Snapback is an event played in several incarnations of the television series Gladiators. In this ground based event, contenders are attached to bungee cords and must race across the floor in order to score points. Snapback is the only Gladiators event to have had its gameplay completely changed when the event returned for the 2008 American revival.

Rules

Two Gladiators face off against two contenders opposite and all parties are attached to bungee cords. In the centre of the playing field are several canisters hanging from the ceiling, coloured red and blue. On the whistle, contenders race to the centre, attempting to grab the canisters whilst the Gladiators try to block the contenders and push them away.

Red scoring canisters are worth 1 point and blue cylinders which are placed higher up, 2 points. Contenders must grab the canister, keeping hold of it and deposit in a scoring bin. Only canisters placed in the basket will be counted. A canister which touches the ground is classed as dead.

International differences

In Sweden, the event is played one on one using the classic U.S. series format and was called Rekylen.

America

Years active: 1994-1996, 2008(ii)-

Snapback debuted in original American Gladiators season 6. It involved both contenders and 2 gladiators. All 4 participants were attached to bungee cords, with the contenders' bungee cords on a small rail assembly, similar to a monorail train. The two colors of scoring columns were attached to chains hanging from the ceiling. The red columns were worth 2 points,and were the ones closest hung to the contenders. The blue columns were worth 3 points,and were hung closer to the centre of the field. Should a grabbed column touch red carpet, the column is "dead" and must be forefeited. If you see a column that touches the blue carpet, it is still legal. The column must be placed in a fairly large bucket on the contenders' area to count.

Snapback returned in the second series of the 2008 revival. The gameplay has been drastically altered and is almost unrecognizable from its original format. In the revival version, two contenders simultaneously face two Gladiators. Contenders are stood in front of the Gladiators, facing away from them and on the whistle race towards a button on a post, fifty feet away from their starting position.

The Gladiators in turn are pulling on the bungee cord, similar to a tug of war, trying to hold the contenders back. The ultimate objective for the contender is to hit the button. In doing so they will receive 10 points and launch their respective Gladiator through the air via a fly-harness system like the one in Assault, with a glitter bomb detonating behind the gladiator. If the contender is unsuccessful, they earn points based on how far down the course they are when time expires.

It is currently unknown if this event is intended to be an improvement on the original, or whether it is a different event which happens to have the same name.