relatively inexpensive equipment and playing facilities. They are games that can be played all year round in one form or another; they may also be played by anyone – men, women, teenagers, boys and girls.
The principal differences are that Tambourelli is played with a shuttlecock, whereas the other three are played with balls. Tambourelli and TamBeach are played with a net, while both versions of Tamburello are played without a net.
