Parrises squares

Parrises squares, or parisses squares, was a vigorous and rather violent athletic game played by people from many worlds and ages during the 24th century. Those who played this sport were called "parrises players". () Its popularity among youth was a safety concern for parents. ()
== Rules ==
The game was played on a , and involved two teams of four players. Substitutions were possible, which allowed teams to rotate active and resting teammates. Some players, such as Commander William T. Riker, disliked the practice, feeling that doing so created a disruptive loss of a team's "rhythm". ()
When playing parrises squares, players wore padded uniforms and used an ion mallet (; ) and a ball. () The game also involved a ramp, and if players were not careful, they could fall off and injure themselves. ()
== Known games and teams ==
Raymond Marr, a colonist on Omicron Theta, played parrises squares with a group of his schoolmates. He started when he was very young but was gifted and even won a championship emblem in the game. ()
The Starfleet Academy team faced the Minsk team in the parrises squares Championship Finals of 2324. It came as a big surprise when Starfleet Academy won, as the Minsk team was favored. Starfleet cadets threw a celebratory party that wreaked havoc on the academy grounds and took the head groundskeeper at Starfleet Academy, Boothby three weeks to repair. ()
M'Kota R'Cho was the only Klingon national that played parrises squares professionally, when he participated in the controversial Championship Finals of 2342. ()
Starbase 74 had a parrises squares team, which the team played against during its stay there in 2364. ()
In 2373, The Doctor created a holographic family to help him better understand and empathize with his patients, and his daughter, Belle, was on her school's parrises squares team. This worried her parents, especially The Doctor, for parrises squares was a potentially dangerous game – even more so for Belle, who played in a league of children older than her. Their concern proved prescient and justified as she later died from injuries sustained during a competition. ()
Ensign Harry Kim played during his time as a cadet, mentioning that he knew what it felt like to take an ion mallet to the ribs, and that he was Academy champion three times. ()
According to Tom Paris, Ensign Freddy Bristow played "a mean set of Parrises Squares." Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres, however, was not impressed, stating that she had played one game with him and whipped him. ()
In the fictional future created by Barash for William Riker, Barash's avatar Jean-Luc Riker broke his wrist playing Parrises Squares. The elder Riker was displeased that Jean-Luc was playing Parrises Squares at his age, saying he could have broken his neck, but Dr. Crusher politely pointed out to him that Will was even younger than Jean-Luc when he began playing. ()
== Known players ==
* See: List of athletes
== Mentions ==
While healing a deep cut on William Riker's face, which he acquired from Data's cat, Spot, Doctor Crusher admonished him, giving an order to "Stop playing parrises squares as if you're 21!" She continued dispensing advice: "One of these days, you're gonna fall and break your neck, and I'm not gonna be able to heal that as easily." ()
In 2381, after Stevens assigned Ensigns Mariner, Rutherford, and Boimler to clean up the psychic mines on Jengus IV, he advised them to, if the mines tempted them with illusions, to think of parrises squares. Later, Rutherford avoided the effect by doing just that. ()
== Appendices ==
=== Background information ===
According to her biography in Star Trek: Starship Creator, Sarita Carson lists parrises squares among her interests.
=== Apocrypha ===
The video game Star Trek: The Next Generation - Echoes from the Past gives an alternative spelling to the game's name as "Parisi Squares".
The second issue of the Star Trek: Spock: Reflections comic reveals parrises squares was played as early as the 23rd century. In 2253, Lieutenant José Tyler invited Spock to join in a game of parrises squares which was being held in the 's rec room with some of the other crew members, but Spock declined the offer.
In the first issue of IDW Publishing's series set in the alternate reality, a Tellarite named Trumble played parrises squares on the Academy's team, the Fighting Phoenixes before becoming an Academy instructor.
In the novel Enigma Tales, Doctor Katherine Pulaski is revealed to like parrises squares.
=== External link ===
* 
de:Parrises squares
Category:Sports