The NERA league is the joint creation of Martin Bryant and Ron Nauert, who originated the rules and concepts of the game in 1982. Over the years, it has changed and adapted as the League has worked towards a better game. The original league was formed in Austin, Texas and ran from 1982 to 1992 with NERA rules. The current NERA League, based in Houston, Texas was founded in 1992 and has varied in size between 6 to 8 teams.
The appeals of the game are its relatively simple rules and its thrill of head to head competition.