Written and Media by Austin Brinkman
Who likes to play volleyball with their feet and hands? Who likes to jump really high to smack the ball hard over the net? Well there is a way to play with your feet and hands. It is called Bossaball. This is one of the newest sports in our society today.
It was started in 2004 in Spain and has gone global ever since. Countries such as Brazil, Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Singapore, and many others have also had very successful Bossaball teams. While international competitions are limited, teams from respected countries travel the world to try and raise awareness of the sport.
The objective of the game is a little variation of volleyball and requires you to hit a ball over a net in order to get points for your team to win. You can use any part of your body, head, feet, and hands to get the ball over the net and into your opponent’s section. The games take place on a huge inflatable with a trampoline found on each side for added bounce to the fun of the game. The team that gets the most points at the end of the game is made the winner.
The equipment and the number of players in a team ranges from three to five members per side. Teams can be mixed of males and females with no restriction on gender per team. One player will be designated on the trampoline section of the arena at all times with players rotating after every point. All you need to have to play is a Bossaball court and a Bossaball of course. A Bossaball is very similar to a volleyball, but is a little smaller.
The court can be of any size, but are usually around 50 yards in length and 30 yards in width. The middle of each court requires a net around three meters high. The other side of the court must be a trampoline section, and inflatable scoring section and an inflatable out of bounds section too.
You score by successfully hitting the ball over the net into your opponent’s section and not allowing them to return it. The first team to 25 points and win by at least two gets the victory. Three points will be awarded for hitting the trampoline section of the court and one point for anywhere else that is in-bounds. No points are awarded for hitting the ring around the trampoline, which is called Bossa. The game is played out over the best of three or best of five sets to win. If there is a tie at 24-24 then one team has to win by two points instead of 25.
Players can only hit the ball once with their hands, but twice with their feet and head. A team can hit the ball up to five times before they need to get it over the net. A team must get to 25 or more to win, but there is no time limit to play the game. After each point, players rotate their positions clockwise so that everyone gets a chance to be on the trampoline section.
The real question is, are you willing to try this new, exciting sport that uses both hands and feet!? Bossaball is high-flying, good fun!
Austin, good article, Did you use any quotes from the research on this sport? Why don’t you bring me your researched article and lets look at it beside this article on Wednesday in class.